Persuasive Essay On The French Revolution
Was The French Revolution Justified
The French Revolution Essay
DBQ Essay: Causes Of The French Revolution
French Revolution Essay
How Did The French Revolution Change Society
Impact Of The French Revolution
The French Revolution And The 19th Century
Revolutions And The French Revolution
Nationalism In The French Revolution Essay
Essay about Causes of the French Revolution
The French Revolution Essay
The French Revolution of 1789 Essay
The French Revolution Essay
Was the French Revolution Successful? Essay
France Essay
1. Persuasive Essay On The French Revolution
Most could argue Charles Dickens best of times quote is falsely described but it is actually more
truthful than one may realize. The French revolution in the short term may have failed but
regardless has influence the future of France. It was a very dark time to be alive but many
advances came with the darkness. Napoleon was a powerful leader that connected with is soldiers
to get what he wanted. France was very much like how Charles described around 1789. While
many advances where taking place, corruption was also a problem at the time. Napoleon had many
enemies but stood tall for most of his life. While many could argue Charles incorrectly describe the
events, there are many examples of him being correct. So, what happened around 1789? The French
revolution was about to take and it would be last for about 10 years and ended with Napoleons
death. The point of the revolution was to overtake the monarchy. Napoleon was a big part of this
revolution later. Before Napoleon took charge, first the revolution had to remove the current ruler.
After a few years they have succeeded and executed king Louis XVI. With the removing of Louis,
all surrounding lands where now enemies with France. Napoleon would have to fight off many
army's larger than his own to save France. For the most part Napoleon could outsmart anyone who
attacked him. He was known to lead his men like he was one of them. He connected with his men
which lead them to believe in him as great leader. When Charles Dicken
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3. The French Revolution Essay
The French Revolution was a period of time from 1789 to 1799 in France where there was political
instability. It officially began on the 14th of July, 1789, when the Bastille, which was a symbol of
the King's harsh policies, was stormed. The King, Louis XVI, the Queen, Marie–Antoinette and
about 40,000 people were all brutally murdered. But there was also a positive side, the Declaration
of the Rights of Man and Citizen was formally adopted on August 1789 and feudalism was
abolished. This essay will address the issues of the three estates system, food shortages and the
fiscal crisis. It will also be argued that the most significant cause of the French Revolution was the
social inequality that stemmed from the three estates system....show more content...
The majority were already struggling with the cost of living, and the addition of extra taxes caused it
to be near impossible for them to survive financially. This angered the third estate, and provided an
incentive for the revolution. Therefore, it is evident that the social inequality that derived from the
three estates system was the most significant cause of the French Revolution.
Secondly, the food shortages and prices were a highly influential cause of the French Revolution.
The third estate had to pay the gabelle, which was extremely expensive (Hetherton). Salt was an
essential commodity that was not only used for seasoning but to preserve meats and vegetables for
the cold season (Hills). When the peasantry could not afford the gabelle, they starved during the
winter. This was especially significant during the winters of 1769, 1776, 1780–1783 and 1788, when
there were heavy hailstorms and treacherously cold temperatures (Martin). This meant that there
were several crop failures that impacted foods such as corn and grain (Ashwell). As a result, the crop
failures caused prices of bread and vegetables to increase 9–fold and 6–fold respectively (Martin).
Furthermore, the glacial weather caused several supply routes to freeze and close down. For
example, the rivers Yonne and Oise were specifically used for supplying meat, so when they became
unavailable to merchants, the price of meat escalated 10–fold (Martin). This meant that only those
who could
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4. DBQ Essay: Causes Of The French Revolution
The French Revolution of 1789 had many long–range causes. Political, social, and economic
conditions in France mad many French people discontented. Most disaffected were merchants,
artisans, workers, and peasants. The ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers brought new views of
government and society. The American Revolution also influenced the coming of TheFrench
Revolution. Therefore, The French Revolution of 1789 had several causes not only due to political,
but also due to social and economic issues and problems as well that made France ripe for
revolution. The most important long–range causes of this revolution, however, were the ideas of the
Enlightenment, the unfair taxes, the gap between the rich and poor, and the American Revolution
...show more content...
There are very few members in the first and second estates, yet they owned the most land, while the
third estate made up most of the population, yet owned very little land. "First: Clergy – 1% of the
people owned 10% of the land. Second Estate: Nobles – 2% of the people owned 35% of the land.
Third Estate – Middle class, peasants, city workers 97% of the people owned 55% of the land."
(Document 2) There were high prices, high taxes, and people were listening to enlightenment ideas.
Louis XVI decided to tax the Second Estate. They called a meeting of the Estates–General – an
assembly of representatives from all three estates. (ROI) In addition, as a political cause, the third
estate had no privileges or say in the government,while both the clergy and nobles did. As mentioned
before, the inequality of taxes proved another gap in the social classes. "The Revolution had been
accomplished in the minds of men long before it was translated into fact.... The middle class...was
sensitive to their inferior legal position. The Revolution came from them–the middle class. The
working classes were incapable of starting or controlling the Revolution. They were just beginning to
learn to read." (Document 4) Estates– General was the first such meeting in 175 years. Met on May
5th,1789 in Versailles. In the Estate– General each estate had one vote. (ROI)
Finally, the influence of the American Revolution and
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5. French Revolution Essay
Why was there a French Revolution?
Between, 1789 ВЎV 1799, many events occurred in France that caused an outbreak within the
people thus leading to a revolution. This culminated in the France becoming a democratic
government. This essay will argue that the resentment of absolute government, financial difficulties,
the famine, rise of philosophes and the ongoing feud between the estates are all the major causes of
why there was a revolution in France.
Firstly before going into the topic, the word ВЎВ§revolutionВЎВЁ must be defined. ВЎВ§A
revolution is a relatively sudden and absolutely huge change. This may be a change in the social or
political institutions over a relatively short period of time, or a major change in its culture or
economy .ВЎВЁ...show more content...
If the king was interested in the opinions of the people, all he had to do go to the Estates General
and ask for their vote on any issue he put forth. The last time the Estates General had been in
meeting was in 1614, therefore it is evident that by the late 1700s, that the king was no longer
interested in the influence of the French people . This sort of ignorance to the people was a major
factor in why there was a revolution in France
The famine killed many people during the late 18th century and was caused by the other
underlining factors such as financial trouble and arguments between the estates. Different crop
failures in the 1780s caused these shortages, which of course led to high prices for bread and
other food substances. With the prices going up people grew angry with the government and
waged for a revolution . There were poor conditions in the countryside which made residents to
move into Paris, and the city was overcrowded and filled with the hungry and disaffected people
who desperately needed more food to live. The peasants, who were the worst of the lot, suffered
from the economic and agricultural problems . With all this added up, there was no other way to fix
these problems but to have a revolution
Another cause of the French Revolution was in the financial difficulties of the government. King
Louis XV and King Louis XVI both led extremely
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6. How Did The French Revolution Change Society
However, in society, the ranks did not or barely changed throughout the revolution in order to limit
some changes. Most of the people who were leading the revolution were already nobility and very
influential people because of either wealth, politics, or the the documents they have written. There
was only limited change, which is one of the ideology most conservative have and "These
conservative, upper–class leaders who proclaimed the Revolution suffered no repudiation in the
course of the struggle; no mass from the bottom rose and seized control of the Revolutionary
situation to direct the struggle into new channels. Rather these men merely shifted, as it were, from
their favored status under the colonial regimes to comparable, if not improved,
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8. Impact Of The French Revolution
How the French Revolution Impacted the World
The French Revolution completely revolutionized France and the world around it. Not only did it
change the way people were governed, it spread the beliefs of nationalism and made average
citizens feel pride in their country again. The Revolution also enabled Napoleon to rise to power and
further spread nationalism and Enlightenment ideas across Europe. The revolution in France inspired
countries around the world to take belief into their own ideas and begin the process of demanding
representation.
Absolute Monarchy was a main form of Government in the world before the French Revolution, but
when the lower estates revolted people saw what could, and would happen if the common people
didn't...show more content...
Napoleon took advantage of the weak government and seized power in 1799, where he would then
help overthrow the Directory, setting up three–man governing board, called the First Consul. 1802
was the year where he would name himself consul for life. People looked up to Napoleon, he was
a strong figure in the military and the only battles they would hear about him would be victories.
Finally, in 1804 he would gain enough power to be able to crown himself emperor of France.
Napoleon loved to show how much power he had so he took the thrown from the Pope to show
he didn't look up to anyone. The French strongly supported Napoleon, even though he had
absolute power, but this time it was not a monarch, it was a democratic despotism. Napoleon
would continue to reform France, he would continue to keep power by strengthening the central
government. Napoleon was considered a good leader since he was all about equality and giving
everyone a chance. At 1812: France was at the peak of its dominance, Napoleon was such a
unique fighter every war, that no one knew how to defend him because every war he changed
strategies. By 1812 he controlled most of Europe. But in 1812 he was preparing to overtake Russia
with the "Grand Army" of 600,000 soldiers and 50,000 horses. The Russians were prepared and
would use the scorched earth policy, this would leave the French hungry and cold when winter came,
this would make the French retreat and the Russians
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9. The French Revolution And The 19th Century
The French Revolution took place in the late 18th century which undermined the traditional
monarchy of France as well as the hereditary aristocracy. The Enlightenment was an important
origin of the French Revolution as people wanted the government to provide natural rights to
individuals. They did not seek a violent revolution, however so individuals had strong beliefs in
the Enlightenment ideas which led to a revolt. A few important factors had a major impact on the
origin of the revolution including social, financial, and political issues. The French society was
very complex and lead to social stress due to its extremely large population at the beginning of the
18th century. There were new disease forming due to overcrowding, food shortages, and crime
was on the rise. The social division consisted of three estates; the first being the clergy, second
was the nobility, and the third was the peasantry as well as wealthy financiers and beggars. The
third estate was mostly poor along with most of France at this time. Wages increased but the cost
of living increased by a higher percentage. The monarch at the time, Louis XVI, was an extensive
spender and lived a very lavish life in which he spend half of the revenues just on interest to his
loans that he owed. The political body was called the Estates General. There was a disproportionate
representation within the estates in which the peasants represented 97% of the population, leaving
only 2% being the nobility and 1% the
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10. Revolutions And The French Revolution
Revolutions are a common occurrence throughout world history. With the amount of revolutions in
history, there are those that get lost and those that are the most remembered or well known. One of
the well known revolutions is the French Revolution which occurred in the years 1789 to 1799.
Before the French Revolution, France was ruled by an absolute monarchy, this meaning that one
ruler had the supreme authority and that said authority was not restricted by any written laws,
legislature, or customs, a definition given by wikipedia.com and the feudal system, which was a
system that said a peasant or worker would receive a piece of land in return for serving under a
king, a definition given by vocabulary.com. Those who opposed the, then...show more content...
Also during the Great Fear, commoners not only looted but also burned down the houses of tax
collectors, landlords, and the seigniorial elite (French Revolution).
During the French Revolution, King Louis XVI was in charge of the monarchy and was deposed in
1792 and later executed in 1793 (The French Revolution (1789–1799)). King Louis XVI fell into
massive debt which forced him to give into the Parlement of Paris and the Estates–General, this then
leading to the Revolution. After the absolute monarchy was disbanded, the Declaration of the Rights
of Man and of the Citizen was adopted. As reported by The French Revolution by history,com, the
declaration proclaimed the Assembly's commitment to replace the old system with one that was
based on equal opportunity, freedom of speech, popular sovereignty, and representative government.
The National Assembly soon learned that it wasn't easy to govern or be in charge of a country, this
shown by the months it took to draft a constitution for France (The French Revolution). According to
this article, many questions were asked when it came to creating the constitution such as "Would the
clergy owe allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church or the French government?" or "Who would be
responsible for electing delegates?"
In 1792, the Assembly declared war on Austria and
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11. Nationalism In The French Revolution Essay
The French Revolution directly affected the nineteenth century through the creation of many
ideologies, one important one being nationalism. Nationalism is a very controversial ideology
because of the many diverse approaches towards its true definition. A broad definition of nationalism
could be perceived as a strong devotion towards the culture and identity of a nation. As well as the
idea that nations will benefit more from acting as an independent nation opposed to multiple states
working together as a collective. Its emergence completely changed the political map of Europe and
resulted in the birth of many new nations. There are many different views towards the true reason for
the emergence of Nationalism in Europe. Many historians believe the emergence can be credited to
the French Revolution and later the continuation of ideas under Napoleon Bonaparte. While others
believe the Industrial Revolution held more importance for the widespread arrival of nationalism. It
seems better to encompass both and argue that the emergence of nationalism in Europe was caused
by the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte's rule, and the Industrial Revolution. Nationalism is
a widely debated ideology that differs based on the historian's definition. For example, Benedict
Anderson attempts to define nationalism as "an imagined political community [that is] imagined as
both inherently limited and sovereign"(Anderson, pg 6). Anderson also believes the main causes of
nationalism can be
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12. Essay about Causes of the French Revolution
The French Revolution was caused by many factors; some were significant and played a large role
while others were of minor consequence. France was one of the richest and most powerful nations
even though they were facing some economic difficulties. The French Revolution was a pivotal
period in the history of French, European and Western civilization. During this period of time there
was the formation of republicanism which replaced the absolute monarchy in France. Before the
French Revolution Louis XVI was in power, but in due time his old regime of absolute monarchy
was brought down. Some people were in favor of this revolution wanting equality and some were
not. One person who was in favor of this desire for equality and change was...show more content...
When prices got so high that peasants and other third estate citizens couldn't afford food there was
an inevitable uprising. The peasantry became a class with the ambition to counteract social inequity
and put a stop to escalating food prices. This unrest caused a riot, known as the bread riot, which
became a central cause to the French Revolution.
Economics also played an important role in the French Revolution. In France there was an
abundance of debt and taxation. The French monarchy managed their fiscal affairs by using an
unequal system of taxation, borrowing money, or selling noble titles and other privileges. This led to
a long running fiscal debt. France could not solely rely on tariffs to generate income. Although other
countries had higher taxation rates, the burden on the common people was greater in France.
Peasants and other third estates were taxed harshly which in good times was burdensome and in bad
times it was devastating. Nobility and clergy were exempted from paying taxes. This left the
peasants, wage earners, and the professional and business classes with the burden of taxes. This
burden caused the unrest, which eventually led to the French Revolution.
Many things caused the French Revolution. I believe that absolutism and privilege, famine, and
economics were three of the most significant factors causing the French Revolution. These three
elements led people to be unhappy with the current government and want to overthrow it.
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14. Romanticism as a movement is as rebellious as its content. Lynch and Stillinger attempt to define it
historically rather than continuously, naming it the "shortest ... period in British literary history" (3).
They place it within the timespan of 1785 to 1832, beginning between the American War of
Independence and the French Revolution and ending with the passage of the Reform Act in British
Parliament. In this time of reflection and change, authors re–examined the previously discarded
medieval romances and breathed new, strange life into them. Romantic art became a form of
activism, against structures both political and poetic. To account forRomanticism's "complex
multiplicity" (4), Lynch and Stillinger mention five distinct characteristics of British Romantic
work: the piece is written by a British author between 1785 and 1832, it is a response to a politically
or socially impactful event, it features rebellion to convention, it is imaginative, and it utilizes
imagery. Coronations, executions, massacres, abolition, wars, rebellions, and revolutions are a lot to
handle in under half a decade. Constant change and turmoil was the reality for British Romantic
writers (28–29). With all these happenings, "political philosophy gained new authority in and
through poetry and fiction" (4) as every Romantic author wrote asserting their two cents on the latest
issue. They wrote with a purpose to spark new a new thinking or perspective on the subject, to
"guide historical change" (4)
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15. The French Revolution of 1789 Essay
There is no doubt that the French Revolution has had a profound effect on the world. The cause or
causes of it have been greatly disputed. Clearly the Revolution's primary cause was the presence of a
weak monarchy and a lack of a stable system of government. France's absolute monarchy had many
changes toward the end of the eighteenth century. King Louis XVI, in his attempts to consolidate his
authority and lessen the power of the aristocrats, had planned out an intendant system. The
intendants were like governors. They would oversee one constituency of the country. These
intendants could not govern the region in which they lived, and were chosen from other than the
aristocracy. This insured that their allegiance was pledged to the king and...show more content...
There were three divisions or classes in France called estates. The first estate, which was
composed of church officials, had immense authority and obtained enormous salaries. Church
officials obtained their salaries via taxes collected from church property. Therefore, since the
officials received their salaries from the church property, they did not have to pay taxes. The
second estate was composed mainly of nobility. They, too, were exempt from paying taxes. This
left the entire tax burden upon the third estate. The third estate consisted of some merchants and
entrepreneurs; however, the majorities were peasants. Corruption of the estates was causing much
frustration among the common people who composed 70 percent of the population. The
monarchy tried to make an attempt to give the third estate power by establishing the Estate's
General, but this too was corrupted. Unlike most legislative bodies, the Estate's General did not
vote by each person having a single vote. Rather, they let each estate have one vote each. Since
the first two estates were always in agreement, the third estate was always out voted. This is a
prime example of how the lack of a stable government had an immensely tragic effect on the people
of the country. If the monarchy had tried to make some reform or if Louis XVI had more backbone
to institute some tax reform to lessen the burden on the third estate, the Revolution may have been
avoided. The government is the backbone of any
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16. The French Revolution Essay
The French Revolution
The French Revolution last from 1789 to 1799. This war had many causes that began the revolution.
Its causes ranged from the American Revolution, the economic crisis in France, social injustices to
the immediate causes like the fall of Bastille, the Convening of he Estate–General, and the Great
Fear. As a result of this revolution there many effects , immediate and long term. The immediate
effects were the declaration of rights of man, abolishing of olds reign, execution of king and queen,
the reign of terror, and war and forming of the citizen–army. The long term effects were the rise of
Napoleon, spread of revolutionary ideas, growth of nationalism, and the conservative reaction.
The contributing factors to...show more content...
In this way the privileged classes had combined to outvote the third estate, which included more than
90 percent of the population. Another cause was the fall of Bastille. The falling of the Bastille
marked a turning point–attempts at reform had become a full–scale revolution. One of the causes
was the economic problems of many common people had become worse, because poor weather
conditions had ruined the harvest. As a result, the price of bread, the most important food of the
poorer classes had increased. Violence grew in both the cities and the countryside during the
spring and summer. While hungry artisans revolted in urban areas, starved peasants searched the
provinces for food and work. These vagrants were rumored to be armed agents of landlords hired
to destroy crops and harass the common people. Many rural peasants began to panic, known as the
Great Fear. They attacked the homes of their landlords to protect local grain supplies and reducing
rents on their land. Also Lewis XVI gave in so reluctantly, for example, taking months to approve the
Declaration of Rights, which made hostility of the crown only increased.
The immediate effects of the French Revolution Was the Declaration of the Rights of Man. This was
one of the most constructive achievements of the French Revolution. The Rights of Man said that
there would be equality of all persons before the law; equitable taxation; protection against loss of
property through arbitrary
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17. Was the French Revolution Successful? Essay
Many historians credit the French Revolution as being the beginning of modern politics. The
revolution single–handedly crushed the monarchical way of politics, the aristocratic domination up
to that point in France, and the dominance of the church in French politics. The revolution abolished
the feudal system and was one of the biggest steps towards modernity throughout history. The
French Revolution was a successful endeavour on the part of the French people because it reformed
social tradition and the hierarchy of French aristocracy by making all men equal, the Enlightenment
ideals which the revolution was based on came through to a great extent.
Before the French Revolution, France was a feudal kingdom. Louis XVI ruled the land, and...show
more content...
In this way, the French Revolution was extremely successful.
The French Revolution was based on an assortment of Enlightenment ideals. French philosophers,
including Voltaire and Rousseau led the revolution leading up to the revolution, so to speak, coming
up with progressive ideals as to government, social structure, and the nature of people. Indeed, the
ideals which the revolution was fought in the name of progressed throughout France and,
eventually, Europe. Though the revolution took wrong turns along the way, the ideals which it was
based on never wavered. Even during the heart of his Reign of Terror, Robespierre spoke of a state
where each citizen wants to do good by his country. This shows Robespierre with an unwavering
commitment to the state, an ideal which came out of the Enlightenment. Though he may have
carried out his beliefs in a gruesome and perhaps wrong way, his ideals were the same as the
Enlightenment philosophers: make the state better for all to live in.
After Robespierre and the Directory, Napoleon came to power. Though he is criticized for being a
militaristic dictator, Napoleon was able to spread Enlightenment ideals, in the form of the
Napoleonic Code, throughout Europe. This shows the progression of ideas throughout Europe, and
also that France succeeded in using the ideals that the revolution was based on. In this way, the
French Revolution was extremely successful.
The French Revolution tossed down the monarchy which
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18. France Essay
France is a beautiful and captivating country full of art, culture, and an important historical
background. It is in the heart of Europe and is sometimes called "The Hexagon",
Because of it's shape. It is the largest country in Western Europe and covers about 211,200 square
miles. Four different waters surround the French coastline, this includes; the North Sea, the English
Channel, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The capital of France is Paris, on the banks of the Seine River. Sometimes called the "The
City of Lights", Paris has been admired and loved by millions for centuries. It is an industrial
center as well. Paris is world renowned as a cultural and intellectual...show more content...
The Prime Minister, President and other ministers have to put the laws into effect. The President
himself can decide laws, hold referenda, and negotiate with other nations.
The Parliament is made up of two chambers, The National Assembly, and the Senate, which
together have legislative power. The National Assembly is elected every five years by national
election, and can be dissolved by the President. The Senate is elected for nine years but all members
do not stand for election at the same time. Senators are elected by deputies and local councilors.
Until the 18th Century, the main crop in France was wheat. This was because people mainly ate
bread, and very little meat, if any, was eaten.
Grass for cattle to eat was in short supply and as a result, cattle were rare. The few animals that
peasants did own were used to pull farm equipment and to fertilize the soil. The animals were not
killed for meat. Sheep were popular because they didn't eat much and because they produced wool.
At the beginning of the 20th Century, France was still very much an agricultural nation with 40% of
it's population working the land. Today, only 3% are farmers. However, farmland still covers more
than 57% of the country .
The French people are convinced that their wine is the best in the world. The
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19. Revolution? The major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes between the different types
of social classes in French society. The French Revolution of 1789–1799 was one of the most
important events in the history of the world. The Revolution led to many changes in France, which
at the time of the Revolution, was the most powerful state in Europe. The Revolution led to the
development of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism. It questioned the authority
of kings, priests, and nobles. The Revolution also gave new meanings and new ideas to the political
ideas of the people.<br><br>The French Revolution was spread over the ten year period between
1789 and 1799. The primary cause of the revolution was the disputes over...show more content...
However, there was another important factor during these times. France suffered from harsh
economic problems. Poor farm harvests by farmers hurt the economy, and trade rules from the
Middle Ages still survived, making trade difficult. However, the most serious problem was the
problem facing the government during this time. The French government borrowed much money
to pay for the wars of Louis XIV. Louis still borrowed money to fight wars and to keep French
power alive in Europe. These costs greatly increased the national debt, which was, at the time,
already too high.<br><br>When King Louis XVI came into power, he realized that these
problems existed. At first he did not know what to do, until he found a man by the name of
Robert Turgot. He eased the financial crisis of France, but he had difficulties when he tried to
introduce a major reform, that of taxing the nobles. He had such difficulties because the king
could not tax the nobles unless the Parliament approved of the new tax laws. The people in the
courts that voted on these laws were the nobles, called nobles of the robe, and therefore rejected
Turgot's reform. After Turgot was rejected, the king fired him from his office. This led Louis XVI
to summon the Estates General in 1789. The Estates General was the place where representatives
from each social class could be represented. Here, many issues would be discussed, and at this time
in
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20. The French Revolution affected the social conditions of France because –1 it removed most nobles
from their high positions in society– –2 people were angry by the upper class so they stopped
interacting with them– –3 the french upper class separated themselves even more so from the
common people and left France–.
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