1. France on the Eve of Revolution

2. Intro to France Located in Western Europe Capital: Paris
Language: French
Main Religion: Catholicism
Known as “Gaul” in Roman times and conquered by Julius Caesar
In the late 18th century, it was one of the strongest nations in Europe

6. The Ancien Regime
In 1789, the remnants of feudalism were still very much intact in French society
You had three estates
First Estate: the Clergy
Second Estate: the Nobility
Third Estate: everyone else
The rise of the middle class, known as bourgeoisie, wanted a larger piece of the pie

8. French Financial Woes
By 1789, France was heavily in debt, and half of government revenues were going towards paying interest on the debt
Years of wars, such as the Seven Years War and American Revolution, had cost a lot of money
In order for governments to get out of debt, they usually have to cut spending and raise taxes, which is very unpopular

11. The Estates General
The Estates General: legislative body consisting of representatives from the three estates
The Estates General had not been summoned by a king in over 175 years, but the wealthy and noblemen wanted it summoned in order to address France’s problems
Many “enlightened” people were hoping for an opportunity to reform French society

13. Rebellion in the Estates General
Standard protocol was that each estate would get one vote, even though the third estate represented more than 80% of France
Members of the third estate were upset, rebelled, and declared themselves the National Assembly
The National Assembly pushed the king for enlightenment reforms, including a constitution
King Louis the XVI accepted the reform

15. Fighting Erupts at Bastille
In Paris, the people started to fear that the king was going to send troops to occupy Paris
A mob gathered at the Bastille, an old medieval prison that represented France’s abusive monarchy
The people stormed the Bastille on July 14th, 1789, and killed the prison guards
Blood had been spilled, and French Revolution had now begun