The start of the French Revolution was triggered by several factors, primarily social inequality and financial crisis. However, the immediate event that catalyzed the revolution was the convening of the Estates-General in May 1789, which highlighted the deep divisions between the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the common people. The Third Estate, representing the commoners, felt marginalized and frustrated by their lack of political power. This tension culminated in the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, a symbolic act of defiance against the monarchy that ignited the revolutionary fervor throughout France.