During this time in Europe and especially in France, state-making the emergence of nationalism and the increase in secular political institutions transformed the European continent. Napoleon Bonaparte helped to overthrow the Directory, which held power from 1794-1799, and he helped transform France into an empire.
The French revolution was the beginning of the end to the Monarchy and absolute rule. The revolution came about for a number of reasons. The economic conditions in the previous two decades, the growing discourse with the social privileges of the few fueled what many say was inevitable. .
In 1780, the financial crisis of the crown was in almost ruin. One reason was a freak hailstorm that occurred in 1788 that hit France in August. Hail stones the size of basketballs hit the agricultural pockets of the region destroying wheat and other valuable crops. This and other financial difficulties cause the king to call the Estates -General.# .
The Estates-General were representatives of the three main estates. France was divided up into three basic categories- the clergy, the nobility and everyone else. The Estates-General had not been convoked since 1614. # The king was in a lose, lose situation. In order to resolve the financial crisis, the king would have to reduce the privileges of the nobles and tax them more but to do so without their permission would lead to accusations of tyranny. If he gave into to the demands of the nobility, and allowed the parliaments more power in governing France, in exchange for new taxes, he would be seen as weak. .
In the summer of 1787, the parliaments called on the king to summon the Estates-General. # King Louis XVI wanted to raise taxes on the nobles and wanted Parliament to register the land and stamp taxes, which of course they refused. In response, King Louis XVI exiled the members of the parliament to Troyes, a town in the southeast of Paris.
