Why did Revolution erupt in
1789?
Economic Slump
•1787 – 1789: a series of poor harvests: silk and wine.
•1788 – 1789: a crisis in industry meant many were
unemployed.
•1788: the government was bankrupt. No one would
lend it money.
•1789: France could not raise new taxes, nor collect
any old ones.
•The King was forced to call a meeting of the Estates
General – the French Parliament which had not met
since 1614.
Meeting of the Estates
•The King hoped it would agree to raise new taxes.
•The nobles wanted to control the meeting and get more
Concessions from the King.
•All the people hoped that it would solve all their problems
as they had been asked to draw up a list of grievances
(cahiers de doleances).
•However, Louis was distracted over the illness of his son
and didn’t propose any major reforms.
•Representatives of the Third Estate and some members of
the First Estate joined together and declared themselves,
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Revolution Breaks Out
•On the 20th June 1789 members of the National Assembly
swore an oath.
•They would not disband until their aims had been met.
•They wanted a new constitution, and to lay down new laws.
Violence
•Word of the King’s attempts to overthrow the National
Assembly leaked onto the streets of Paris.
•On July 14th the Paris peasants stormed the Bastille and
burnt it to the ground.
•This event triggered off a series of violent acts around France.
•Peasants refused to pay the tithe, and threatened bloodshed
if anyone tried to take their goods.
•Many nobles’ chateaux were razed and plundered. Their
feudal documents were burned as well.
•The revolution began to gain momentum.