The event leading to the start of the French Revolution was the financial crisis faced by the French monarchy, exacerbated by heavy taxation and widespread discontent among the populace. By 1789, the situation in France reached a boiling point, as economic hardship prompted calls for reform. The Estates-General was convened, but the Third Estate, representing common people, found itself marginalized. On July 14, 1789, the storming of the Bastille symbolized the uprising against royal authority. This event marked the beginning of a period of radical change in France, leading to the establishment of the Republic and the decline of monarchical power.