In 1789 through 1799 France experienced a revolution. Although there is not one exact reason for the start of the French Revolution, factors through economy, politics, and social structure influenced the circumstances of the revolution. Some believe that it took place over social inequality in the estates and the fact that right before the revolution the some people in France were denied basic right and were living in substantially poor conditions. The French government was also ever changing. Over the span of 24 years the government changed roughly 7 or 8 times. This is just one example of many conveying the instability of France and unpropitious they were during this time period.
During the age of absolutism the king believed he all all power. He believed he at the divine right from god to rule. “He made and enforced the laws. He could declare war and make peace.” (Doc 1) This shows from the point of view of the people and how they believed the king was the absolute ruler. This was the main idea in politics in the age of absolutism around the French Revolution and one of the causes of it. There were also many political changes that occurred and made long lasting effects. The changes in the government were substantial it changed from a National Assembly in 1789 through 1791, to a Legislative Assembly in 1791 through 1792, to The First Republic and Convection in 1792 through 1795 and finally The Directory in 1795 through 1799. For example in document 2 it states some of
The French Revolution had a lot of causes but the main cause was in my opinion, the increase of taxes, and the major increase in labor. The citizens of France called for change in government and the government ignored these problems. King louis XIV turned his back to these accusations. The citizens pleaded for control over the population, labor, and taxes but no change had come. It was when the government moved the peasants off the farms that the food shortages were fixed.
There were many causes and events leading up to the French Revolution in 1789. Before the Revolution, France had been involved in many expensive wars, especially the American War of Independence, causing financial difficulties and debts which were increased through the expensive upkeep of the Royal Family and their courts. At this time the Age of Enlightenment was occurring and new ideas, challenging the Ancien Regime and the Absolute right to rule, were emerging. The monarch of the time, King Louis XVI, was a weak monarch who was incapable of making decisions and sticking to them. King Louis XIV was also incapable of using his powers in a way to spark fear and gain control of those under his power. As a
“Let them eat cake” is a very popular quote that you may have heard before. It was supposedly said by the Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette, during the late 18th century in the middle of an outbreak known as the French Revolution. There were many causes that lead to the Revolution, including the third estate´s predicament. They struggled with being denied basic rights, over taxation, and neglect from the monarchy.
The primary causes of the American Revolution were because of the unjust treatment of the colonists. The French and Indian War was extremely expensive for Britain, so to pay off the debt they decided to tax the American colonies. Several taxes were created, one of them was the Stamp Act. This act required the colonists to pay taxes on every piece of paper that was used, such as legal documents, licenses, newspapers, ship’s papers, etc.
Prior to the revolution in 1789, France had been an absolute monarchy, structured by feudal privileges and rigid social classes. The Old Regime of France underwent radical changes during the French Revolution. Changes resulting from the revolution, which were rooted in the enlightenment principles of republicanism, citizenships, and individual rights, were accompanied by warfare, violence and turmoil
The French Revolution of 1789 was one of the biggest upheavals in history. You may be wondering what exactly led this to happen, but there were multiple long range causes. Political, social, and economic conditions ultimately led to the discontent of many French people especially those of the third estate. The ideals of the Enlightenment brought new views to government and society.
One of the many causes of the French Revolution included the excessive spending of the Royals, including Louis XVI. During his reign, France was already in debt, and many of the people were extremely poor, struggling to feed themselves and their families. The government was bankrupt and struggling with a huge financial crisis, and overall France was in very hard times. Despite the poor state of his country, Louis XVI spent vast amounts of money on unnecessary wars, as well as expanding the palace of Versailles. This excessive spending created mistrust between the commoners and people in power, and also caused a general dislike for him and the royal family. The tension created between the royals and government, and the people of France, caused uprisings and ultimately
The French Revolution in 1789 was a chain of economic and social acts started by reformers within the French Government seeking to eliminate the absolute power of the King and rich landowners. The reformers strived to develop a Government elected solely by the citizens of the country. The Revolution was fueled by the citizens desires for liberty and equality to generate fair living standards and treatment for all social classes. The Revolution questioned the elitist power and authority of kings, priests, and nobles and provided new principles and significant social ideas for citizens. Numerous factors led to the cause of the French Revolution, which inevitably changed the appearance of France’s economy and social status. Although many historians
The French revolution essentially began on July 14, 1789. An event occurred on this day, that entailed the people of Paris attacking a prison (the Bastille) from which they stole weapons from, in order to rebel against the monarchy of Louis XVI, and his wife, Marie-Antoinette. This event was the result of many causes; as times were changing. A long term political and historical cause of revolution includes the old concept of absolutism. To elaborate, kings told people that they were given their power by God, and that people should be loyal to monarchy, not a nation. Essentially, Louis had power over everything, including the government. This led to mass conflict, as people finally began to question the king, and where his power was coming from. People began to question the social hierarchy,
In a period of four years, the French Revolution went from women marching to Versailles and demanding bread, to the institution of the Reign of Terror, which killed close to 250,000 people. The late 18th century was a dramatic time of French, political transformation which originally strived to implement equality throughout the nation. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen reflected the ideas of the Enlightenment and presented the idea of equality and liberty. In theory, the French Revolution of 1789 was to protect the rights of the French citizen and provide political equality, but with the institution of the Reign of Terror, the revolution took a bloodier turn. Why did the French Revolution become so chaotic and
During 1789, the French Revolution broke out against totalitarian rule and extreme poverty suffered by French civilians. France was under the absolute control of Louis XVI who gathered groups of nobles, clergy, and other royal families in certain cities. The corrupt French royal families in those cities were squandering nearly 75% of France’s wealth and in addition to the expense of royal classes, other wealthy classes such as landlords, local government, and churches were not taxed which made taxes on middle and lower class civilians unprecedentedly high. Under high economic pressure, the harvest was destitute, and the royal families were hoarding spare crops and allowed the lower class to suffer from the hunger that was causing their
The French Revolution was a revolt from the people in France that lasted from 1789-1799. The people of France wanted to be treated fairly and wanted justice for the commoners the only way they could achieve this was through a revolution. The French Revolution caused many reforms throughout France. These reforms have affected the people of France, and the surrounding nations of France. The French Revolution was considered a major turning point in history.
The French Revolution in the eighteenth century became a significant historical event ever since this led to important changes within France. One such change which had a major impact was the abolishment of the old monarchy, or the end of absolute power of the monarchical form of government, present in France at that time. Revolutionary ideas also spread out of the country, throughout Europe, and unto the rest of the world. But what are the causes of this? Many of the problems in France lead to the revolution and the most general cause common to all revolutions can be found in the social structure of one’s society (French Revolution, n.d.). Before the revolution, France was ruled by powerful kings who held the supreme authority. Their authority was believed to have been derived from God himself. In the article “The Royal Government” (2015), it was according to the political doctrine of the era that France was an absolutist, divine
Like most wars, the people of the French Revolutionary War wanted something, so they fought. The people of France loathed monarchy and wanted a change. When a drought occurred and when grains and crops couldn’t produce, bread prices went up, so naturally, the people blamed the king. The monarchy at the time was King Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette. In 1793, they “ Were beheaded and a Republican form of government was established.”(Szalay, Jessie www.livescience.com 2016). After they had died, the people finally got what they fought for a government, and a say in the rules they had to follow.
Many causes and significances led to the commence of the French Revolution. It was a process of years that many factors greatly contributed. In the paragraphs to follow I will list some of the major causes that led to the French Revolution.