What was the first stage of the french revolution?

The first stage of the French Revolution was moderate (in terms of violence and amount of action done) in comparison to the rest of the French Revolution. It lasted from June 1789 to August 1792.

Even during the first stage, public interest was very high. This public interest was roused by the want for political reform and by economic crisis (so terrible that it brought prices to 80% of a typical commoner family's income). There were rumors at the time about the aristocracy and king conspiring to encourage scarcity and high prices as means of punishing the Third Estate. Word was even spread in June 1789 that the king's troops were preparing to march on the city. The common people thus formed their own militia of volunteers to maintain order.

The first major event that occurred during this first stage was the Fall of the Bastille. The Bastille was built in the Middle Ages and had served as a prison for many years, but it was not used very much at the time. Yet, it symbolized royal authority and thus was a good target for revolutionaries. The crowd marched on the Bastille on July 14, 1789 and demanded arms from its governor, but the governor hesitated and, instead, opened fire on the people, killing ninety-eight attackers. The crowd then took revenge, capturing the fortress and decapitating the governor. This was the first instance of the people's role in revolutionary change.

The second popular revolt happened in the countryside. Peasants were afraid of a monarchical and aristocratic counterrevolution. Rumors were spreading that the king's armies were forming, that Austrians, Prussians, or "brigands" were invading. Out of this fear and uncertainty, peasants organized militias while others attacked/burned manor houses. Historians have labeled this the "Great Fear", since it all occurred under mere uncertainty.

The third popular uprising is known as the "October Days of 1789". This time it was the women who did the revolting. Parisian women from the market district, infuriated by the unreasonable price of bread and the unwillingness of the king to cooperate with the people's demands, marched to Versailles on October 5 and demanded that they be heard. Clearly, this request was not met, and the crowd broke through the gates to the palace, calling for the king to return to Paris from Versailles. They were successful this time, and the National Guard led the crowd back to Paris along with the king.

These were the three major revolts that defined the first stage of the French Revolution. The first stage ended in 1792 because the republicans took over the attacks and made much more radical changes.