The Causes of the French

Revolution

French Feudalism• France had used a system of feudalism since the

1100s or earlier• This meant a defined “class” system or “estates”

where small groups of people enjoyed enormous wealth and privilege while the remainder worked hard and could be taxed by the more privileged

• As the bourgeoisie became wealthier and better educated, they were less and less happy with this situation

Earlier Economic Stresses • The nation had been fighting wars for years –

very expensive• No satisfactory way of raising the necessary

taxes (so many exempt)• Things had to be paid for someone• Grain exports meant that flour for bread was

more expensive > harder to provide for family• Cheaper imports from Britain affected

manufacturing > job losses

How the “government” worked• King was “absolute monarch”. • Didn’t have fully free reign but had to take

advice of courtiers, many of whom were self-interested.

• Much of the administration tied up in courts and local areas, often keen to preserve position and income

• Positions were often sold - corruption

The King ruled as an Absolute Monarch

Louis XIV“The Sun King” Louis XV

Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette

The King (and the Nobles) Spent Extravagantly

The Palace of Versailles

Le Petit Trianon

Whereas, the Bourgeoisie and peasants ...

Lived very simply

Economic problems• In 1788 the Government was broke• Bad weather in 1788 meant bad wheat

harvests• Food became scarcer• Prices went up• The poor were facing starvation• There was considerably growing unrest

The Age of Enlightenment• This was the influence of a number of philosophers

since the 1600s• Logic was used to challenge all ideas and to both

support the Christian faith and destroy it• People included Descartes (“I think, therefore I am”),

Rousseau (“Father of the French Revolution”) and Voltaire

• The outworking of these challenges was to challenge the established order in France and even the king himself.

The “Estates General” May 1789

were called for the first time since 1614.• Louis brought this nearest-thing-to-a-

parliament together to try and raise money

The problem with the Estates General

95% of the people represented (the 3rd Estate) could easily be outvoted by the 5% (represented by the other two estates) !!!

Another problemWhen the Estates General met they couldn’t decide how to count their numbers and so they couldn’t start to vote about anything

During this period the 3rd Estate (now starting to call themselves “the Commons” like the English parliament) were realising more and more how influential they were

The Revolution Begins ....• When the first and second estates couldn’t

agree about voting and numbers, the 3rd Estate resolved to carry on without them.

• While there is not violence here, it is arguably here that the revolution really begins.

• By June members of the 1st Estate (parish priests) had joined the 3rd.

From Estates to National Assembly

• 17th June Abbe Sieyres proposed a motion for the 3rd Estate to call itself the National Assembly

• On 17th June the National Assembly voted to declare all taxes illegal

• A HUGE step, because the Assembly had gone from challenging the old order to actually assuming responsibility for taxation – the money to run the country!

• On 19th June the whole 1st Estate joined the 3rd !

The Monarchy Strikes Back• Lacking the good advice of a “Yoda” the 2nd

estate decided to lock the rest out and did so on 20th June 1789

• They moved to a nearby tennis court and swore not to disperse until their work was done.

• This was known as the ...

Tennis Court Oath

The King Backs Down ???• When Louis saw that even members of the

nobility were joining the National Assembly and that the members of the Assembly weren’t planning to leave, he ordered everyone to join the National Assembly.

• While this looked a good thing, the order led to much disappointment.

The Clouds Gather• Rising grain prices and delays got the people angry• 30 June a mob of 4000 releases mutinous

prisoners from their prison• The king brought in more and more troops• When a crowd was ejected from the Tuilieries

Gardens the people began to arm themselves• Soldiers began to defect • The people became more powerful

The Bastille is Stormed• 14 July 1789 The people of Paris storm the

military hospital of Les Invalides• The get a cannon from there and stormed the

great fortress of the Bastille• The released the 7 prisoners but captured

many of the guards, many of whom they then killed. The Marquis de Lunay, in charge of the prison was lynched

So, what do you think were the causes of the French Revolution????