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Economic Crisis
France was going through an economic crisis. A rising population was outpacing food production, a harsh winter in 1788 resulted in famine and starvation in the countryside, and the King and Queen would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars throwing parties for other nobilities. -
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Volatile Weather Conditions
Incredibly volatile weather conditions led to the sparking of immediate and incredibly harsh storms. -
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Abrupt Freezing
An abrupt freezing that began in the 1700's halted and heavily impacted exports and imports of food stuffs and other commerce. France was unable to receive much food from the sea, and was unable to export, limiting their trade commerce. -
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Grain Shortages
Severe grain shortages starting in 1775 began several years of very poor harvest. This led to a lack of available food and an increase in bread prices, which caused riots, later called the Bread Wars. -
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The American Revolution
The American Revolution cost the French government over a billion livres, which was what the country would make in a year. Almost all the money had been obtained from loanes, and the manager of the money had hidden the extent of the debt from the French government and public. -
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Laki Volcanic Fissure
The Laki Volcanic Fissure spewed 120 million tons of over an 8 month period, rapidly changing the weather patterns of 1783. After a long spell of cooling, the summer of 1789 suddenly became the hottest on record, bringing with it storms harsh enough to kill livestock. The winter also was extremely cold, coupled with the rapid melting of snow in the spring, brought large floods, crippling farming, livestock, and economy associated with agriculture. -
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The National Assembly
The National Assembly was made up of Third Estate delegates during the Estates-General meeting. These delegates would later become the leaders of the French Revolution. -
The Tennis Court Oath
This Oath was made after continued discontent of the Third Estate, where they met at an indoor tennis court and vowed to both put an end to the absolute monarchy that ruled France, and establish a new Constitutional Monarchy. They vowed not to disband until the Constitutional Monarchy had been established, and dubbed themselves the National Assembly. -
The Reconstitution
The Reconstitution was the official declaration of war, heavily inspired by the American Declaration of Independence. King Louis then recognised the National Assembly, most likely so not to start a war immediately; however, Louis later upset them, and they organized the storming of the Bastille.