French Revolution

It made the people realize what they wanted France to be, eventually causing them to revolt against the government make France a republic. It is evident that these three reasons are the main causes that led to the French revolution and the downfall of the French monarchial system. The ineffectiveness of the King Louis and Marie Antoinette being the main reason since it was because of it that led to the dissatisfaction of the peasants, which led them to seeking better systems and laws in the Enlightenment. It was all these reasons combined together that ultimately led to the destruction of the old regime and the French Revolution.

The French Revolution The years before the French Revolution (which started in 1789 AD.) were ones of vast, unexpected change and confusion. One of the changes was the decline of the power of the nobles, which had a severe impact on the loyalty of some of the nobles to King Louis XVI. Another change was the increasing power of the newly established middle class, which would result in the monarchy becoming obsolete. The angry and easily manipulated peasants, who were used by the bourgeoisie for their own benefit were another significant change, and finally the decline of the traditional monarchy, that for so long had ruled, were all factors to the main point that the French Revolution was caused by a political base, with social disorder and economic instability contributing to the upheaval.

Also, absolutism was one of the biggest factors of the French Revolution because Louis’s regime did not support the ideology of equality and individuals did not have all the freedom that they ought to have had. The French revolution was one of the major changes in history, and especially in France because French people wanted to have a democratic system instead of an absolutist government; the 3rd estate revolted against Louis XVI due to the major inequality in lifestyles between the aristocrats and royals, and the peasants. Louis XVI, named Louis Auguste de France and titled Du de Berry was born on 23 August, 1754 in Versailles, France. He was Roman Catholic, the son of Louis XV. When Louis XV died, , he made Louis XVI heir to the throne in 1765.

The French Revolution began in 1789 and ended in 1792, though certain people include Napoleon’s reign as part of the revolution, stating it ended in 1804. It was a time of confusion, disorder, and bloodshed. The commoners of France decided that they were being treated unjustly and planned to overthrow their king. The French Revolution was a long and terrible war, which promoted democracy and equality for the people of France and resulted, not only in the death of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, but with France becoming a more liberal country. This essay will investigate causes of the French Revolution such as enlightenment ideas, taxation and economical problems, and the political system of the time.

However, their work was obliterated once Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself dictator of France in 1799 (French Revolution 13). Not only did the Enlightenment cause the French Revolution by allowing the people to see how inferior France really was, making them question divine right, and opening their eyes to the injustice between estates occurring, but it also described the United States which is the epitome of an ideal society. While the Enlightenment criticized monarchy governments, it influenced democratic forms of government. Without the Enlightenment and the help of France, the United States wouldn’t be what it is today.

Whatever respect and authority Louis had vanishes as he flees. Louis becomes “first servant” to the people and has no political authority left, leaving the door wide open for the Jacobins to take control of the government. France only continued to spiral downward as the Jacobins grew in power. They were supported by the Parisian masses, which eventually allowed Robespierre to come to power in 1793. He, as a member of the Committee of Public Safety, saw thousands of “traitors” slaughtered for speaking out against the radical turn the revolution had taken.

The people of France had been under the rule of an absolute monarch for a long time, so it took a perfect climate of political unrest and the confluence of numerous factors to start the French Revolution. The French Revolution took place in the ideal political, economic, and intellectual climate for a revolution. Short Term Causes Louis XVI had created a large amount of debt through bad tax collection practices and funding american revolution. Bad tax practices included not taxing nobles, which put all of financial burden of France on the middle and lower classes. These classes weren’t able to support the high costs of running a nation in addition to supporting a foreign war that brought no tangible benefit to France.

The French revolution was a major contributor to the Whigs lack of political success as it ont only weakened the party due to loss of members but also due to the exposure internal party problems. Unable to recover after the events between 1783 and 1815 the Whig party, in contrast to Pitt’s success posed no competition to challenge the Tory office.

Thousands of others met the same fate in a period known as the Reign of Terror. The revolution ended when Napoleon Bonaparte, a French general, took over the government. At the beginning of the revolution, events seemed minor and proceeded in a logical fashion. One of the reasons the revolution originated was the discontent among the lower and middle classes in France. By law, society was divided in to three groups called estates.

Through the revolution, the French aspired to do away with the traditional philosophy retained through the practices of the old monarchy. Also, the French rebelled because of the persecution inflicted by the existing government. At the time in France, social equality before the law was non-existent and corrupt government officials were prevalent. Poorer citizens were forced to carry most of the tax burden while the monarchs enjoyed lavish lives. The peasants, consequently, despised the rich and carried out an assault ... ... middle of paper ... ...estore their rights within it” (Doc ___).