the French Revolution
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/5/2/19521371/1353977.png?480)
A diagram explaining the causes of the French Revolution
Monarchy was the first form of government that France had. From the fifth until the eighteenth century, France remained under royal control. It was not until the French Revolution of 1789 that their government took a shift towards democracy. Some of the causes of governmental shift in France were economic instability and the separation of classes. There was a huge lack of communication between the Government and the People for years before anything happened. This led to a large scale revolution that led to the development of France into a republic. From that France’s government has been through many reforms, from empires to parliamentary systems. Their former leaders range from Napoleon Bonaparte to Charles De Gaulle to Nicolas Sarkozy, the previous president of France.
Modern France
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/5/2/19521371/1470975.jpg)
Francois Hollande, current President of France.
Charles De Gaulle was a general in the French Army, as well as a statesman who was heavily involved in government reform. He was president of France from 1959-1969. He was one of the founders of the Fifth Republic, which is France's form of government today. Established in 1958, the Fifth Republic was enacted after a series of reforms led by Charles De Gaulle. This form of government incorporates a parliamentary system in along with the Presidency. The current president in France is Francois Hollande, who is also the first Socialist president in French History.