Before the Revolution

In Ancien Rgime France, bread was the main source of food for poor peasants and the king was required to ensure
the food supply of his subjects, the king was affectionately nicknamed le premier boulanger du royaume ("prime
baker of the kingdom").[35] During this period, the role of the royal police was far more involved than simply
upholding the law. Police held responsibility over many systems in society, even street sweeping, it also exercised a
strict control over food supply.[36] In order to maintain social order, the grain market was submitted to harsh rules to
ensure the quality of the bread and its availability at all time and for the entire population. Grain merchants were
viewed with suspicion, they were called "the most cruel enemies of the people" because they were suspected to mix
flour with other products (such as chalk or crushed bones) or to hoard grains to raise artificially the prices of this vital
commodity. The Ancien Rgime favoured a "moral economy" where cupidity was moderated by strict regulations. The
police controlled the purity of the flour and made sure that no one would hide grains to drive up prices. Food scarcity
was common in the 18th century, but the grain police would forbid exportations from regions facing bad harvests and
would import grain from regions enjoying overproduction. It could also force a merchant to dump the price of his flour
(he was later compensated for his loss in times of abundance)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_the_French_Revolution

The French Revolution

The French Revolution began in 1789 as a popular movement to reform the 'absolute' rule of the monarch, Louis XVI.
However, by 1793 France was in the grip of the 'Terror', and in 1804 France returned to a dictatorship under Napoleon
Bonaparte.

French Revolution, also called Revolution of 1789, the 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 rgime in France and serving also to distinguish that event from the later French revolutions
of 1830 and 1848.

The execution of Louis XVI in 1793.

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
commonersmerchants, manufacturers, and professionals, often called the bourgeoisieaspired 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 philosophesintellectuals whose writings inspired
these argumentswere certainly influenced by 17th-century theorists such as Descartes, Spinoza and 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 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.

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.

Causes of the French Revolution

1. International: struggle for hegemony and Empire outstrips the fiscal resources of the state

2. Political conflict: conflict between the Monarchy and the nobility over the reform of the tax system led to paralysis
and bankruptcy.

3. The Enlightenment: Impulse for reform intensifies political conflicts; reinforces traditional aristocratic
constitutionalism, one variant of which was laid out in Montequieus Spirit of the Laws; introduces new notions of good
government, the most radical being popular sovereignty, as in Rousseaus Social Contract [1762]; the attack on the
regime and privileged class by the Literary Underground of Grub Street; the broadening influence of public opinion.

4. Social antagonisms between two rising groups: the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie

5. Ineffective ruler: Louis XVI

6. Economic hardship, especially the agrarian crisis of 1788-89 generates popular discontent and disorders caused by
food shortages.

Causes

France in 1789 was one of the richest and most powerful nations in Europe. Only in Great Britain and the Netherlands
did the common people have more freedom and less chance of arbitrary punishment.

Nonetheless, a popular rebellion would first to bring the regime of King Louis XVI of France under control of a
constitution, then to depose, imprison, try, and execute the king and, later, his wife Marie Antoinette.

Many factors led to the revolution; to some extent the old order succumbed to its own rigidity in the face of a changing
world; to some extent, it fell to the ambitions of a rising bourgeoisie, allied with aggrieved peasants and wage-earners
and with individuals of all classes who were influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment.

As the revolution proceeded and as power devolved from the monarchy to legislative bodies, the conflicting interests of
these initially allied groups would become the source of conflict and bloodshed.

Certainly, all of the following must be counted among the causes of the revolution:

Resentment of royal absolutism.

Resentment of the seigneurial system by peasants, wage-earners, and a rising bourgeoisie.

The rise of enlightenment ideals.

An unmanageable national debt, both caused by and exacerbating the burden of a grossly inequitable system of
taxation.

Food scarcity in the years immediately before the revolution.

Absolutism and privilege

France in 1789 was, at least in theory, an absolute monarchy, an increasingly unpopular form of government at the time. In
practice, the kings ability to act on his theoretically absolute power was hemmed in by the (equally resented) power and
prerogatives of the nobility and the clergy, the remnants of feudalism. Similarly, the peasants covetously eyed the relatively
greater prerogatives of the townspeople.

The large and growing middle class and some of the nobility and of the working class had absorbed the ideology of
equality and freedom of the individual, brought about by such philosophers as Voltaire, Denis Diderot, Turgot, and other
theorists of the Enlightenment.

Furthermore, they had the example of the American Revolution showing that that it was plausible that Enlightenment ideals
about governmental organization might be put into practice. They attacked the undemocratic nature of the government, pushed
for freedom of speech, and challenged the Catholic Church and the prerogatives of the nobles.
The French Monarchy and Parlements

The French royalty in the years prior to the French Revolution were a study in corruption and excess. France had long
subscribed to the idea of divine right, which maintained that kings were selected by God and thus perpetually entitled to
the throne. This doctrine resulted in a system of absolute rule and provided the commoners with absolutely no input
into the governance of their country.

In addition, there was no universal law in France at the time. Rather, laws varied by region and were enforced by the
local parlements(provincial judicial boards), guilds, or religious groups. Moreover, each of those sovereign courts had to
approve any royal decrees by the king if these decrees were to come into effect. As a result, the king was virtually
powerless to do anything that would have a negative effect on any regional government. Ironically, this checks and
balances system operated in a government rife with corruption and operating without the support of the majority.

Charles de Calonne

Finally, in the early 1780s, France realized that it had to address the problem, and fast. First, Louis XVI appointed Charles
de Calonne controller general of finances in 1783. Then, in 1786, the French government, worried about unrest should
it to try to raise taxes on the peasants, yet reluctant to ask the nobles for money, approached various European banks in
search of a loan. By that point, however, most of Europe knew the depth of Frances financial woes, so the country
found itself with no credibility.

Louis XVI asked Calonne to evaluate the situation and propose a solution. Charged with auditing all of the royal accounts
and records, Calonne found a financial system in shambles. Independent accountants had been put in charge of various
tasks regarding the acquisition and distribution of government funds, which made the tracking of such transactions very
difficult. Furthermore, the arrangement had left the door wide open to corruption, enabling many of the accountants to
dip into government funds for their own use. As for raising new money, the only system in place was taxation. At the
time, however, taxation only applied to peasants. The nobility were tax-exempt, and the parlements would never agree
to across-the-board tax increases.

The Causes Of The French Revolution Of 1789 History Essay

The French Revolution of 1789 had many long-range causes. Political, social, and economic conditions in France
contributed to the discontent felt by many French people-especially those of the third estate. The ideas of the
intellectuals of the Enlightenment brought new views to government and society. The American Revolution also
influenced the coming of the French Revolution. The Philosophes planted the seeds for the French Revolution. Their
goals were to expose and destroy the inequalities of the ancient regime (old order).

The French Revolution was caused by social, political and economic problems. People were in discontent with the king.
The first two estates were privileged and the third was very unprivileged and had to pay heavy taxes. The third estate
did not get along with the first two. French kings spent a lot of money on wars. They spent more money then they made.
It was time for a change in France.

CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

The French Revolution was a major event in the history of Western societies, and has had a profound effect on the world
today. Beginning in 1789, the French Revolution saw the French people overthrow their absolute monarchy and bring
about a republic that was based on the principles of equality, liberty and fraternity. In general, historians agree on
several different causes of the French Revolution, including: the history of the estates-system, resentment towards the
absolute monarchy of Louis XVI, the impact of the Age of Enlightenment, the weather conditions before 1789 and the
economic crisis that France faced under Louis XVI.
Causes of the French Revolution

Political and Social Inequalities

France still practised feudalism in the 18th century. The nobles and clergy enjoyed special privileges. They did not have
to pay taxes. The common people did not have power and freedom in politics. They worked hard and had to pay heavy
taxes. The nobles and clergy made up the First and Second Estates in the Estates General. The common people (i.e. the
middle class (bourgeoisie), peasants and artisans) made up the Third Estate. The nobles and clergy could outvote the
common people easily though the Estates General was always not called by the king, who ruled as an absolute monarch.
The common people became discontented with the privileged classes.

Bankruptcy of the Government

Louis XIV had spent too much. His successors did not cut down expenses. Louis XVI also failed to improve the financial
situation. He dismissed ministers who tried to introduce financial reforms. By 1789, the government was bankrupt.

Outbreak of revolution 1789

When Louis XVI finally called the Estates General to solve financial difficulties, the Third Estate did not agree with the
unfair system of the Estates General. They formed the National Assembly to make a constitution. People were afraid
that the king would suppress the National Assembly. They were also discontented that the king dismissed Necker, the
popular Finance Minister. The hungry Parisians, who suffered from bad harvest, burst out their anger by attacking the
Bastille prison (for political prisoners). The Fall of Bastille started the French Revolution. It spread out to other parts of
France.

The Causes of the French Revolution

The French Revolution began as the response of the people to the oppression of the monarchy and the terrible
living conditions that were imposed on the common people while the wealthy lived fairly well. The debts that were
totaled by the French conflicts under Louis XV combined with the support of the Americans during their revolution
under Louis XVI placed the burden of higher taxes on the common people who were already suffering under the strain
of a famine caused by a drought. The Catholic Church even took their share from the people as the church was one of
the largest landowners in the country. Inflation ran out of control and the people grew tired of watching the nobles
continue to ignore the plight of those who were socially less fortunate. The final straw was that the soldiers returning
from the war in America were granted no pensions and little care for their medical needs. The question had to be raised
as to why the French could not have the same freedoms that they had helped the Americans to win; a basic concept of
the Enlightenment movement that was sweeping across Europe.

When the nobles voted down an act that would have placed taxes on their own lands in an attempt to push the
burden back onto the commoners, the wheels of revolution shifted into high gear. The Third Estate (the commoners
group in the legislative organization of France with the First Estate being the clergy and the Second Estate being the
nobles) began to seek a constitution that would give them and protect equal rights among the classes. Support for the
idea grew and the group declared themselves the National Assembly. Louis XVI, fearing that his country was about to
enact a coup, had the doors to the Salle des tats, were the Assembly met, locked for bogus repairs. The group sensed
that a line had been drawn in the sand and met in a nearby indoor tennis court. It was in this building that over five
hundred members of the First and Third Estates stating that they would not separate until they had provided France
with a constitution swore the Tennis Court Oath. This was considered an act of treason since it showed the power to
create binding agreements came from the people and not the monarchy.
The Tennis Court Oath was the first major step in a the long battle the French people faced while getting out from under
the thumb of the monarchy headed by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette and the hard times of the late
18th century.

Environmental Changes and Food Shortages

A series of bad harvests and deregulation led to the rise in the price of flour, and subsequently of the main food item of the Fre
make things worse, France was hit by the coldest winter in several decades. By the summer of 1778, a serious food shortage hi
the coast of a loaf of bread was so high, chaos and riots broke out. Bakeries were robbed and people were lynched in order to o

Robespierre wrote in a letter of complaint to the King:

The people's resentment towards the King increased rapidly as he did not do anything effective to stop the rising prices of flour
Antoinette and the nobility enjoyed lavish feasts while the people on the streets were starving.

Ceramic mural in the Bastille Mtro Station in Paris, France. This mural was erected in
commemoration of the French Revolution, in which one of the main grievances against the monarchy was the cost of
bread

.
 The Women's March began in Paris on 5 October 1789. They marched to
Versailles protesting the price and scarcity of bread.The women and other supporters eventually succeeded in forcing
the king and his family to return with them to Paris.

What was the main cause of the French Revolution

The year of 1789 to 1799 was a year of radical changes and political upheavals for the country of France. The whole
country seem[ed] ready for a revolution]. On such a momentous occasion it is easy to reflect with hindsight as to how
the constitutional monarchy which had been traditionally used for centuries, to be abruptly overthrown by new ideas
such as Enlightenment. However, although Enlightenment did play an important role in the French Revolution it can be
argued that the American Revolution was a plausible demonstration in showing the French that theyre country could
also be a place of equality and freedom of the individual. Additionally, it is important to take into consideration that
even though France had faced great economic difficulties during the year of 1785, mostly concerning taxation, it was
one of the most powerful and richest countries in Europe. But, it was because of the ruinously heavy taxation on the
impoverished that allowed hatred for the gluttonous lifestyle of the monarchy. The most important cause of the French
Revolution was arguably the unfair system of collection of taxes between the Three Estates; the obligations of the Third
Estate and the fact that they had no money to upgrade their position, especially if they were peasants. Coupled with an
extravagant King, a series of crop failures and the Seven Years Plan which caused France to face severe financial
difficulties, the French Revolution was a disaster waiting to happen. Also the role of the French people and leading
ideologies from political leaders was a major influencing factor, as this strong social desire for change was the reason
there was a large majority of involvement.

The causes and the course of the revolution

Horace Vernet's 'Barricade Rue Soufflot'. Source: www.theworld.org

The overthrow of the Ancien Regime

The way France (and most European countries) was governed in the eighteenth century was very different from democracy. We refer to
France before the revolution as the Old Order or the Ancien Regime.
Causes of the French Revolution

The French Revolution (circa 1788-1799) is considered to be one of the most significant events in world history because it
drastically changed the face of France, which at the time of the Revolution was the most powerful country in Europe, as well as altered
the traditions of the culture and government. The French Revolution was a chain of political and social acts by reformers in the French
Government to eliminate the absolute power of the King and the rich landowners and develop a Government elected solely by the
citizens of the town. This Revolution would ultimately instigate the act of liberty and equality for the people and generate fair living
standards and treatment for all social classes. The Revolution prompted the expansion of additional political forces such as democracy
and nationalism. It questioned the power and authority of kings, priests, and nobles and provided new principles and significance to the
political and social ideas of the citizens. Numerous factors led to the cause of the French Revolution, which inevitably changed the
appearance of France's economy and political status considerably. Such issues that triggered the French Revolution include social and
political conflicts, financial difficulties as well as the influence of the American Revolution on France.
In the 18th century, France was a country whose society was branched into separate divisions. Citizens were basically divided
into three distinct estates or classes. The First Estate was comprised of the clergy. The Second consisted of the nobility, and the Third
included the bourgeoisie, which were the city workers and the peasants. It is apparent that things, especially that pertaining to social
class, do not change much as evolution progresses because in the 18th century as it is evident in the 21st as well, a person's social
status determines the power, wealth and rights one holds.

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Summary of Events

Feudalism and Unfair Taxation

No one factor was directly responsible for the French Revolution. Years of feudal oppression and fiscal mismanagement contributed to
a French society that was ripe for revolt. Noting a downward economic spiral in the late 1700s, King Louis XVI brought in a number of
financial advisors to review the weakened French treasury. Each advisor reached the same conclusionthat France needed a radical
change in the way it taxed the publicand each advisor was, in turn, kicked out.

Finally, the king realized that this taxation problem really did need to be addressed, so he appointed a new controller general of
finance, Charles de Calonne, in 1783. Calonne suggested that, among other things, France begin taxing the previously exempt
nobility. The nobility refused, even after Calonne pleaded with them during the Assembly of Notables in 1787. Financial ruin thus
seemed

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