France in revolution, 1774–99

Section A Source 1 (source written for this paper; the author is fictional but typical of the period): from the diary of a Parisian lawyer, 15 July 1789. 'Yesterday the people took the Bastille. I saw the governor's head carried on a pike. Some call it liberty; I fear it is the beginning of a reign of the street.' Source 2 (source written for this paper; the author is fictional but typical of the period): from a pamphlet by a member of the Third Estate, June 1789. 'We are the nation. The privileged orders are a burden that the nation has carried too long. Let the representatives of the people now give France a constitution.' How far could the historian make use of Sources 1 and 2 together to investigate attitudes to the Revolution in the summer of 1789? Explain your answer, using both sources, the information given about their origin, and your own knowledge of the historical context.

Section B How far was royal weakness the main cause of the outbreak of revolution in 1789?