In the summer of 1783, a volcano eruption at Laki, in Iceland, poured an estimated 120 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. The resulting haze dimmed the sun over Europe for months. Crop yields across France collapsed in the years that followed; the winter of 1788-89 was one of the coldest on record; bread prices in Paris rose to levels that consumed most of a labourer’s wage.
By July 1789, a mob that could not afford flour stormed a fortress that, in truth, held only seven prisoners. The Bastille was not really the target. The competence and legitimacy of the Ancien Régime was. I raise this not to indulge in apocalyptic parallel drawing but because the mechanics of 1789 are worth taking seriously as a future diagnostic checklist rather than as just French history.
This article is premium content
Get unlimited access to Gript
Support Gript and get exclusive content, full archives and an ad-free experience
Subscribe
Already a member? Sign in here