The causes of the French Revolution were political, social, and economic factors as well as new ideas emerging from the Enlightenment. Politically, King Louis XVI had absolute power as monarch but was unaware of his subjects' needs. Socially, poverty increased greatly. Economically, the government faced bankruptcy and a debt crisis exacerbated by the lavish lifestyle of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. New Enlightenment ideas about liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty spread, inspired by the American Revolution.

1. What were the causes of the
French Revolution?

3. 1.)Political factors
a.) absolutism
• Louis XVI was an absolute monarch
• Louis inherited the French throne in 1774
• He was unaware of the needs of his subjects
(people)
• He was family man, but he was more interested in
making clocks and locks (inventions) than affairs of
state
• His great passion was hunting

4. b.) Complaining about laws and
government
• Different people were complaining about how
France was run – especially the power the king had
– power with no limits: absolute authority
– divine source of power
– no Parliament: Estates General called by king
• King could not interfere with rights and privileges
of 1st and 2nd Estates

5. c.) Cahiers de Doléances
• Books recording lists of grievances and
suggestions for reform – Every village, town
guild, corporation body in France made one
• Key issues 1789:
- More equal taxes
- Measures to facilitate
Trade and commerce

6. d.) Voting by Estate
• Each Estate met separately
• One vote per Estate
– Thus 3rd could always be
outvoted
– Disliked by bourgeoisie and
some liberal nobles
– Argued for voting by head
– double vote for 3rd Estate
• 3rd Estate outraged: Clergy and
Nobles usually had similar
interests and voted together

8. 2.) Social Factors:
a.) Increased Poverty

10. 3.) Economic factors:
a.)problems in the economy:
• Government unable to pay national debt –
state’s bankrupt
• 1780’s are a time of bad harvests, rising
unemployment, rising prices, and poverty
• Ordinary people were disturbed to hear
rumors that the King intended to increase taxes
restlessness of the masses

11. Economic factors:
b.) debts and expenses:
• Louis and Marie Antoinette entertained
lavishly at the Court of Versailles
• Sometimes Nobles and their families and
entourage would spend as long as half a year
being entertained there at the taxpayers’
expense.

12. Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

13. Example of the lavish lifestyle

14. 4.) New ideas:
a.) The Enlightenment
• Scientific revolution
• Educated people
• Criticisms about the government and the royal power
• Belief that is possible to create a better society
• Need of freedoms for people (speak, write, act)
• Educated, well-off members of the Third Estate learnt
about the new ideas
• Many noblemen believed the king had too much power

15. New ideas:
b.) American War of Independence
• American declaration of independence inspired
the French soldiers
– everyone was born equal
– every man had rights that could not be taken
away
– the government should act in the interests of the
people
• Some people started to say that a country should
be run by the government chosen by the people