In 1789, a bad harvest and high taxation had led to widespread discontent in France. On 14th July 1789, a Parisian mob stormed the royal prison in the capital, the Bastille. Although there were few prisoners inside, the storming seriously weakened the authority and power of the French king, Louis XVI. At the same time, riots broke out across the country. The French Revolution had begun. Four years later, the king and his wife were dead and France had become a republic.

Causes of the Revolution

In the 1780s, discontent about taxation was growing among ordinary French people. Neither the clergy nor noble families in France paid any taxes. The burden of taxation fell on working people and peasants. In 1788, a bad harvest meant that many people were close to starvation. The country was almost bankrupt as a result of costly wars and the extravagant lifestyle of the monarchy. When the king refused to listen to the demands of the people, they formed the National Assembly. On 26th August 1789 the National Assembly made a Declaration of the Rights of Man, giving the same basic rights to all citizens, including liberty and equality.

Revolution and execution

Unrest grew in the streets of Paris, and on 14th July 1789, a mob attacked the royal prison in Paris, the Bastille. This event marked the beginning of the French Revolution. In 1791, the king, Louis XVI, and his wife, Marie-Antoinette, tried to escape from Paris, but they were arrested. The National Assembly abolished the monarchy in 1792. The king was tried and executed on the guillotine in January 1793. Marie-Antoinette followed him to the guillotine in October of the same year.
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