Revisiting The French Revolution

I usually write about Space stuff but today lets discuss European history. Imagine being a French peasant in the 18th century. It won't be a good time for you. You will be paying several taxes and suffering from famine. You will obviously be very upset and angry. Let's see why you are unhappy.

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                                Capturing of the Bastille

In the 18th century, the French people were classified into three estates. The First Estate (Priests), the Second Estate (Nobility, Landowners) and the third estate (Peasants, Bakers, Lawyers, and everyone else). The First Estate were the highest of the three divisions while the Third Estate were the lowest. The ruler of France at this time was King Louis XVI. He was a spoilt and selfish king. The First and Second estate used to party all day long, while the Peasants used to work hard to eat some bread and earn a living. The Third Estate made up more than 90% of the population of France. The people were already so angry. What could make them so angry that would make them revolt? The answer to this question is Cold. Just before 1789, it got so cold that most of the crops of the Third Estate were ruined. The weather didn’t affect the First and Second Estates as they had tons and tons of food stacked. The people got so frustrated that they chose to overthrow the selfish First and Second Estates.

The economy of France was bust because they spent a lot of money, getting the USA independent from the Great Britain. People were poor and the price of all the items skyrocketed. This price increase is called Hyperinflation. To stop the revolution, King Louis XVI closed all the shops and halls to stop any gatherings. Even though Louis XVI closed all the halls, the revolutionaries gathered in a tennis court. They made and oath at the Tennis Court. They swore to never break up till the King would listen to their demands. This oath is called the famous Tennis Court Oath. The Third Estate created a new party to make France just and free. This party was called the National Assembly. The National Assembly was the party which was run by the most educated members of the third estate. The heads of the National Assembly were Maximillien Robespierre and Georges Danton. They were two very educated lawyers. These two heads decided to divide the National Assembly into 2 groups. The Radicals and Liberals. The Radicals were the Jacobin Club. The Jacobin Club was also commanded by the Robespierre and Danton.

                    
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                                                            Maximilien Robespierre

In 1789, all the French people decided to start a revolution, one that would have a lasting effect and this revolution would change their reputation in society. To start a revolution, you need to take control. Taking control requires weapons and ammunition. Where can you find ammunition? That is right, a fortress. The fortress in Paris was the Bastille. The Bastille was a prison for nobles and clergy who had somehow caused mishaps. So on 14th July 1789, the angry peasants stormed into the Bastille and took away all the weapons. The storming of the Bastille was the start of the Infamous French Revolution. 14 July is also the Independence day of France.  After this incident, the National Assembly was quite proud of what they had done at the Bastille.

After this incident, the National Assembly signed the Men’s rights document which gave equal rights to all men (and not women).  The women got angry because they didn’t have equal rights. So few days later, thousands of women along with a few men stormed the Palace of Versailles which is the palace where the King and Queen lived. The angry mob killed many soldiers at the palace. To survive the King decided to surrender to the revolutionaries and accepted to work with the revolutionaries to improve France’s condition. This decision slightly extends the life of the King and Queen. The women returned proudly and the Jacobin club was astonished to see their prowess.

Well folks that is all for today. I will write the French Revolution part 2 next week. Thank you for reading :)