The French Revolution's disastrous money experiment - Part 2

The French Revolution was a bloody fight for liberty, equality and fraternity. But it was also a battle over money. In part two of our series on the French Revolution, host Robin Wigglesworth tackles the transformation of France’s monetary system with Rebecca Spang, historian and author of Stuff and Money in the Time of the French Revolution. As the country descended into war, political turmoil and the Reign of Terror, the experiment with the currency known as the Assignat became increasingly troubled. Robin and Rebecca examine why trust in money matters. Plus, did the revolution’s economic turmoil pave the way for Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power? Further reading: Stuff and Money in the Time of the French Revolution by Rebecca L Spang To enjoy future episodes, be sure to subscribe to The Story of Money wherever you get your podcasts, also on the show's dedicated YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@FTTheStoryOfMoney Hosts: Robin Wigglesworth Senior producer: Michela Tindera Executive producer: Kate Ford Original music and sound design: Breen Turner Video editor: Michael Saliba Podcast development: Laura Clarke FT global head of audio: Flo Phillips Learn more at www.ft.com/tsom or get in touch at [email protected]. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.