Storming of Bastille, Riots, Financial Crisis & Social Structure in French Revolution
The Storming of the Bastille
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- 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.
The Storming of Bastille - On July 14, 1789, Parisians stormed the Bastille, a symbol of royal tyranny, marking a pivotal moment in the Revolution. 
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. - French society was divided into three estates:
- 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.
