Why did peasants attack the property and privileges of their lords during the Great Fear?

During the Great Fear of 1789, peasants attacked the property and privileges of their lords primarily as a response to intense economic hardship and widespread political anxiety.12

The motivations for these attacks included:

• Fear of Aristocratic Conspiracy: Rumors circulated that the king and the nobility were planning to use foreign troops or hired gangs to suppress the Third Estate and reimpose order, leading peasants to arm themselves and preemptively strike against local châteaux.123
• Economic Discontent: Years of poor harvests, food shortages, and rising prices had left the rural population in a state of desperation. Peasants were further angered by oppressive royal taxes and the burden of seigneurial dues, which were often exacerbated by innovations in estate management that favored the nobility.124
• Destruction of Feudal Records: A central objective of the violence was the destruction of documents that recorded feudal obligations and seigneurial privileges. By burning these records, peasants sought to render the feudal system unworkable and liberate themselves from their traditional burdens.12

This widespread unrest ultimately forced the National Constituent Assembly to abolish the feudal regime in August 1789.135