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Causes of the French Revolution aprox. 1700-1789

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Causes of the French Revolution aprox. 1700-1789

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On June 11 1775, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were crowned king and queen of France. This would prove to be a horrible thing for France as their young age and bad leadership skills would be one of the main causes of the French revolution. For example, they spent absurd amounts of money on parties, jewelry, and foreign wars. One of the wars they helped fund was the American Revolution, depleting the government funds and forcing them to start deficit spending. Another of the six causes was the famine that took over France in the early 1700's, there were about six million more mouths to feed and food prices skyrocketed. Because of the social structure, the queen for example, was not subject to the famine, further enraging the laborers and peasants who pay 100% of the countries taxes and receive nothing in return. That combined with all the ideas of the Enlightenment, the American Revolution, and pamphlets made by John Locke or Jean Jacques Rousseau heavily fueled the commoners ideas and later caused the French Revolution.

History notes

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The Meeting of the Estates General May 4-5, 1789

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The Meeting of the Estates General May 4-5, 1789

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On May 4, 1789 there was a meeting held in Versailles called The Meeting of the Estates General. 1,200 people gathered from all over France with representatives from all three estates. The third estate of commoners and laborers had the most representatives of 600 people, while the other two estates each had 300 people. The third estate wore plain black clothing to signify their poorness, while the first and second estate wore colorful and luxurious clothing. The purpose of this meeting was to address the financial problems in France and potentially vote on new tax laws. The third estate argues for a vote per person while the others argue to vote by order which would guarantee them the winning vote.

https://www.worldhistory.org/Estates-General_of_1789/

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The third estate did not feel that they were being taken into account during the meeting of the Estates General so they left and created the National Assembly. Eventually many of the members from the first and second estates also joined. The National Assembly found themselves locked out of their usual meeting place so they relocated to the nearby royal tennis court. Once at the court they all took an oath never to disband until there was a written constitution that had been made for France. They came to the tennis court on June 20 and left on June 22. The king finally relented on June 27 and demanded that the other two estates join the National Assembly.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Tennis-Court-Oath

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King Louis XVI stationed police in the city of Paris, France and therefore the newly formed National Assembly was afraid that King Louis XVI would stage a coup. Their solution to the impending coup was to storm Bastille. Bastille was a state prison used since 1659, and at this time only seven prisoners were held. There were 84 guards to guard the prison, and when the main guard heard of the riots happening he requested backup but only received 32 additional guards. He also ordered 250 barrels of gun powder which were later taken by the rioters. The drawbridges were drawn up and the men got ready to fight, but two of the rebels scaled the fence and cut the chain holding up the bridges, which let everyone in. The rioters thought that the man who was in charge of Bastille was the one who let them in so when the guards started shooting they became enraged and caused a lot more havoc. In the end there were many people killed and all prisoners were freed. In France, this date is still celebrated today.

https://www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution

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What was the French Revolution?

Why did the French Revolution happen?

Why did the French Revolution lead to war with other nations?

How did the French Revolution succeed?

French Revolution, revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789-hence the conventional term "Revolution of 1789," denoting the end of the ancien régime in France and serving also to distinguish that event from the later French revolutions of 1830 and 1848.

Origins of the Revolution

The French Revolution had general causes common to all the revolutions of the West at the end of the 18th century and particular causes that explain why it was by far the most violent and the most universally significant of these revolutions. The first of the general causes was the social structure of the West. The feudal regime had been weakened step-by-step and had already disappeared in parts of Europe. The increasingly numerous and prosperous elite of wealthy commoners-merchants, manufacturers, and professionals, often called the bourgeoisie-aspired to political power in those countries where it did not already possess it. The peasants, many of whom owned land, had attained an improved standard of living and education and wanted to get rid of the last vestiges of feudalism so as to acquire the full rights of landowners and to be free to increase their holdings. Furthermore, from about 1730, higher standards of living had reduced the mortality rate among adults considerably. This, together with other factors, had led to an increase in the population of Europe unprecedented for several centuries: it doubled between 1715 and 1800. For France, which with 26 million inhabitants in 1789 was the most populated country of Europe, the problem was most acute.

A larger population created a greater demand for food and consumer goods. The discovery of new gold mines in Brazil had led to a general rise in prices throughout the West from about 1730, indicating a prosperous economic situation. From about 1770, this trend slackened, and economic crises, provoking alarm and even revolt, became frequent. Arguments for social reform began to be advanced. The philosophes-intellectuals whose writings inspired these arguments-were certainly influenced by 17th-century theorists such as René Descartes, Benedict de Spinoza and John Locke, but they came to very different conclusions about political, social, and economic matters. A revolution seemed necessary to apply the ideas of Montesquieu, Voltaire, or Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This Enlightenment was spread among the educated classes by the many "societies of thought" that were founded at that time: masonic lodges, agricultural societies, and reading rooms.

It is uncertain, however, whether revolution would have come without the added presence of a political crisis. Faced with the heavy expenditure that the wars of the 18th century entailed, the rulers of Europe sought to raise money by taxing the nobles and clergy, who in most countries had hitherto been exempt, To justify this, the rulers likewise invoked the arguments of advanced thinkers by adopting the role of " enlightened despots." This provoked reaction throughout Europe from the privileged bodies, diets. and estates. In North America this backlash caused the American Revolution, which began with the refusal to pay a tax imposed by the king of Great Britain. Monarchs tried to stop this reaction of the aristocracy, and both rulers and the privileged classes sought allies among the nonprivileged bourgeois and the peasants.

Plots and Revolutions Quiz

Although scholarly debate continues about the exact causes of the Revolution, the following reasons are commonly adduced: (1) the bourgeoisie resented its exclusion from political power and positions of honour; (2) the peasants were acutely aware of their situation and were less and less willing to support the anachronistic and burdensome feudal system; (3) the philosophes had been read more widely in France than anywhere else; (4) French participation in the American Revolution had driven the government to the brink of bankruptcy; (5) France was the most populous country in Europe, and crop failures in much of the country in 1788, coming on top of a long period of economic difficulties, compounded existing restlessness; and (6) the French monarchy, no longer seen as divinely ordained, was unable to adapt to the political and societal pressures that were being exerted on it.

Aristocratic revolt, 1787-89

The Revolution took shape in France when the controller general of finances, Charles-Alexandre de Calonne, arranged the summoning of an assembly of "notables" (prelates, great noblemen, and a few representatives of the bourgeoisie) in February 1787 to propose reforms designed to eliminate the budget deficit by increasing the taxation of the privileged classes. The assembly refused to take responsibility for the reforms and suggested the calling of the Estates-General, which represented the clergy, the aristocracy, and the Third Estate (the commoners) and which had not met since 1614. The efforts made by Calonne's successors to enforce fiscal reforms in spite of resistance by the privileged classes led to the so-called revolt of the "aristocratic bodies," notably that of the parlements (the most important courts of justice), whose powers were curtailed by the edict of May 1788.

During the spring and summer of 1788, there was unrest among the populace in Paris, Grenoble, Dijon, Toulouse, Pau, and Rennes. The king, Louis XVI, had to yield. He reappointed reform-minded Jacques Necker as the finance minister and promised to convene the Estates-General on May 5, 1789. He also, in practice, granted freedom of the press, and France was flooded with pamphlets addressing the reconstruction of the state. The elections to the Estates-General, held between January and April 1789, coincided with further disturbances, as the harvest of 1788 had been a bad one. There were practically no exclusions from the voting; and the electors drew up cahiers de doléances, which listed their grievances and hopes. They elected 600 deputies for the Third Estate, 300 for the nobility, and 300 for the clergy.

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French Revolution | History, Summary, Timeline, Causes, & Facts

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French Revolution, revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789-hence the conventional term 'Revolution of 1789,' denoting the end of the ancien regime in France and serving also to distinguish that event from the later French revolutions of 1830 and 1848.

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The establishment of the French Republic and the Declaration of the Rights of Man August 26, 1789

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The establishment of the French Republic and the Declaration of the Rights of Man August 26, 1789

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After Bastille day along with many other things the National Assembly abolished feudalism and created complete equality between men. In an attempt to maintain equality the National Assembly wrote a document called the Declaration of the Rights of Man. In this document it is written that any punishment needs to be absolutely necessary, no one should be shut down because of their religious belief, as well as that everyone has the right to free communication etc. Unfortunately, many people did not agree with this new way of living including the conservative members of the French monarchy. King Louis XVI along with the nobility thought that this was too radical and at first they refused to sign it. They felt threatened by the idea of equality and individual rights.

https://www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution/The-new-regime

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The establishment of the French Republic and the Declaration of the Rights of Man 

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Trial of the King and Queen Approx. August 1792

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Trial of the King and Queen Approx. August 1792

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Although he claimed to accept the revolution, King Louis XVI allowed the Queen to reach out to her nephew in Austria for help to regain control over the country. As the revolution was getting bigger and bigger King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette realized that they needed to get out of France. In their attempt to flee to Austria they were arrested for treasonous acts. From there they were taken back to Paris and forced to sign the constitution, making them mere figureheads. During the next January King Louis XVI was charged with treason and sentenced to death by guillotine. 9 months later Marie Antoinette followed her husband to her death.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-louis-xvi-executed

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Reign of Terror September 5, 1793 - July 27, 1794

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Reign of Terror September 5, 1793 - July 27, 1794

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The purpose of the Jacobins was to protect the gains of the revolution against a possible aristocratic reaction. The Jacobins were a very powerful society and killed anyone who they thought did not agree with the revolution. In total there were 17,000 deaths by guillotine or firing squad in the hopes of them protecting the revolution. Rebellion against the revolution was such a bad thing that even if someone said one wrong thing they could be killed, all of the people in France were gripped with so much fear. During this time, the leader of the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, ruled with violence and harsh punishments hence the name "Reign of Terror". Although there were many deaths the Reign of Terror only lasted one very long year.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Reign-of-Terror

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The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte September 20, 1792 - October 26, 1795

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The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte September 20, 1792 - October 26, 1795

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The reign of terror was finally brought to an end when the unpopular head of public safety publicly arrested and executed Maximilien Robespierre, and many of his supporters. Once the national convention met again they established the first French Republic. This lasted 4 years. Napoleon Bonaparte was appointed as the new director of government. This marked the beginning of the "Napoleonic Era" in French History. This was finally the end of the French Revolution.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Directory-French-history