French Revolution Essay

The French Revolution was basically a war of the social classes. The middle class believed that in
order to gain equality they had to get rid of the privileges that were stopping the progress of their
rise in society. To do this they had to gain power within the government and make changes, such as,
improving the tax system, creating a fair system of production where profits went to the producer,
improving the whole economic system of the government, and plus many more. The revolution was
a fight for equality; it was not a rebellion against poverty. Many of the French people had learned to
with poverty for they had been living in poverty for centuries.
Before the Revolution, only fair reforms, or changes, were wanted by the people....show more
content...
The Third Estate consisted of the common people. It included the middle class, peasants and city
workers. The middle class was made up of the merchants and manufacturers, lawyers, doctors and
others. Peasants were the largest group within the Third Estate. They were forced to pay large taxes,
tithes to the church, and rents to their landlords for the land that they lived on. The city workers
were servants, apprentices, and household maids.
The major cause of the French Revolution was the differences that these three groups had. France
suffered from severe economic problems. The French government borrowed significant amounts of
money to pay for the wars of Louis XIV. These costs greatly increased the national debt.
When King Louis XVI came into power, he did not know what to do about the debt, until he found
a man by the name of Robert Turgot. He tried to introduce a major reform that would tax the
nobles. He had difficulties doing so because the king could not tax the nobles unless the Parliament
approved of the new tax laws. The people in the Parliament that voted on these laws were the nobles
and so of course rejected Turgot's reform. After Turgot was rejected, the king fired him. In August
1788, Louis XVI had decided to summon the Estates–General, convocation of the three estates,
which had not met since 1614, in order to solve government's financial problems (Course Pack 178).
Louis
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The French Revolution Essay
The French Revolution was a time of turmoil in which an uprising for equality turned into a
massacre. The poor became poorer, King Louis XVI lost power, and hundreds of thousands of
people would end up losing their lives. Over the course of the revolution, there were two phases of
the government that occurred that each had different causes. The economic and ideological cause of
the liberal phase of the government was due to the disputes over inequality among the estates and
dismantling of the old regime, while the cause of the radical phase of the government was based off
of the belief that the revolution did not meet the original revolutionary beliefs. In the beginning of the
French Revolution the economy revolved around the three estates; the first estate, the second estate,
and the third estate. The first estate consisted of privileged church members and the clergy, making
up one percent of the total population. Church members and clergy members were wealthy people
that consistently caused corruption between the other estates. The churches owned ten percent of all
wealth and were not required to pay taxes. Enlightenment thinkers, whom emphasized reason and
individualism over tradition, believed the church taught nothing but nonsense. The second estate
consists of nobles who were slightly less privileged than the church and clergy members. Consisting
of two to five percent of the population, these members owned a third of all land. Noblemen faced
different

French Revolution Essay
The world has seen many revolutions in history. One of the biggest revolutions was the French
Revolution because it came with many consequences and influences. Nothing else like this had ever
happened this powerful to change the political status quo. Many people surprisingly don't know how
the French Revolution started but through this paper we will be learning more about it. Starting in
1789 through 1794 the people of France dethroned and arrested their king Louis XVI, took apart his
monarchy, and executed him, his wife, and thousands of nobles. The French people then set up a
new system of government on concepts of popular rule, personal liberty, and equal justice for all to
replace their old leaders. This was a new start for...show more content...
In 1788 Louis called a meeting with the Estates General and this would be a big part in setting the
stage for the beginning of the French Revolution. The meeting would consist of representatives of
each Estate. Even though the Third Estate made up 97% of the French population Louis would rely
on the First and Second Estate to overrule the third. But things would soon turn for the worst for
Louis, because the commoners (the third Estate) with a few of the members of the other estates
disobeyed the king and named themselves the National Assembly. Their goal was to get all the all
French citizens basic civil rights. They were willing to be very peaceful at the beginning, but Louis
would not even come to an agreement with any of the Third Estate's demands.
Louis called a meeting between himself and the delegates of the three estates on June 23, 1789
three days after the Tennis Court Oath. There Louis told the delegates he would negotiate a
number of reforms. The reforms Louis named had nothing to do with the demands of the Third
Estate. The revolutionaries would not give up that easily and wanted Louis to know it. This
made the king upset and now he would begin to use the army to force his will on the people. In
late June Louis ordered four regiments of soldiers to advance on Paris and Versailles and soon after
that ordered up several more. A large group of people went to Bastille to get

The French Revolution lasted from 1789 to 1799. Although
there were several factors that made the French Revolution
possible, such as population growth, the expansion of the
middle classes, and the rise of an informed public, there
were three immediate causes of the Revolution. One was the
diminished authority of the royal government. Another was
the revolt by the nobility, who sensed a weakening
monarchy. The third cause was the crop failure.
The government of France was in a financial crisis. The
country was deeply in debt from the financing of the wars of
Louis XIV. To deal with the nation's economic problems,
Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates General in
1789.
The Estates General was made up of...show more content...
As he stationed his army in
and around Paris, crowds of Parisians stormed the Bastille
on July 14, 1789. There they hoped to find weapons and
other ammunition to use in resisting and fighting the troops of
the king. The Bastille was captured and torn down.
This event and numerous other tumultuous events made
Louis realize the urgent need for reforms. The National

Assembly met in August of 1789 and considered feasable
changes. By the end of the month, the Constituent Assembly
(the name the National Assembly renamed itself) adopted
the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen" as a
preamble for the new constitution.
In 1791, a new constitution was written by the Constituent
Assembly. It left the monarchy with little control of France,
and put into effect a separation of powers. The monarchy
was powerless against the Constituent Assembly, which had
power over the government.
Louis and his family's attempt to flee the country made it
clear that the king was not loyal to his country. When the
National Convention, the new Assembly, met on September
21, 1792, it proclaimed France a republic, and Louis was
put on trial for treason and for being a member of the
monarchy. He was found guilty of treason and other crimes,
and died under the guillotine on January 21, 1793.
The death of the king opened the revolution to more
tumultuous change led by the radical groups.

In 1789 during the French Revolution France was in a time of chaos and economic turmoil with a
struggle for class and power amongst the inhabitants. Prior to the revolution, the upper classes
writhed to gain wealth and financial power, however in doing so they oppressed the peasants. The
French Revolution is considered to be the most momentous movements as it distorted the principles
of French society. The majority of the revolts in France from 1660–1789 were connected to the
rebellions against domineering taxation. The majority of France wanted an end to the Old Regime
and the supremacy of the King, nobility and clergy. The ideas of the Revolution were widespread
and had reached areas as far as the Caribbean, and it still continues to set a precedent for countries
today. The questions that historians face is what the crucial causes of theFrench Revolution were,
however it is widely disputed. Although many historians have argued that the coronation of Louis
XVI had been the foremost cause , closer examination shows that the French Revolution is a result of
the combination of the American Revolution which led to the spread of the ideas that the colonies
fought for, high bread prices as the peasants were not able to afford a bare necessity due to the social
structure of France and the Enlightenment that boasted ideas of liberty and freedom. La
RГ©volution AmГ©ricaine: The American Revolution
France had competed for power against Great Britain, however this ended up weakening

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

The French Revolution was a time for expansion in human freedom. It was a way for the French to
re–invent their government to give some sort of equality for their people. There were many
successes the French Revolution made, such as creating public schools for children and making it
mandatory for them to attend. The French Revolution had the intentions to create a better
government and lifestyle for their people, such as Jacobins who believed in the poor having their
turn to rule. Though, others opposed the ideas of the revolution. Those people did not go unpunished
by their beliefs. This was known as the Reign of Terror, which was not completely necessary for their
society.
The French Revolution was held in order to stop...show more content...
"Part I: All children will attend school, boys between the ages of 5 and 12, girls between the ages
of 5 and 11. (Draft of Law on Public Education, by Citizen Robespierre)" This showed how the
government was serious in making sure all people in France had some education. This was a
great success because every person could at least read and write. Lastly, women were finally
given the freedom of equality. Woman had always been oppressed by men because of physical
capability, they were not as physically strong as men. But, they were finally able to pass a law of
equality in a written declaration. "Article 1: Woman is born free and lives equal to man in her
rights. Social distinctions can be based only on the common utility. (Declaration of the Rights of
Women, by Olympe de Gouge)" This clearly shows that the French Revolution aided women in the
right of equality with men. These successes clearly show how the French Revolution helped to
expand human freedom.
The people who supported the Revolution were known as Jacobins. They were people who
believed that the poor should have the turn to rule, they represented the lower class people. This
group was made up of anyone who believed in their ideas, even women. Two men who were part of
the Jacobins were Georges Danton and Jean–Paul Marat. They highly believed in the poor being in
control. Danton once stated "The Rich used to rule Paris. Now we cry: "Make way for the

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

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

The French Revolution Why was there a French Revolution? This is a question of continual
interests not only to professors and philosophers, but to everybody who takes an interests in the
history of the world. Genuinely, therefore, it is also a subject of much contention. The statement
citing the fundamental cause of the French Revolution as the collision between a powerful rising
Bourgeoisie and an ingrained aristocracy, defending its privileges it had for centuries, has great
relevance in reiterating the great conflict of 1789. However, it was the financial debt of the
government, and the financial crisis it caused, which was at root of the actual course to revolution.
Many factors played a role in the economic...show more content...
They had the right to ascendancy on public occasions, the right to exercise seigniorial rights over
most of the lands they did not own, the right to wear a sword in public, and, most importantly, the
exemption from taxes. The third estate could have been broken down into two categories. One was
a new middle class that emerged during the Louis XVI era, called the Bourgeoisie. The rest of the
estate were poor peasants and artisans that –3– made up about ninety–six percent of France's entire
population. The Bourgeoisise were highly educated bankers and investors, or other business elites.
They made their money in refining and processing plants, finance and insurance, and other
advanced industries. A good share of the nation's debt was due to the uneven taxation of the estates.
The nobles were exempt from the main direct tax, or taille, as were the clergy. That meant most of
the burden lay on the third estate, who also possessed the least amount of wealth. The Bourgeois
were wealthy and were able to afford such taxation, but nonetheless, their aim was civil equality and
to destroy the tax privileges of the nobility and clergy. The peasants, too, were laden with extensive
amounts of taxation that was nearly impossible for them to pay. Burrowing France deeper into debt
and economic crisis was the persistent drought followed by massive storms, ravaging the

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

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

American Revolution Vs French Revolution Essay
Revolution – A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turn around") is a fundamental change in
political power or organizational structures. It takes place in a relatively short period of time when
the population rises up in revolt against the current authorities. The American and French revolution
have many similarities and differences. Both the American Revolution and French Revolution were
the products of Enlightenment ideals that emphasized the idea of natural rights and equality. The
leadership in both countries at the time of their revolutions was certainly repressive, especially in
terms of taxation. Both areas suffered social and economic hardships that led to the realization that
something must be done to topple the hierarchy and...show more content...
Five different governments were included in the French Revolution between 1789 and 1799 in
France. King Louis XVI needed more money for his fancy parties and expensive wars, so he called
in the Estates–General, which consisted of representatives from the First, Second, and Third
Estates, in 1789. Spielvogal says in World History: Modern Times, that "To fix France's financial
problems, most members of the Third Estate wanted to set up a constitutional government that would
abolish the tax exemptions of clergy and nobility." At the end of the French Revolution Napoleon
was brought into power, first as consul and later as emperor, by a coup d'etat. The American
Revolution was an external war, the Americans were fighting against the british for independence.
Whereas the French Revolution was an external war, the French were fighting each other. Dr.
Jackson Spielvogal wrote in World History: Modern Times, "Compared with the American
Revolution, the French Revolution was more complex, more violent, and far more radical."
(Spielvogal, p 329) The American Revolution had characteristics of being moderate, conservative,
limited and federal. The French Revolution was more complex, bloody, violent and

The French revolution "broke" Europe. The whole world changed once the effects of the revolution
spread through Europe. The series of events that followed the revolution because of the revolution
shapes the world today. The general population (the 3rd estate) had enough of absolutism. King
Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were unpopular. This resulted from multiple things
including England humiliating France in the Seven Years War, rising food prices (Hart
–Davis 302).
They had also been the laughing stock of France due to the fact that they couldn't have a child for
years and Louis XIV was short and fat, not necessarily fitting the mold of a king. They didn't like
Marie Antoinette because of her various, expensive indulgences while...show more content...
It says that in a society where there is no observance of law or definition of power has no
constitution, which is basically and anarchy. Lastly, it states that property is a sacred right in
which no one can be deprived of unless demanded by public necessity or by law (Yale Law
School). The Declaration has direct impact on France's current constitution (The Constitution of
the Fifth Republic). This is a lot to take in in our current society, let alone 200+ years ago when
your government is falling apart. Many of these concepts had not been incorporated into law in
modern history, or ever. It did not give women these rights, but it is a great success of the
revolution because it raised the level of human rights in France and across the globe. If you look at
the principles in the document you can draw a correlation to current documents such as the
Declaration of Human Rights from the UN. It uses presumption of innocence just like the
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen did and the Bill of Rights (both of which were
published in 1789). Although there this had been implemented in a few previous places this was the
France was the first to use presumption of innocence in modern times Pennington). The French
succeeded in destroying the absolute monarchy and the ancien regime, which fully changed world
politics. It's the equivalent of a third party overthrowing the two party system. The Declaration of the
Rights of Man and Citizen was published about two months after

French Revolution Research Paper
The French Revolution was an influential period of social and political upheaval in France that
lasted from 1789 until 1799. Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important
events in human history. The Revolution precipitated a series of European wars, forcing the United
States to articulate a clear policy of neutrality in order to avoid being embroiled in these European
conflicts. Americans hoped that the existing France–American alliance would be solidified by
democratic reforms that would transform France into a republican ally against Britain. However,
with revolutionary change also came political instability, violence, and calls for radical social change
in France frightening many Americans. January 21, 1793 French...show more content...
Paris revolutionaries rose on August 10, 1792 believing that had been betrayed by the king and the
aristocrats, during this time King Louis XVI barricaded his family in the royal temple. In the
second phase of the war, the revolutionaries got the better of the enemy. Meanwhile, the National
Convention was divided between the Girondins, who wanted to organize a bourgeois republic in
France, and the Montagnards who with Robespierre, wanted to give the lower classes a greater
share in political and economic power. January 21, 1793 King Louis XVI was executed for treason
the Queen Marie–Antoinette was guillotined nine months later. Third phase was in spring of 1793,
the Reign of Terror. Which lead to the arrest of 300,000, 17,000 were sentenced to death while
many others died in prison or from illnesses, none were given a proper trial. The Fourth phase was
in the beginning of spring 1794, the victory over Australia at Fleurus. Robespierre, "the
Incorruptible," was overthrown in the National Convention on July 27, 1794, and executed the
following day. After his death social laws were no longer applied and efforts towards economic
equality was abandoned. The National convention began to debate the thought of a new constitution,
meanwhile a royalist "White Terror" broke out. A few days later the National Convention

The French Revolution was a time of great social, political and economic tumult in the closing
years of the Eighteenth Century. The motivators pushing French citizenry toward revolution are
varied in scope and origin. They range from immediate economic woes to an antiquarian class
structure. Modern historians still debate the value of the changes that the revolution brought to
modern society. The middle class made gains that would never be rescinded, but do revolutions
always end in tyranny? In the years before the revolution citizens were rigidly constrained by the
estates of the realm. These social strata had been in place since the medieval ages. The people were
divided into three groups; clergy, nobility and everyone else. The clergy...show more content...
The high costs of maintaining the army and navy exacerbated the situation, along with the lavish
lifestyle of King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie–Antoinette. Louis appointed Charles de Calonne as
comptroller–general to solve France's financial crisis. Calonne knew that the only way to get
France out of debt was to fairly distribute the tax burden among the three estates. Of course, this
did sit well with the nobility and Calonne was dismissed after giving his presentation at the
Assembly of Notables. In a desperate act, Louis called the Estates General. The Estates General
was an ancient practice that had not been called since 1614. Events there would prove to be the
beginning of the revolution proper. France suffered under years of inept and self–serving monarchs.
Louis XVI was preceded by his grandfather, Louis XV. It was his loss of public opinion and war
spending that put his grandson in such a precarious position in the years after his reign. The rule
of Louis XVI would prove to be a doomed one. He was ousted after a comparatively short 17
years. The outdated political system gave way to a constitutional monarchy, and when that failed,
the French Republic. This Republic however would not prove to last. Feudalism was the whole of
existence for rural commoners in the time before the revolution. Farmers had no right to the land
they worked and lived on. Serfs were beholden to their manor lord

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

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

Was The French Revolution Justified
During the French Revolution heads rolling off bodies were a sign of liberty; rather than death .
Was the chopping of heads on the ravished colored guillotine justified ? Were the peoples struggles
and oppression by the french government not enough . There are many reasons at to why the
french revolted. The french revolted after the king ignored their cries for wheat to be planted after
the famine to feed their staving families , Poor farmers revolted after their all their hard works pay
were then given to the Government to fund Queen Marie Antoinette lavish parties and her
superfluous of fashion statements , but they all revolted after their opinions weren't given the time
of day . The third estate got fed up and began to call themselves...show more content...
In the result of the growing opinion extremist began an oligarchy Committee of Public Safety
who stood for things , as libertГ© , equalite , fraternite. Slowly the very man who started an revolt
was revolted against by the people he fought for . The conservatives still overthrew Robespierre
and the committee of public safety and Robespierre was unfortunately beheaded . "The principle of
all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority
which does not proceed directly from the nation." In the D.O.R.O.M they say the choice relies wit
the nation and the nation no longer wanted Robespierre as their leader , and the committee took it in
strive. Still many french believe without a radical self–righteous leader like Robespierre the french
wouldn't have an infamous great Emperor like Napoleon Bonaparte . I think the reign of terror
was justified because some people had to be made an example out of and it had to be the king and
queen who caused and did nothing to stop the oppression of their people. I think the reign of terror
brought those who starved to death while the queen said " let them eat cake" justice . It showed how
detrimental rulers who were out of touch with there people could be

The French Revolution Essay example
The French Revolution evokes many different emotions and controversial issues in that some believe
it was worth the cost and some don't. There is no doubt that the French Revolution did have major
significance in history. Not only did the French gain their independence, but an industrial revolution
also took place. One of the main issues of the Revolution was it's human costs. Two writers, the first,
Peter Kropotkin who was a Russian prince, and the other Simon Schama, a history professor, both
had very opposing views on whether the wars fought by France during the Revolution were worth it's
human costs. Krapotkin believed that the French Revolution was the main turning point for not only
France but for most...show more content...
He also began one of the bloodiest periods in French history, the Reign of Terror. During the Reign
of Terror, more than 30,000 people were executed, mainly for opposing Robespierre's views. Late
in 1794, Robespierre was put to death and a new leader was looked for; this of course turned out
to be Napoleon. With many conquered lands under his belt by 1798, Napoleon had a huge
following and planned a coup d'etat. On November 18, 1799, Napoleon became the First Consul
of France, or in his mind the dictator. Napoleon then crowned himself Emperor in 1804 and
conquered many countries including Austria, Prussia, and Russia in 1805,06, and 07 respectively.
Such a strong ruler is bound to fall eventually, this happened in 1815 with his death. Even with the
many improvements to the country of France in the late 1700's and early 1800's, some still believe
that the French Revolution was not worth it's human costs. Detailed below are two opposing
viewpoints on the topic. Peter Krapotkin, a revolutionary Russian prince, argues that the French
Revolution paved the way for expansion and democratic growth. Krapotkin's first argument is that
the French monarchy before the Revolution deprived the lower class citizens of food and
necessities. There was a shortage of food at the time, and the prices were too high for the lower
class to afford. The monarchy also taxed the lower class, which made it even harder for them to
afford the food that they needed. During the

French Revolution Essay

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