French revolution
Key dates:
1786- Calonne become minister of finance, he informs louis that France is bankrupt, he submits a
financial plan.
1787- the assembly of notables in summoned to discuss the tax reforms proposed by Calonne, the
assembly strongly opposed them and, in an attempt, calm the notables, he dismisses Calonne.
1789- 1. the Estate General that hasn’t met since 1614 meets in hopes of finding solutions for the
financial crisis, crop failures and food shortages caused by an increase in the price of bread that the
country’s being through for the pat few years. At the time Necker was the financial minister, he was
popular for being sympathetic toward the 3rd estate. During the estate general all estates were given
1 vote which was seen as unreasonable as they made up 97% of the population, the first 2 estates
sided together against them. 2. In June the representatives of the 3rd estate established themselves
as the “National Assembly.” The other estates were invited to join the NA but it was clear that they
will continue with or without them. 3. Under orders from Louis the hall the NA met in was closed so
they had to move to a nearby tennis court, there they took the famous “Tennis Court Oath,” they
swore that they wouldn’t separate until a constitution established, but the king refused to recognise
the demands for the assembly.
July 1789- Necker who was seen as an insider by the people was dismissed for suggesting that the
royal family should follow a budget of spending. A combination of dismissal of Necker with troops
surrounding Paris, the Parisians were angered and took to the streets in a parade of riots, attacks on
royal officers, and widespread looting, (bread, killed any shop keepers suspected of keeping bread)
the national guard was created. A rumour of a potential military coup grew, and Paris began to
panic, the 3rd estate began preparing for an uprising. 4. On the 14th of July, the crowd moved to the
bastille to look for weapons and gunpowder, the fortress was captured, and the governor was
killed.
Around this time the NA began drafting a constitution, also around this time a rumour of
“aristocratic conspiracy” appeared, this started the “great fear.” The peasants began a revolt against
feudalism, lords, refusal to pay tax.
August- 5. The NA created the August Decree which abolished feudalism, all the privileges of first 2
estates enjoyed no longer existed. 6. This month also witnessed the birth of the Declaration of the
Right of Man, this was the replacement of the Ancien Regime, based on equality, freedom of
speech, religion, press. This was a significant part of the French revolution.
Later Friend of the people was founded, a radical paper proposing radical and political revolution,
this had a significant impact on the views of the French people, and influential writer at the time was
Marat.
October- 7. large amounts of Parisian women (including notorious fisher women) marched to
Versailles along with representatives from the NA, they were angered by the high bread prices and
the economic situation. They persuaded the king to accept the August Decree, but they weren’t
satisfied yet, they demanded that the king return with them to Paris, when he hesitated, they broke
in and a crowd of 60,000 people escorted the royals to Paris where they became prisoners, the NA
also moved to Paris. The Palace of Tuileries became their last residences. Known as the women’s on
Versailles.
