When Did the French Revolution Begin?

The French Revolution began in the spring and summer of 1789, fuelled by economic crisis, food shortages, and widespread anger at the privileges of the monarchy and aristocracy. Key early events include the formation of the National Assembly by the Third Estate (17 June), the Tennis Court Oath (20 June), and the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison on 14 July 1789 — a symbol of royal authority. The revolution went through increasingly radical phases: the Declaration of the Rights of Man (August 1789), the abolition of the monarchy (September 1792), the Reign of Terror (1793-94), and ultimately the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte (1799). It fundamentally reshaped French society and inspired democratic movements worldwide.