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No One Factor Was Directly Responsible For The French Revolution

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No one factor was directly responsible for the French Revolution. Years of feudal oppression and fiscal mismanagement contributed to a French society that was ripe for revolt. The economical downturn may have been the kickstarter that began the revolution as the taxes rose higher and outrage at the crown heightened. The economy began to destabilise in the late 1700s, and the king decided to bring in financial advisers to look at the weakened French treasurey. Each adviser gave the king the same warning that something had to be done and radical changes had to be made, but each were, in their turn, kicked out. After the financial crisis began to effect France more harshly, the king finally decided that something had to be done, and so he appointed a new controller general of finance, Charles de Calonne in 1783. Calonne suggested many ways to get France out of the spiral, but most balanced on the nobility paying taxes as well as the French public. He pleaded with them at the National Assembly, but to no avail. Thus, financial ruin became imminent.

The Jacobins, led by Robespierre - who wanted the king out of the picture entirely – where the radicals of the Assembly. Whereas the Girondins took a more moderate approach to the monarchy. This led to the rift in the assembly, which caused the Girondins to lose power.
Austria and Hungary were at war with France for most of the National Assembly’s lifespan, and the rage of the people when the war was going badly started the

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