French society was rigidly divided into three estates, with the clergy (First Estate) and nobility (Second Estate) holding significant privileges.

The First and Second Estates were largely exempt from paying taxes, placing the tax burden on the Third Estate.

The Third Estate, comprising over 97% of the population, ranged from wealthy bourgeoisie to poor peasants and was increasingly resentful of the system.

Enlightenment ideas about liberty, equality, and the rights of citizens challenged the legitimacy of the absolute monarchy and the 'Ancien Régime.'

The French monarchy was on the verge of bankruptcy due to extravagant spending, costly wars (like the American Revolution), and an unjust tax system.

A series of poor harvests in the late 1780s led to a shortage of grain and a sharp rise in the price of bread, causing widespread hunger and unrest.

King Louis XVI was an indecisive ruler who failed to enact the necessary financial and political reforms.

The King's decision to call the Estates-General in 1789 for the first time since 1614 created an opportunity for the Third Estate to demand change.

A dispute over voting procedures in the Estates-General led the Third Estate to declare itself a National Assembly.

The combination of long-term inequality and short-term crises created a revolutionary situation.