The Pros And Cons Of The French Revolution

France was one of the great powers in Europe during the eighteenth century, and to hold their power and wealth, the country fought many wars. While this action asserted France’s power, the wars had high expenditures. The most detrimental to France’s economy was the Seven Years War, which is exemplified by The Choices for the 21st Century Program’s “The French Revolution text” with the statement, “Not only did this car cost France many of its overseas colonies, it had cost nearly twice as much per year as the previous war” (13). In effect, France became financially troubled and wrote off their debt instead of paying it in full. During the reign of Louis XVI, the finance minister stopped setting grain prices and had no price control, which

Furthermore, the segregation of the assembly’s members into their classes did not allow the largest and most oppressed class to have much say, and only further enforced the clergy and nobility’s power. However, Louis XVI, hearing the public opinion for more representation in the Third Estate, granted them double to the number of representatives as the First and Second Estate and a “list of grievances.” These lists, states The Choices for the 21st Century Program, “... Did not call for revolution. The most repeated themes were calls for fairness in taxation, a limit to the privileges of the nobility, and an end of tithes to the church” (“The French Revolution” 17). At the Estates General’s first meeting, it was apparent the groups would not improve France’s financial problems, as they all met separately and disagreed on matters of voting. Moreover, the first two estates refused to comply with the third, and when they finally did, all powers were so aggravated by the lack of progress and blinded by the interest of their party, no progress was made. The long-held and deep-rooted beliefs of the French proved to restrain the advancement of any policies, even when meeting as the National