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Economic Problems, And Economic Causes Of The French Revolution

Decent Essays

In the summer of 1789, the National Assembly was created in Paris, a group where representatives of the Third Estate vowed to abolish the absolute monarchy. The creation of this group marks the start of the French Revolution in which the Third Estate created a new government giving the lower class of France better rights and ending the absolute monarchy. The French Revolution was caused by financial difficulties, the unfair estate system, and enlightenment ideas, as shown by various primary and secondary sources. Financial difficulties impacted the start of the revolution in many ways. Prior to King Louis XVI’s rule, France’s debt was exceedingly high due to the lavish spendings of previous monarchs, specifically King Louis XIV. Known as the “Sun King”, one of Louis’ most opulent spendings was the building of the enormous Palace of Versailles. The staggering price of this mansion set France’s treasury back around 2 billion dollars, estimated in today’s amount. By the time Louis XVI obtained the throne, the debt of his predecessors remained with him. Even so, Louis managed to increase the amount through his extravagant spending along with his wife, Marie Antoinette. She added more to this debt through purchases of intricate gowns and expensive jewelry. In the 1780’s, France’s debt doubled as a result of the funding expended to the American Revolutionaries for their war against Great Britain. King Louis XIV had poor financial management skills and used France’s income for

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