Causes of the French Revolution

Annotations:

• George Taylor (Revisionist) - "A revolutionary situation emerged first and revolutionary thinking came out of that situation.”  (economic, political and social crises = revolutionary situation, Enlightment = revolutionary thinking) Enlightment just came to fill an ideological vacuum once it was certain that the present ideology didn’t work.  It was merely a “product of a political and social crisis of revolutionary proportions.” (George Taylor)

1. Economic

   Annotations:

   • Le Lefebvre (Marxist) - "The King's political authority was undermined by debt"
   1. Foreign Wars

      Annotations:

      • Seven Years War (UK) Austrian War of Succession American War of Independence Cost of Wars: 4 Billion Livres) Spending 50% of nations revenue in paying war debt ((interest rate) to other nations - no money to invest in French society (infrastructure, subsidies)
   2. Bad Harvest 1789

      Annotations:

      • Bread shortage leads to high bread prices, with no increase in wages (Famine) - People spending most of their money on bread (essential) and no money in manufactured goods - Great cut in industrial production due to lack of demand (50% textile)  - Industrial workers loosing their jobs (unemployment rises)  George Taylor states that the bread crises also hit the nobles hard as they were the ones investing huge amounts of money in the industry (especially coal and textile)
2. Social/Political unrest
   1. Taxes

      Annotations:

      • Unfair distribution of tax burden - 3rd state paid majority of taxes and had lowest income and political influence. Tax on roads (paid by peasants who didnt use them) Tithes - 10% of income to the church (only 3rd state) Nobles were exempted of most taxes
   2. Famine

      Annotations:

      • 1789 bad harvest - raise of bread prices - people were starving and dying
   3. Land

      Annotations:

      • High prices of land, due to increase in rural population, and low wages lead to peasants have no were to live 3rd state was 85% of population and had 25% of the land
   4. Cahiers

      Annotations:

      • List of complaints drawn up in the 10 months before the Estates General They illustrated a great discontentment of the 3rd state and the surprising criticism of the Nobles towards the Ancien regime Some major points: Abolishment of lettres de cachet
   5. Lack of representation for 3rd state

      Annotations:

      • Ministerial despotism - in Estates General each state had one vote - 2nd and 1st estate joined and outvoted 3rd Louis XVI increased the representation of the third estate to better represent the larger population - doubled number of deputies - however still held only one vote
3. Louis XVI personality

   Annotations:

   • Described as: awkward, indecisive, lacking in self-confidence,  Unsuitbale for kingship Lazy - barely leaved Paris-Versailles area - little knowledge of what was going on Did not understand finance (did nothing to changed outdated tax system) and was impacient with his finance ministers (changes them frequently, therefore no long term projects) Extravagant personality (including Marie-Antoinnet) 
4. Intelectual
   1. American Revolution

      Annotations:

      • An example of liberty achieved by an army of citizens inspired by the doctrine of no taxation with no representation (the case in French society, peasants paid most of the taxes and had no say in politics)
   2. Enlightenment

      Annotations:

      • Movement that emphasized the importance of human reason in guiding government and society. The writers and thinkers were known as the philosophes.