Explore the pivotal events of the French Revolution, including the Storming of Bastille, Paris riots, and the financial and social struggles that shaped 1789.
Storming of Bastille, Riots, Financial Crisis & Social Structure in French Revolution
The Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of Bastille - On July 14, 1789, Parisians stormed the Bastille, a symbol of royal tyranny, marking a pivotal moment in the Revolution.
On the morning of 14 July 1789, the city of Paris was in a state of alarm.
The king had commanded troops to move into the city, spreading rumours of an army attack on citizens.
Approximately 7,000 men and women gathered to form a people's militia and searched government buildings for arms.
A group marched to the fortress-prison, Bastille, hoping to find ammunition. The commander was killed, and the prisoners were released.
The Bastille, hated as a symbol of despotic power, was demolished, and its fragments were sold as souvenirs.
People Gatherings - Mass gatherings were common during the French Revolution, where people gathered to discuss and demand their rights.
Riots in Paris and the Countryside
The days following the Bastille's fall saw rioting, fueled by protests against the high price of bread.
Historians later viewed these events as the start of a chain that led to the execution of the king.
Louis XVI and the Financial Crisis
In 1774, Louis XVI of the Bourbon family became king at age 20, married to Marie Antoinette.
France's treasury was empty due to wars and the maintenance of an extravagant court.
Helping the American colonies added over 1 billion livres to an already massive debt.
To pay interest and maintain the army, the state increased taxes, burdening the third estate.
How Bands of Peasants Spread - During the Revolution, bands of peasants spread through the countryside, demanding justice and attacking the aristocracy.
The Society of Estates
French society was divided into three estates:
First estate: Clergy
Second estate: Nobility
Third estate: Peasants, workers, and middle-class professionals
Only the third estate paid taxes, including tithes to the church and direct taxes like the taille.
Arrangement of Society in Estates - French society was divided into three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners, contributing to social tensions that led to the Revolution.
The Struggle to Survive
The population rose from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789, causing a demand for foodgrains.
The price of bread rose sharply, and wages did not keep pace, leading to a subsistence crisis.
Crisis Arising from Bad Harvest - Poor harvests and rising prices of bread led to widespread famine and unrest, exacerbating the conditions for the Revolution.
The Growing Middle Class
The middle class emerged, earning wealth through trade and manufacturing.
Educated members of the third estate believed in merit-based society and opposed privileges by birth.
Philosophers like John Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu spread ideas of freedom, equality, and division of power.
The American Constitution inspired political thinkers in France.
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