The event most commonly associated with the beginning of the French Revolution is the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Instigated by rumors that the King had begun to organize military forces for a counterattack against government reformers, a crowd of urban Parisians converged upon the Bastille with the intent of staging a preemptive strike against the monarchy. A state prison and military armory, the Bastille had been seen by the mob as representative of the King's dictatorial rule. The pubic's dissent upon the Bastille, which ultimately ended as a success for the mob, has been seen as a symbolic marker in the beginning of the French Revolution, deposition of the monarchy, and the eventual establishment of a new French republic.
However, to begin discussion of the French Revolution with the storming of the Bastille negates a number of important factors that had influenced the publics' actions on July, 1789. As France emerged from the Middle Ages, the nation had maintained archaic social and governmental systems. Prolonged use of the feudal system had allowed for the development of a French society divided into three castes, known as the Three Estates. With the first two estates drawing its membership from the noble elites and clergy, wealth and power was poorly distributed throughout France, with approximately two percent of the population holding a position of privilege over the Third Estate. Socially disenfranchised, the Third Estate, comprised of France's rural and urban peasantry; and the wealthy, but not noble, bourgeoisie, also suffered political underrepresentation.
As an absolute monarch, King Louis XVI was granted total authority over the French government. Ascending to the throne in 1774, Louis ha...
... middle of paper ...
... a sense of legitimacy and pushed the bourgeoisies' cries for government reform into the public arena. Over the following two weeks, Louis would go on to take further actions with would, unbeknownst to him, further fan the flame of revolution. His orders to have troops surround the cities of Paris and Versailles, although made in an attempt to appease French nobility, was seen as a threat to members of the Third Estate. On July 11, the removal of financial minister Jaques Necker, an advocate of tax reform and dismissal of noble privilege, was interpreted as the King's continued refusal to cooperate with the National Assembly. Combined with an ongoing famine, Louis' political mishandlings continued to create social unrest among the peasantry and bourgeoisie alike. These tensions would ultimately come to head on July 14, resulting in the storming of the Bastille.
In his book The French Revolution, William Doyle talks about the king’s power before the The French Revolution. Doyle explains that the king has an absolute monarchy over the citizens in France. An absolute monarchy is when a king or queen has full control over his citizens. The king is the judge, jury, and the executioner for his people. Whatever the king decides goes, no one has a say in what he has decided on. There are several examples that Doyle talks about in his book that shows how King Louis the 16th had an absolute monarchy over his citizens before 1787.
Some people like Emmanuel Sieyès, middle-class writer who was taken by the Enlightenment ideas, believed that all of French Society lay on the backs of the third estate. On the contrary, Robespierre, the monarch at the time, believed that the third estate did not have the power to do anything important to society. The third estate had to pay taxes like the Gabelle and Taille while the first and seconds estates did not have to pay any taxes to the king. Also, the third estates had less of a representation in voting. The first and second estate could outvote the third estate every time and this was a huge inequality. The condition of the third estate was horrible but a good portion of this third estate was the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie had some wealth and social class, so they influenced the rest of the third estate about their rights, while also inspiring some lower clergies and provincial nobles and thus led to a group of rebellious people to fight the monarchy. This fight for political representation and political rights was only one cause of the French Revolution. Another causes lies in the French Monarchs: Louis XlV, Louis XV, and Louis XVl. When Louis XlV was ruling, the monarchy had unlimited power and was known as a
The Bastille incident set off revolts all over France and Louis was soon deposed afterwards. A democratic government was set up in place of the old monarchy.
The storming of the Bastille in July of 1789, led to a series of events t...
First, the French Revolution was a result of the failed estate system and the extreme economic and social inequality it led to. Under the rule of Louis XVI, the people of France were divided into three main social classes or estates as they are called. The First Estate featured wealthy members of the Church such as Bishops and Priests who held great political power due to their influence on government affairs. The Second Estate was a class comprised of the wealthy nobles and
Prior to the revolution, King Louis XVI was at the top of the ancien régime, the social, economic, and political structure in France, which means he had absolute power. When he received the throne in 1774, it came along with insoluble problems. The people were split into three estates which divided social class. The first estate consisted of 100,000 tax exempt nobles who owned 20% of the land. The second estate consisted of the 300,000 tax exempt clergy who owned 10% of the land. The third estate consisted of the remaining 23.5 million French people who were 90% peasants. The third estate was the only estate that paid taxes. Their taxes ensured the financial well-being of the clergy, state, and nobles (French Revolution Overview 6).
Cause of the French Revolution The essential cause of the French revolution was the collision between a powerful, rising bourgeoisie and an entrenched aristocracy defending its privileges”. This statement is very accurate, to some extent. Although the collision between the two groups was probably the main cause of the revolution, there were two other things that also contributed to the insanity during the French revolution – the debt that France was in as well as the famine. Therefore, it was the juxtaposing of the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy as well as the debt and famine France was in that influenced the French Revolution. Many people were making a case for a new concept of society, in which commoners, especially the educated middle classes (bourgeoisie), had.
The first underlying cause of the French Revolution was the Old Regime. The people of France were divided into three estates. The first estate was composed of the highest church officials. They held about ten percent of all the land in France. They paid no direct taxes to the royal government. The second estate was made up of nobles. They were only two percent of France’s population, but owned twenty percent of the land. They paid no taxes (Krieger 483). The third estate accounted for ninety-eight percent of France’s population. The third estate was divided into three groups; the middle class, known as the bourgeoisie, the urban lower classes, and the peasant farmers. The third estate lost about half their income in taxes. They paid feudal dues, royal taxes, and also owed the corvee, a form of tax paid with work (Krieger 484).
An Analysis of the Absolute Monarchy of France in the 17th Century This historical study will define the absolute monarchy as it was defied through the French government in the 17th century. The term ‘absolute” is defined I the monarchy through the absolute control over the people through the king and the royal family. All matters of civic, financial, and political governance was controlled through the king’s sole power as the monarchical ruler of the French people. In France, Louis XIII is an important example of the absolute monarchy, which controlled all facts of military and economic power through a single ruler. Udder Louis XIII’s reign, the consolidation of power away from the Edicts of Nantes to dominant local politics and sovereignty
The Third Estate consisted of everyone else, the pheasants, farmers, landless labourers, serfs and the emerging middle class called the bourgeois. 80% of the population was rural and were very highly taxed by the king, like the rest of the Third Estate.... ... middle of paper ... ... Overall, the weakness and indecisive actions of France's monarch, King Louis XVI, did not make those serving him respect or be loyal to him and his choices.
...roblems and turned a great number of people against the monarchy. These events lead to the resentment that was another key factor in beginning the French Revolution. The end of King Louis XIV’s rule was especially disastrous. After the death of his advisor Colbert, King Louis XIV made even more horrible and costly decisions. He further enlarged the military and entered into many wars in which he lost a great deal of her newly acquired territories and increased the national debt even more.
3. On July 14th a mob stormed the Bastille and demanded the weapons held there when denied they took it over and destroyed it thus marking the start of the French Revolution for independance starting the holiday.
Causes and Effects of the French Revolution The 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.
The French citizens were correct in overthrowing the French monarchy because King Louis XVI was a poor leader. One of the qualities that made King Louis XVI a poor leader was that he was not interested in ruling the country. According to the World History Textbook, “He was easily bored with affairs of state and much preferred to spend his time in physical activities.” (Beck Roger, Black Linda, Krieger, Larry, Naylor Phillip, Shabaka Dahia, 653) It is obvious that King Louis XVI was more interested in personal enjoyment then the livelihood of his country. He would rather be noble having fun rather than being a leader making decisions for his country. When King Louis XVI was removed from power, he was given what he wanted, the escape from the affairs of state. Another example why King L...
... Soon, King Louis XV had bankrupted the national treasury of France and had left the country in debt. By this time, the monarchs were being frowned upon, so when France was passed onto Louis XVI, people judged him quickly and deemed him a bad king who did not know how to deal with the country’s affairs. The people of France were tired of having kings who repeatedly ignored their problems and needs and were turning against the idea of absolutism, making it one cause of the French Revolution.