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
The French Revolution occurred from 1789 to 1799. A major issue during this time period in France was social classes, which included the First, Second, and Third Estate. The First and Second Estate had freedom, rights, and equality while the Third Estate had almost nothing. Third Estate got no recognition for their work, while the French Church had problems with voting, and salaries. The Third Estate formed the National Assembly to write The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen and The Civil Constitution of the Clergy. They wrote them to help fix the problems that caused the revolution. The causes of the French revolution are the French Church, the inequality of the Estates, and the minimal freedom and rights that the Third Estate has.
The taxation of the poor, as opposed to the rich, added a lot to the debt of the French. The people were being taxed for everything, and therefore were unable to pay for food or almost anything (Document 1). The illogical taxation of the poorest Estate led to even more debt, as it was unlikely the people would be able to fully pay said taxes. The American Revolution also contributed greatly to the debt. As aforementioned, the French contributed greatly to the weaponry and the naval forces of the Americans. The war drained a lot of money from the French government, as the cost of ships and soldiers was
The American and French Revolutions were profoundly motivated by economics. Prior to the Revolution, British colonies in America were thriving. Colonists paid fairly few taxes and were permitted to participate in domestic economic activity, granted they adhere to the Navigation Act, an act requiring, “that all trade within the empire be conducted on ships which were constructed, owned and largely manned by British citizens. Certain enumerated goods whether exported or imported by the colonies had to be shipped through England regardless of the final port of destination.” (Baack) Its mother country however, was not analogous. England’s debt had nearly doubled due to their victory over France during the 7 Year War and was frantically
Change is when something happens, resulting in a different course from the one it was on before. Generally, a major change in history or a revolution is one that affects not only individuals but a society and its future as a whole. One of the most famous revolutions in Europe was the French Revolution, where it posed as one of the first threat to the monarchies that reigned over Europe for centuries. However, change can only happen through trials and tribulations, and revolutions are no exception. The primary factors that led to the French Revolution are the Enlightenment, the unstable economy, and the political crisis. Of these factors, the most important was the political crisis.
Put simply, Calonne had come to realize that the financial problems of France were so extraordinary, that they were beyond financial problems. What Calonne proposed to do was to rework the entire state: all institutions had to be revamped in order to save France from her financial crisis. He believed that the state needed comprehensive organization as a result he felt it necessary to reform the economy, the government and possibly society in France. Calonne states in his document to Loius:
The French Revolution began in 1789 due to the discontent of the Third Estate being unequal to the First Estate, who were exempt from taxes and held special privileges. Although, Louis XVI attempted to tax the First Estate in order to fix France, who is on the verge of bankruptcy. However, the First Estate refused to be taxed because it goes against the traditions imposed years ago. Louis XVI attempted to solve this by calling the Estates-General, where all three estates could meet and attempt to settle issues. The Estates-General failed to solve any problems, with that the Third Estate decided to separate and form the National Assembly. The liberal phase was primarily focused on turning France into a constitutional monarchy, where the National
The Effects of Financial Problems on the French Revolution The French Revolution, which broke out in 1787, was perhaps the most violent upheaval in the western world due to the extensive participation of peasants and common people, not only the aristocracy. Even thought in other parts of Europe revolutionist movements were taking place, they were usually between aristocratic rulers and other privileged groups. Regarding the causes of the French Revolution, several versions are proposed and debated. Some versions say that the causes were basically social and economical; while others say it was the rise of one particular class, the bourgeoisie.
The French revolution was a period in French history when the 3rd estate became the National Assembly. These people of the National Assembly were fascinated by the enlightenment ideas of the new world. (Document 1) They were advocates for a non-monarchy. They created a document called the Declaration of the Rights of Man which was their laws that they abided by.(Document 5)
There is no doubt that the French Revolution has had a profound effect on the world. The cause or causes of it have been greatly disputed. Clearly the Revolution's primary cause was the presence of a weak monarchy and a lack of a stable system of government.
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
The question, why do people become criminals raise a lot of views when it comes down to personal, social and environmental factors. While many think that people become criminals due to the environment and people they have grown up around, other’s think it is due to mental illness or just out of pure enjoyment. The following report will discuss how a person’s environment can impact them to become vicious killers, particularly discussing the Ivan Milat, a serial killer based in Australia, known for the case of the “Backpacker murders”.
The French Revolution was a failure because after all of the blood shed, the laws, civil rights, and codes did not get instituted effectively and did not represent the values that the citizens fought for, examples of this were the Napoleonic Code, Declaration of Rights of Man. Another reason it was a failure was because during the revolts and reforms more than 40,000 men and women died, this enormous massacre of people went against Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, all of which the national assembly declared were every man's right. Much of the killing can be related back to Robespierre and King Louis XVI. Although it was mostly a failure, some achievements can be seen through the revolution, the French revolution helped the french people become a more equal and socialist state, this showed Europe that the french
Revolution? The major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes between the different types of social classes in French society. The French Revolution of 1789-1799 was one of the most important events in the history of the world. The Revolution led to many changes in France, which at the time of the Revolution, was the most powerful state in Europe. The Revolution led to the development of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism. It questioned the authority of kings, priests, and nobles. The Revolution also gave new meanings and new ideas to the political ideas of the people.<br><br>The French Revolution was spread over the ten year period between 1789 and 1799. The primary cause of the revolution was the disputes over
The high costs of maintaining the army and navy exacerbated the situation, along with the lavish lifestyle of King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie-Antoinette. Louis appointed Charles de Calonne as comptroller-general to solve France’s financial crisis. Calonne knew that the only way to get France out of debt was to fairly distribute the tax burden among the three estates. Of course, this did sit well with the nobility and Calonne was dismissed after giving his presentation at the Assembly of Notables. In a desperate act, Louis called the Estates General. The Estates General was an ancient practice that had not been called since 1614. Events there would prove to be the beginning of the revolution proper. France suffered under years of inept and self-serving monarchs. Louis XVI was preceded by his grandfather, Louis XV. It was his loss of public opinion and war spending that put his grandson in such a precarious position in the years after his reign. The rule of Louis XVI would prove to be a doomed one. He was ousted after a comparatively short 17 years. The outdated political system gave way to a constitutional monarchy, and when that failed, the French Republic. This Republic however would not prove to last. Feudalism was the whole of existence for rural commoners in the time before the revolution. Farmers had no right to the land they worked and lived on. Serfs were beholden to their manor lord
The French Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1789 was a traumatic movement that had an affect on both France and the world during the late 17th and early 18th century. This Revolution lasted from 1789 until 1814, for it made a large impact on the nation that caused a turning point in the history of the world. During this time, many events occurred like the executing of KIng Louis XIV and the rule of Napoleon.