The French Revolution: Causes and Start

• The French Revolution began with a volatile atmosphere caused by famine and Enlightenment ideas.
• The situation in France exploded on July 14, 1789.

Objectives

• Describe the social divisions of France's old order.
• List reasons for France's economic troubles in 1789.
• Explain why Louis XVI called the Estates-General and summarize the results.
• Understand why Parisians stormed the Bastille.

Terms and People

• Ancien Régime: The government in pre-revolution France.
• Estate: Social class.
• Bourgeoisie: The middle class.
• Deficit Spending: When a government spends more money than it takes in.
• Louis XVI: King of France from 1774 to 1792; he was executed in 1793.
• Jacques Necker: A financial advisor to Louis XVI.
• Estates-General: The legislative body consisting of representatives of the three estates.
• Cahier: Notebook used during the French Revolution to record grievances.
• Tennis Court Oath: An oath taken by the members of the National Assembly to meet wherever the circumstances might require until they created a constitution.
• Bastille: A fortress in Paris used as a prison where the French Revolution began when Parisians stormed it in 1789.

Coming of the French Revolution

• In 1789, French society was based on a system created in the Middle Ages called the Ancien Régime which separated everyone into one of three Estates.
• The First Estate consisted of the clergy.
• The Second Estate consisted of the nobility.
• The Third Estate consisted of about 95% of the population, including the bourgeoisie, urban workers, and rural peasants.
• The first two estates enjoyed most of the wealth and privileges in France.

The Church

• The Church owned 10% of the land.
• The Church collected tithes.
• The Church paid no direct taxes to the state.

The Nobility

• The nobility had the right to top jobs in government, the army, the courts, and the Church.
• The nobility paid no taxes.
• The Third Estate resented the existing social order at all levels.
• Wealthy members of the Bourgeoisie did not have access to the best government positions.
• Urban workers earned pitiful wages and faced starvation when the price of bread rose.
• Rural peasants owed fees and services that dated back to feudal times.
• Enlightenment ideas spread among the Third Estate, and many began to question the Ancien Régime.
• Years of deficit spending had put the French government deeply in debt.
• The deficit spending was the result of Louis XIV's lavish court, supporting The Seven Years' War, supporting Patriots in the American Revolution, and the rising costs of goods and services.
• Bad harvests in the 1780s made it harder to recoup the money.
• To solve the financial crisis, the government needed to increase taxes, reduce expenses, or both.
• The first two estates resisted any attempts to make them pay taxes.
• Louis XVI ran up more debt, but attempted some economic reforms.
• Louis XVI appointed Jacques Necker as his financial advisor.
• Jacques Necker made recommendations to reduce debt which was to reduce extravagant court spending, reform government, abolish tariffs on internal trade, and tax the First and Second Estates.
• When Necker proposed taxing the First and Second Estates, the nobles and high clergy forced Louis XVI to dismiss him.
• Powerful classes demanded that the king summon a meeting of the Estates-General, but the nobles hoped that it would bring the absolute monarch under their control and guarantee their own privileges.
• France was on the verge of bankruptcy while rising prices led to bread riots, and nobles continued to fight against taxes.
• Before the meeting, Louis had all the estates prepare notebooks called Cahiers listing their grievances; fairer taxes, freedom of the press, and regular meetings of the Estates-General were requested.
• Many delegates from the Third Estate wanted to solve the financial crisis, but insisted on reforms.
• The voting system created a stalemate because each estate traditionally met separately and had one vote.
• The Third Estate moved to create a fairer system where the three estates met together and votes were counted by heads rather than estates.
• In June 1789, after weeks of stalemate, members of the Third Estate declared themselves to be the National Assembly and the true representatives of the people.
• The members of the National Assembly were locked out of their meeting hall and moved to a nearby tennis court.
• The members of the National Assembly took the Tennis Court Oath where they pledged to continue meeting until a constitution was established.
• Some reform-minded clergy and nobles joined the Third Estate in the National Assembly.
• Louis XVI was forced to accept the new body, but when royal troops gathered in Paris, rumors spread that the king planned to dissolve the National Assembly.
• On July 14, 1789, events erupted into revolution with the storming of the Bastille.
• A crowd gathered outside the Bastille prison to demand weapons they thought were stored there.
• The commander fired on the crowd, killing many; the mob broke through, freeing prisoners but finding no weapons.
• The fall of the Bastille challenged the existence of the Ancien Régime.

Explore the causes and the beginning of the French Revolution. Understand the social divisions, economic troubles, and key events like the storming of the Bastille. Learn about Louis XVI, Estates-General, and the Tennis Court Oath.