The outbreak of the revolution

The outbreak of the revolution 

In France the monarch not have power to implement taxes law alone. Rather he had to call a meeting where the estate general decided, estate general is a political body which the three estate send their representatives. However, the monarch have power to call a meeting alone. The last meeting held on 1614.

The outbreak of the revolution

On 5 may 1789 louis XVI call a meeting to pass proposal of new taxes. A resplendent hall in Versailles was prepared to host the delegates. The first and second estates having 300 representatives each, which seated in rows facing each other on two sides where third estate have 600 member which stands in back only educated and prosperous person are allowed in assembly of third estate. women , peasant and artisans are denied to entry but their grievances are written in something 40,000 letters and which the representative had brought with them.

Voting in the estate general in the past had been conducted by Louis XVI is that one vote to each estate general and this time also Louis XVI decided to follow same pattern. But the third estate member demanded to count every member vote in assemble, but it is democratic principle put forward by philosophers like Rousseau's in his book "The social contract". But the king rejected this proposal, so all member of third estate left assemble in protest.

The representatives of the third estate themselves as spokesman of the Frence. On 20 July they assembled in the hall of the indoor tennis courts in the ground of Versailles. They declared themselves as nation assembly and swore not to scattered  till they had drafter a constitutional of France will have limited power . They were led by Mirabeau and Anne sieyes. Mirabeau was born in a noble family but was convinced of the need to do away with a society of feudal privilege. He brought out a journal and delivered powerful speeches to the crowds assembly at Versailles. Abbe sieyes, originally a priest, wrote an influence pemphlet called " what is the third estate"?

While the national assembly was busy in Versailles drafting a Constitution, the rest of France seathed with turmoil . A severe winter had meant a bad hervest; the bread price rise. After bakers exploited the situation and hoarded supplies. After spending lots of time outside stores of bread, crowds of angry women stormed into shop. On 14 July , the king order troops to move into Paris, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille.

Thank you for reading this article" the outbreak of the French Revolution"you may also read my previous article.