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The French Revolution is arguably one of the most significant and pivotal events in world history. Its occurrence is due to several causes and factors, many of which have a lot to do with the issue of inequality and discrimination.
In this article, the author outlines the important causes of the French Revolution and how these made an impact on the French people, especially the lower class.
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Major Causes of French Revolution
Transpiring from 1789 to 1799, the French Revolution was caused by a myriad of factors, with its biggest outcome leading to the overthrowing of the French monarchy. In this essay, I would like to share ten major causes of this famed revolution.
An unfair social structure based on the estate system
At the time, France classified French citizens based on three estates. The first estate was comprised of religious clergy, the number of which was around 100,000. The second estate referred to French nobility, numbering around 400,000. These first two are the privileged classes. Finally, forming the third estate were all other citizens, which included professionals such as lawyers and merchants, to peasants and laborers. The final estate comprised a whopping 98 percent of the French population. Typical of a class system, the third estate was the lowest and most looked down upon. They were deprived of powerful and honorable roles, which incited anger and rebellion. This then led to the infamous revolution.
Imposing heavy taxes on the third estate
Even though this particular estate was not the wealthiest or most prosperous, they were the group that had to shoulder the heavy burden the tax system needed to offload. While the first estate were owners of 10% of French land, they never had to pay any high taxes due to their privilege. They even had the added benefit of collecting tithes from their members, which was a tenth of the yearly total produce or earnings.
In the same way, owning another quarter of French land was the second estate. They were also exempted from tax payments and were even allowed to demand dues from peasants. Such a burden took its toll on the third estate, which led them to call out this tragic inequality.
The emergence of the bourgeoisie
Also known as the relatively richer members of the third estate, the bourgeoisie rose to prominence in the latter years before the revolution happened. They gradually formed their own elite group, with their own agenda and political goals. Just like most of the third estate, they resented the first two. One of their key goals was to achieve equality with the other estates. This led them to cut off all feudal and royalties to their lands, businesses, and personal freedoms, which was a cause of this French historic event.
The influence of the Age of Enlightenment
A major intellectual and philosophical movement, the Enlightenment brought a whole new world of ideas and perspectives to much of Europe. Known philosophers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rosseau challenged the idea of absolute monarchy, as well as the estate system. The principles and writings of these intellectual influencers greatly shaped the ideas of the revolutionaries.
Financial crises triggered by expensive wars
During this time of French history, a series of battles were fought against long-time nemesis Great Britain. Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI played a big role in this aspect. For instance, under the authority of Louis XV, the Seven Years’ War was lost to the British government, while grandson Louis XVI inherited a mountain of debt accumulated from his grandfather’s attempt to avenge the French’s defeat. He eventually led the country into the American Revolution against Britain, which didn’t really benefit the country all that much. In fact, it resulted in even more financial losses, which spiraled into a major economic crisis that nearly led to bankruptcy.
Natural causes: Bad weather and subpar harvests
Following the eruption of Iceland’s Laki volcano, Europe experienced terrible winters and extreme summers, which resulted in drought and famine. Ten years of consistently unfavorable weather conditions placed a heavy burden on French peasants, who were already struggling to survive to begin with. Frustration and resentment built up, causing an implosion that paved the way to the revolution.
The premium price tag of bread
Part of a result of years of famine, flour prices skyrocketed, which naturally raised prices for bread. The bread was an essential staple in French cuisine – in fact, it was documented that 90 percent of the working class’ money was going towards the purchase of bread. Louis XVI tried to address the issue by imposing price deregulations on the grain market, but it backfired and increased prices even more. This angered French citizens further, playing another important role in moving towards war.
Bad leadership by the two Louise and French government
With the Enlightenment changing the French’s worldview on the principle of absolute monarchy, the failures and flaws of King Louis XV and his grandson were amplified all the more. Together, they made efforts to solve a financial crisis, food crisis, and economic crisis. They made attempts at reform and collaboration, but every attempt was unsuccessful. Seeing their monarchs perform so poorly and experiencing the consequences personally led to great public anger, resentment, and distrust.
A strong opposition
Opposing most of the Kings’ attempts at reforms were the parliaments. These provincial appellate courts firmly proposed that the second estate, which was the nobles, be included in the list of taxpayers. It would have been a good way to form a truce with the third estate, as this would alleviate the tax burden that they were forced to carry.
The monarchy’s affinity for extravagance
The indulgent lifestyles of French nobility directly played a part in the country’s worsening economic conditions. A lot of these decisions were tone-deaf and done in poor taste. For instance, the building and renovation of the Palace of Versailles cost taxpayers a huge amount of money. The monarchy gained a reputation for being wasteful and selfish.
FAQs
Why Did The French Revolution Start?
One of France’s most notable historical events transpired because of societal unrest. A big factor was the unjust estate system, which pitted a select few in the ruling class against an army of workers. The clear dichotomy between the third estate and the nobility and religious clergy amplified the unfairness of the system, which affected all spheres of the general public’s life.
From poor harvests and a bad taxation system to the influence and new ideas of radical Enlightenment thinkers and a show of bad leadership and political power, there were many factors that led to this bloody revolution. People began to question the nobility and clergy’s positions of absolute power and resented the fact that they had to pay taxes for the indulgences of a few. They grew tired of the old regime and longer for a new way of life.
How Revolutionary Was The French Revolution?
This bloody revolution paved the way for a more satisfied working class, as it resulted in the limitation of the monarchy’s once-unlimited power and gave the public more control over most of France, enabling them to afford their own rights and freedoms as local citizens. However, there were also a lot of failures and unmet goals along the way. After all the bloodshed on the battlefield, there were still laws and rights that were not effectively implemented, even after all the fighting had ceased. It is safe to say that while there were victories attained during this period of French history, there were more failures that came with it.