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Reign of King Louis XVI
King Louis xvi ruled during the years 1643 to 1715. He was one of the main causes of the french revolution since he paid little attention to the people's needs and because he spent money to an extreme level for parties instead of spending it for eliminating poverty. To add on, the queen, Marie Antoniette, only added to his problems and was disliked by the people for her selfish personality. This caused a lot of people to get mad and wanted him out of power. -
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Old Regime
The social and political system of France where people were divided into three social classes. The first and second estates were very privileged, while the third estate lacked privileges and were treated very unfairly compared to the other estates. -
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Bad Weather Conditions
Bad weather caused crop failures which resulted in a drastic shortage of grain. Because of this, the price of bread doubled and many people faced starvation. This caused a lot of Third Estate people to get angry at the government for doubling the prize and there were many protests done such as the women’s march in Versailles against this event. -
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Economic troubles
France government sank into debt partly because of King Louis and Marie Antoniete’s ridiculous spendings and also because he spent money in helping American Revolutionaries with their war against the British, France’s rival. This doubled the government's debt and caused Louis to face serious problems. -
General Estate's assembly
King Louis was wasting money to an extreme level and when he was left with no money, his solution was to impose taxes on the nobility. This caused an assembly, organized by the second estate, for representatives from all of the three estates to approve the kings new tax. -
National Assembly
Third estate delegates were eager for changes in the government and they insisted that all three estates met together to vote for a change in the government. After the debate, delegates of the third estate agreed in establishing the National Assembly and in effect, they declared the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of a representative government. -
Tennis Court Oath
Third estate delegates were locked out of the meeting room so in order to get out they broke down a door to an indoor tennis court agreeing to stay until they had prepared a new constitution. Right after, nobles and members of the clergy who were in favor of them joined the third estate delegates. Because of this event, Louis assigned his army of Swiss guards around Versailles. -
Storming of the Bastille
Rumours were spread in Paris that Louis was going to use his military force to remove the National Assembly and that foreign troops were going to massacre French citizens. Because of this, people began gathering weapons to defend the city against the attack. On July 14 a mob searching for weapons and gunpowder stormed the Bastille, a prison in Paris, and started attacking Prisons guards to death and went around the streets with dead men’s heads. This was a symbolic revolutionary event for France -
The Great Fear
A rumour about nobles hiring outlaws to terrorize peasants that circulated in the countryside. The peasants soon became the bandits themselves and they broke into nobles houses, armed with pitchforks and other farm tools, and they destroyed old legal papers that bound them to pay feudal dues. -
Women’s March in Versailles
Women living in Paris protested over the increasing bread prices. Armed with weapons, they marched on Versailles demanding the National Assembly to take action in providing bread and turning their anger at the king and queen for not doing anything about it. The women broke into the castle by killing some of the guards and they ordered that Louis and Marie Antoniette returned to Paris. In a few hours, the king and his family left Versallies to go to Paris, never again to see the Versailles palace