preview

How Did The French Revolution Come From Fruition?

Decent Essays

When someone mentions the French Revolution, it brings to mind times of rioting, the Guillotine, and the fall of a monarchy. The Revolution was a time of change, many of which happened swiftly and caused outcry from various groups of people around not only France, but other European countries. This was in part to the Revolts that had started in European colonies. . The question is how did the French Revolution come to fruition? There were many causes of the French Revolution that span from financial and economic problems, the tension between the three estates, and the overall inability of King Louis XVI.
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).

Get Access