French Revolution - Main Course Of Events

Question 1

Describe what happened in the Summoning of the Estates General.

Answer 1

1. Amidst the Financial Crisis in France, King Louis was advised by his finance ministers to ask the nobles to clergy to pay taxes.
2. To do it legally however, it requires the summoning of the Estates General, which was a boy of representatives from all the 3 Estates. This body had not met in years.
3. He began to make preparations for the Estates General Meeting, asking each village/town to submit a list of their problems.
4. However it became evident that Louis was only interested in introducing taxes.
5. The 3rd Estate were not given proper representation, which meant that their concerns were not heard. Frustrated by their lack of representation, they broke away and formed the National Assembly, signaling the start of the revolution.

Question 2

Describe what happened in the Tennis Court Oath.

Answer 2

The swearing of the Tennis Court Oath was a pivotal moment in the French Revolution.

It take place in a royal tennis court at Versailles on June 20, 1789.

More than 500 members of the Third Estate and a scattering of liberal nobles and clergymen swore a solemn pledge to bind together and keep meeting as a National Assembly until France had its own constitution.

Question 3

Describe what happened in the Storming of the Bastille.

Answer 3

The bastille mainly served as a royal prison where many people were detained without trial. Many innocent Frenchmen had been forced to suffer in this prison.

On july 14, 1789, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille prison in Paris (a symbol of royal tyranny). This event is considered the beginning of the French Revolution.

Over 60,000 workers stormed the prison and released the prisoners. THe prison governor was captured and killed. This led to outbreak of riots across the city and marked the declining authority of the King and growing power of the common people.