The Great Fear: Panic That Shook Rural France

In the summer of 1789, as the Bastille fell in Paris, a wave of panic swept through the French countryside. The Great Fear—la Grande Peur—saw peasants arm themselves against rumours of aristocratic brigands, burning châteaux and seigneurial records in a desperate bid to end feudal dues. This episode traces how a grain shortage, economic crisis, and revolutionary paranoia turned rural France into a tinderbox. We follow the panic's spread from the Franche-Comté to the Atlantic coast, examine the role of vagrants and rumour, and see how the National Assembly's August Decrees abolished feudalism in response. With names like the duc de Montbarrey, the town of Ruffec, and the symbolic bonfires of the château de Montmirail, we explore a moment that reshaped the Revolution's course. Lucas and Luna also reflect on how fear of conspiracy—then and now—can transform a society overnight. A must-listen for anyone curious about grassroots revolution and the power of collective emotion. #GreatFear #GrandePeur #FrenchRevolution #PeasantRevolt #Feudalism #AugustDecrees #NationalAssembly #1789 #History #FexingoHistory #France #RuralHistory #SocialHistory #RevolutionaryTerror #GrainCrisis #Ruffec #Montmirail #ChateauBurning Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo