The French Revolution is a watershed moment not just in the history of France, but for all of humanity. Old ideas of class, hierarchy, and the divine right of kings are being challenged. For the first time since the classical era, an urban proletariat is starting to demand its own voice in politics. But the Revolution doesn’t start that way.
What begins as a financial crisis for the French government requires a legislative body to sign off on new taxes. This body, the Estates General, calls for additional reforms, which provokes a reactionary response from the conservative faction of the government, led by Louis XVI’s Austrian wife, Marie Antoinette. The public backlash goes beyond the Estates General, culminating in a series of street riots that end in one of history’s most iconic moments: the Storming of the Bastille. Dan’s interview with Ben Kitchings of The History Voyager podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/07xhGEgKsxnCdziyitLWBQ
What is the Third Estate? (Complete text): https://pages.uoregon.edu/dluebke/301ModernEurope/Sieyes3dEstate.pdf
SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE!
Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF
Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo
Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q
Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD
Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk
Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm
Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4
Episode transcript (90% accurate): https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTx_oaOfhi7aZmALI_W1Sy-d_sPnveEGE6zmtHEbLuDWRYb3pS5LCX7x7sKUHQFlNp9IuFaUSW94HFP/pub
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.