176. What was the French Revolution? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
Thinking in English
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The First Estates General Meeting in France
King Louis summoned the estates general for the first time since 1614. The middle classes were now 98% of the population, but they would only get 33% of votes during the meeting. Known as the third estate, this group wanted to reform the entire voting system and introduce financial and political reforms. On June 12th, violence broke out in Paris - rumours of a military coup scared people. Violence culminated on July 14th when the Bastille fortress was stormed by protesters trying to get weapons and gunpowder.
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