In the late eighteenth century France was one of the most powerful countries in Europe. This all changed with the French Revolution which began in 1789 (Lefebvre 1). The French Revolution dramatically changed France politically and culturally. I will apply Lawrence Stone’s model to the French Revolution to examine how France’s debt, the unpopularity of the nobles and monarch, and the formation of the National Assembly led to the outbreak of the French Revolution. The preconditions of the French Revolution involve France’s massive debt, their involvement in the Seven Years’ War, and the Age of Enlightenment. In the early eighteenth century, King Louis XIV financed several wars that led to the expansion of land for France. These were costly wars, and France was left with a crippling debt by 1715 when Louis XIV died. His successors, Louis XV and Louis XVI were left to deal with the debt, and had to spend more money to retain the new expansions of land for France (Lefebvre 16, Causes 1).
France’s involvement in the American Revolution added to the massive debt and inspired the people of France. Georges Lefebvre states that “The revolt of the English colonies may in fact be considered the principal direct cause of the French Revolution” (21). Jacques Necker, the French statesman and finance minister of Louis XVI, used loans to pay for the war efforts in aiding America. France did not gain much in return from the aid they provided in the American Revolution (Lefebvre 21). This
To begin with, the French Revolution was partly caused by the economic crisis. The French Revolution began in 1787, but up until 1743, France, or at least the nobles of France, was in an extremely comfortable position. From 1713 to 1743, France was in the Thirty Years’ Peace, a period during which overseas trade was extremely profitable. However, after this period, the economy slowly began to crumble. At this
In 1787, a few years after the British recognized American independency, the Revolution in France was beginning to unravel. France was desperately in need of financial assistance; it lacked a National Bank and National Treasury system. France had supported the American colonists in the American Revolution, and also gave financial support in the War of Austrian Succession, and the Seven Years War. A combination of the financial support given in these wars, maintaining their military, and the fact that France spent more then it collected in taxes each year, resulted in a substantial debt crisis for France.
Next up is the French Revolution. French Revolution has influenced and was influenced by the American Revolution financially. France had helped the rebelling colonists through an American-French Alliance. After the American Revolution was over, France was bankrupted because of the military aid they had sent to North America and the reconstruction of the palace Versailles as the new hub for the monarch.
King Louis XVI wanted to increase trade with America, and wanted revenge against the British for beating them in the Seven Year’s war. After the American Revolution, many Parisians were fascinated by Benjamin Franklin, the American Ambassador to France. Franklin told of the new American Republic, where representatives obeyed the will of the people. Talk about similar change spread through France.
While there were many political and social causes of the French Revolution the most important cause was actually economic. A few years before the French’s revolution the French spent approximately 13 billion dollars on the American’s Revolution. This gracious contribution caused trouble at home. I will discuss how conflicts around the world affect one another, give a brief history of the French Revolution, and explain how the revolution was fueled by an economic conflict.
At the head of the beginning the French Revolution was the current king, Louis XVI, to whom had little idea of how to solve problems that were increasing very much so in the years before the Revolution. Some of the major problems that Louis XVI could not seem to face included the vast food shortages, so much debt from helping to support the American Revolution (due to the French’s need to lessen England, who at the time was above them from a political standpoint) and that there were certain religious intolerances, not to mention the tensions that were growing between the three estates.
The French Revolution was a period of time from 1789 to 1799 in France where there was political instability. It officially began on the 14th of July, 1789, when the Bastille, which was a symbol of the King’s harsh policies, was stormed. The King, Louis XVI, the Queen, Marie-Antoinette and about 40,000 people were all brutally murdered. But there was also a positive side, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was formally adopted on August 1789 and feudalism was abolished. This essay will address the issues of the three estates system, food shortages and the fiscal crisis. It will also be argued that the most significant cause of the French Revolution was the social inequality that stemmed from the three estates system.
In the late 1700’s, France was running into a bunch of major troubles. Their society was divided into three social classes: the Clergy, the Nobles, and the Bourgeoisie. The third class, the bourgeoisie, made up approximately 98% of the population but had a little say in the government. Other than the problems with their society, France was having financial as well. Louis XIV left France deeply in debt, and Louis XV did no better by adding more to the debt during his rule. As more problems added up, the people realized it was time for a change.
Beginning in 1789 with a dispute over new taxes at Louis XVI’s Palace of Versailles, it came at a time of major economic crisis. Fifty percent of France’s urban population was unemployed, and the situation was exacerbated by widespread hunger and starvation, ceaseless foreign warfare, and continued rounds of taxation from which France's ancien regime leaders, the clergy and nobles, were exempt. The nobles' refusal at the palace to begin paying a land tax triggered a series of events that led to the French Revolution. The revolution, which overturned the absolute monarchy of Louis XVI, was the result of rising expectations engendered by Enlightenment thought and fostered by the periods economic.
The French Revolution (1789-1814) was a period that affected the outcome of world history tremendously. This is considered a major turning point in European history which has led to dramatic changes in France and other regions of the world. Various social and political issues led to the start of the revolution. Politically, France suffered under the rule of Louis XVI, who ruled by absolute monarchy. Many people had their natural rights renounced and weren’t able to have a political voice. Socially, France had divided its population within 3 estates (classes). French citizens took it upon themselves to remodel their country 's’ political structure. The French Revolution had encountered both positive and negative effects. However, many Europeans viewed the Revolution as much more than just a bloody massacre. The French Revolution was used to demonstrate new ideology that would emphasize the principles of liberty and equality throughout Europe.
In the American war of independence in 1775 to 1783 France directed its forces to assist the Americans. French aid was pivotal in compelling the British to surrender at Yorktown in 1781. However although the Americans gained much from France’s support it led to no successful tangible results for France but it had
The French Revolution was the uprising of the French common people because of political, social and economic problems. Many of these problems were a result of the Old Regime. The Old Regime was the political system in France before the revolution. It meant that everyone was under the rule of the king and they all belonged to a certain estate. The Old Regime determined the way that rights and privileges and power was given out, depending on the estate.
The main financial problem in 1792 for France, was the national debt. While many believe that the building and upkeep of the Versailles Palace, it was not the leading factor in France’s debt. The actual main focus point of the debt were the efforts to maintain France’s position in relation to the other European countries, especially France’s rival of Britain. Another reason for the high amount of debt, is the various wars that France participated in. By sending aid to the American colonies during the American Revolution, they lost a lot of revenue. The disastrous results of The Seven Years’ War also did not help the debt and raised fear that the monarchy was not able to handle the challenges they faced. They were further humiliated during Frederick the Great’s reign in Prussia, and lost their colonial possessions in both India and North America to the British (Popkin 4-5).
The French Revolution was a time of chaos and is commonly known as one of the bloodiest periods in European history. This Revolution spanned for ten years, from 1789 to 1799, and unlike many of the previous wars, this catastrophic event breeched from the French citizens. The Revolution was caused by the severe economic downfalls in France, and Louis XVI’s inability to fix the current state of the country. The Seven Years War had left France deeply in debt, and the support of the American Revolution deepened this insolvency. Louis XV appointed Rene Maupeou chancellor in 1770 in order to break down the parliaments and tax the Nobility. After Louis XV’s demise his successor, Louis XVI, brought back parliaments and fired Maupeou in order to gain popularity from the French citizens.
The eighteenth century France was a nation that was ruled by an absolute monarchy who had greater power that peasants and just below the aristocracy. King Louis XIV of France was not willing to trade his position that he had held for seventeen years. This was a perfect environment for his absolute government and if he had adequately managed France’s finances it may have lasted longer than it did. Many taxes were implemented and spent on items such as roads and wars that the bourgeois gained control. Disbanding of the Estates resulted in the creation of the