The French Revolution: Part 1
A Bad Time to Be Incompetent
The late 18th century was a bad time for France. Harsh winters, poor harvests, and a failing economy left the majority of the population struggling to survive. Bread, the most basic and essential food, became so expensive that by 1789 a single loaf could cost up to 90% of a worker’s daily income. Even then, people weren’t guaranteed bread, as supplies were limited. Long lines at bakeries became common, and many desperate people turned to eating roots and grass to survive.
Paris was in chaos, with unemployment affecting nearly half the population. In rural areas, banditry surged as criminals raided farms for food and valuables. At the same time, the French government was teetering on the brink of financial collapse. Decades of reckless spending and costly wars had drained the treasury. At the center of this unraveling kingdom was King Louis XVI (pronounced “Louie the 16th”), a kind but indecisive ruler, and his glamorous queen, Marie Antoinette, whose reputation for extravagance would become legendary.
Queen Marie Antoinette
King Louis XVI
Blame the Past, But Pay in the Present
To be fair, not all of France’s problems were Louis XVI’s fault. Much of the trouble had been inherited from previous rulers, especially his grandfather, Louis XIV, the so-called Sun King. Louis XIV had ruled for over 70 years and was legendary for his opulence. He spent astronomical sums on lavish parties, wars, and the construction of Versailles, an enormous palace complex covering 550,000 square feet. Versailles was meant to showcase the monarchy’s power, but it also drained France’s resources.
The following decades brought more troubles. By the 1780s, a strong El Niño disrupted global weather patterns, leading to brutally cold winters in Europe. Reports from the winter of 1788 tell of hailstorms so severe that they could kill livestock—or even people. The harsh weather devastated wheat crops, leading to a shortage of bread. With demand far outstripping supply, bread prices soared, leaving only the wealthiest able to afford it.
Food scarcity wasn’t just an inconvenience—it was a crisis. For most French people, bread wasn’t just part of their diet; it was their diet. Now, as supplies dwindled, violence erupted. Criminals hijacked wagons of grain bound for cities, while rumors of food hoarding sparked riots.
Bread, Rumors, and Riots
In April 1789, workers at the Réveillon wallpaper factory in Paris rioted after hearing a rumor that their wages were being cut. The rumor wasn’t true—the factory owner was actually sympathetic to his workers—but the damage was done. The riots spilled into the streets, and similar unrest erupted across France. People were angry and scared, lashing out at whatever or whoever they thought was to blame.
The government, meanwhile, seemed paralyzed. Louis XVI was well-meaning but couldn't make a decision to save his life - literally. He hesitated on reforms and appeared disconnected from the struggles of his people. This left many feeling abandoned, and the bubbling resentment toward the monarchy began to boil over.
Bread Riots in Paris
The Ancien Régime: The Root of the Problem
At the heart of France’s problems was the Ancien Régime, a deeply unfair class system that divided people into three Estates:
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The First Estate: The clergy—leaders of the Catholic Church—were powerful and tax-exempt. They justified the king’s rule as being ordained by God.
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The Second Estate: The nobility—those with inherited titles or enough wealth to buy them—also paid no taxes and lived in luxury. Many owned vast estates and controlled significant wealth and power.
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The Third Estate: Everyone else, from wealthy merchants to poor farmers. This group made up 97% of the population but bore the full weight of taxation.
Life for peasants in the Third Estate was especially difficult. They owed taxes to the king, tithes to the church, and rents to their landlords. Some landlords even taxed them for using mills or ovens that they didn’t own. In addition to monetary taxes, peasants were often required to work unpaid on their landlord’s projects, such as repairing roads or buildings. This crushing system of inequality fueled widespread resentment.
Onward, Pierre!
these legs aren't going to walk themselves!
Cartoons such as this one showing the Third Estate carrying the other two were popular with the masses
Versailles: The Bubble of Luxury
While the people of France were starving, the royal family and nobility lived a life of extravagance at Versailles. The palace itself was a marvel of luxury, with over 700 rooms, expansive gardens, and a staff of more than 6,000. Life there revolved around elaborate rituals and endless ceremonies. Even the king’s morning routine—getting out of bed, being dressed, and eating breakfast—was turned into a public event attended by nobles.
King Louis XVI spent much of his time hunting on the palace grounds, while Queen Marie Antoinette entertained guests with lavish balls and dinner parties. Marie was particularly criticized for her spending. In a time when many couldn’t afford bread, she became infamous for buying hundreds of dresses each year and building a private retreat on the palace grounds.
To the struggling people of France, the royals seemed out of touch and wasteful. The resentment brewing against the monarchy was no longer limited to intellectuals or the middle class—it had reached the common people.
Built by Louis XIV (Our Louis's grandfather), the Palace of Versailles, with 721,206 square feet, was the largest private residence on the planet.
The Tennis Court Oath: Enough Is Enough
By 1789, the government was out of money and ideas. Louis XVI called the Estates-General, a legislative body with representatives from all three Estates, to address the crisis. It was the first time the group had met in 140 years. The Third Estate hoped to use this opportunity to push for reforms, but the odds were stacked against them. Voting was done by Estate, not by population, meaning the First and Second Estates could always outvote the Third.
Frustrated, the Third Estate took matters into their own hands. On June 17, they declared themselves the National Assembly, claiming to represent the true voice of France. When Louis locked them out of their meeting hall, they relocated to a nearby indoor tennis court. There, they swore the Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to disband until they had written a new constitution for France. It was a bold and defiant move, one that marked the beginning of a revolutionary shift in power.
The Storming of the Bastille
By July 1789, Paris was in a frenzy. Rumors flew that the king was sending troops to crush the National Assembly. The people, already on edge from food shortages and high prices, panicked. They armed themselves by raiding a military hospital for muskets but still needed gunpowder. That’s when they turned their attention to the Bastille.
The Bastille was a massive stone fortress and prison that symbolized royal tyranny. On July 14, an angry mob surrounded it, demanding the release of its prisoners and the gunpowder stored inside. After hours of chaos, the mob stormed the gates. The governor, Marquis de Launay, was captured and killed. His head was paraded through the streets on a pike as a grim warning to the monarchy.
The fall of the Bastille became a turning point in the Revolution, symbolizing the people’s fight against oppression. To this day, July 14 is celebrated as Bastille Day in France.
Revolutionary Changes
The Revolution gained momentum after the fall of the Bastille. The National Assembly began dismantling the old feudal system, abolishing privileges for nobles and clergy. In August 1789, they issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, a document inspired by Enlightenment ideas. It proclaimed liberty, equality, and fraternity but extended these rights only to property-owning men.
The Assembly also wrote a new constitution that limited the king’s power, making the National Assembly the primary lawmaking body. Louis XVI publicly supported these changes but privately plotted to regain his authority.
Royals Arrested
Even though the king openly supported the National Assembly, in secret he was plotting to restore the absolute power of the monarchy. Egged on by his wife, Louis tried to stall signing the new constitution into law. After all, the last thing he wanted was to give up his power. Historians believe that Louis was biding his time until he could gather reinforcements from outside the country. After the Great Fear many nobles had fled the country and from this point on would be known as émigrés.
All of this stalling only made moody revolutionaries downright suspicious of the royals. Perhaps, that Louis wasn't as loyal to the revolution after all. In October, rumors had spread that back in Versailles the nobles were still living it up while the people starved. Some people never learn. This outraged a group of women who marched to Versailles to bring the king back to Paris (oh, and kill the queen). These were not your dainty noblewomen, but were dock workers who were not afraid to brawl when the time called for it. Now was one of those times. As they marched in the rain to Versailles armed with pikes and knives, they drew new recruits from the villages- if someone was foolish enough to refuse, they quickly had a change of heart once the "fish ladies" put the muscle on 'em.
By the time the mob reached Versailles on the morning of October 5, 1789, the crowd had swelled to 6,000 strong. Someone had even brought along a cannon. The crowd demanded to see the king and refused to leave until they got bread. But they were disappointed when they were told that the king was out hunting. When Louis returned, his advisers quickly got him up to speed on the situation.
The mob sent in six representatives to talk to Louis who awed them with his sympathetic words; he told them that he had nothing but love for the people of Paris and he would give them the bread they wanted. However, when the six women delivered the news to the angry mob, they claimed that they had been bribed. Some even wanted to hang them as enemies of the revolution. Louis was advised to use his soldiers to fire on the crowd. Louis refused, saying that he could never spill the blood of his citizens. As a king he may have been incompetent but no one could accuse the king of being heartless.
Later that night, a small group broke away and found an unlocked door to the palace. Armed with scythes and knives they headed straight for the queen's bedchamber. Some overheard them arguing about who would get which of the queen's body parts. Marie barely escaped through a secret chamber leading to the king's chamber. Had she delayed for even a minute later the queen would certainly have been killed. The enraged women had already torn apart two of the guards and were now parading their heads on a pike. When they reached the royal bedchamber they stabbed it to shreds.
The next morning, the king stepped out onto the balcony to face the crowd who were chanting, "To Paris, to Paris!" The king had no choice but to agree. Later that day the crowd returned to Paris with the royal family in tow as well as 50 wagons full of stolen flour. As they walked alongside the royal carriage they praised the king and hurled curses at the queen. The royal family was placed under house arrest in Paris at the Tuillerie Palace where the people could keep a closer eye on their king. They would never see Versailles again.
Toward the Reign of Terror
Though the Revolution began with hope for reform, it soon took a darker turn. Divisions grew between moderates who wanted a constitutional monarchy and radicals who demanded the abolition of the monarchy and the church. By 1793, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette would be executed by guillotine, and the Revolution would spiral into the bloody Reign of Terror. Thousands of lives were lost as the revolutionaries sought to purge anyone they considered enemies of their new vision for France.
The Revolution forever changed France, replacing the old Ancien Régime with ideas of equality and democracy. It inspired future movements around the world, proving that even in the darkest times, people can rise up to demand change.
Step-by-Step Angry Mob's Guide to Overthrowing the Government
1. Gather an angry mob
4. Kidnap the Royal Family
5. Place Royal Family under house arrest closer to where you can keep a closer eye on them
2. Steal a cannon along the way
3. Arrive at the Palace
6. Get spooked that the royals are going to be rescued and execute the king. Show head to the crowd. Wait for applause.
Why it Matters
The French Revolution isn’t just a dramatic story of kings, queens, and guillotines—it’s one of the most important events in world history. It changed the way people thought about government, power, and their own rights. It showed that ordinary people, when pushed to the brink, could challenge powerful systems and demand something better.
Before the Revolution, most countries in Europe were ruled by monarchs who claimed their authority came from God. The French Revolution flipped that idea on its head. By overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a government based on Enlightenment ideals, the Revolution spread the radical idea that power should come from the people, not divine right. Concepts like liberty, equality, and fraternity became rallying cries, influencing revolutions and independence movements around the world.
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