The Real Cause of the French Revolution

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The Real Cause of the French Revolution For hundreds of years historians have tried to find out the real cause

of the French Revolution, and they have come up with hundreds of

varieties different reasons as well. Spread over the ten-year period

from 1789-1799, the French Revolution was initiated by disagreements

over the peoples' ideas of reform. Seeking equality, liberty and

wanting their voice to be heard, the Third Estate played a major role

in determining the future of France in ten years time. Linked with

elaborate disputes among the people, hatred toward their beautiful and

ignorant queen, Marie Antoinette, the starvation that spread over

France and their involvement with the American Revolution - the French

Revolution was, indeed, a strange and a marked time in the world

history. Nevertheless, is it really possible to know what really

happened during the ten-year period, and to find out the real cause of

the occurrence of the French Revolution?

During the eighteenth century, social classes played an important role

in the lives of the people. The French society was legally stratified

by birthrights and was divided into three classes: the First Estate,

the Second Estate, and the Third Estate[1]. Each social group had a

varied type of people within their structure, which presented the

different views of the people. The First Estate was the clergy,

numbered around one hundred thousand people. The clergy was made up of

two groups: the higher clergy and the lower clergy. The higher clergy

had a very luxurious life, but however, t...

... middle of paper ...

... exact cause of

where the idea of the French Revolution came from, because it is

impossible to go back in time. In conclusion, the opinions stated

throughout this essay are as seen from a perspective of what really

happened and what might have caused it during that period of time, and

is certainly not the exact truth of what had happened.

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[1] http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/chap1b.html

[2] http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/chap1a.html

[3] Travels in France, Arthur Young.

[4] http://www.geocities.com/thefrenchrevolution/causes.html

[5] http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/chap1c.html

[6] http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/chap1b.html

[7] http://www.angelfire.com/va/frenchrev/LouisXVI.html

[8] http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/REV/LOUISXVI.HTM

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