FRENCH REVOLUTION1789-1799

SOCIAL CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

THE OLD REGIME

The king of france was an absolute monarch .

The society was organized in a rigid social structure called the old regime .

The people of France were divided by law into three estates : Clergy [1rst estate], Nobility [2nd estate], Peasants [3rd estate].

RELATION BETWEEN THE THREE ESTATES

The first and the second estates had quite similar political beliefs and aspirations , hence they grouped together keeping the third estate a side.

The third estate was always exploited and suppressed.

Bourbon ruleThe bourbon family pushed the people towards the French

revolution. Louis 14 He was an very ambitions man. He waged many wars which was very

expensive. Which led to the increase in the tax of the 3rd estate Construction of Palace of Versailles, lavish and frivolous expenditure

and extravagance of the royalty, clergy and nobility put an enormous

burden on an already shaken economy due to wars waged by Louis. This sowed the seeds of anger

Louis 15 Louis 15 was dominated by his mistress Jeanne pompadour played an important role in aligning France and Austria.Their treaty contributed to the 7 year war which shattered the economy.

Louis 16Louis 16 ascended the throne amidst a financial crisis.He married Marie Antoinette, he was taken by her.He entered the American revolution which was disaster.Cost of running government and its offices, maintaining an army , conducting the court proceedings, maintenance and upkeep of the Palace of Versailles, the state was forced to increase taxes

THE JACOBINS TAKE CONTROL

The jacobins were the radical political organizaton behind the 1792 govermental changes .

After a close vote louis XVI is found guilty of treason

Role of philosophers France in the 18th century had many revolutionary thinkers. Among them were Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu and Diderot. Their revolutionary ideas encouraged people to fight for their rights.

Voltaire attacked the Catholic Church. He believed man's destiny was in his own hands and not in heaven.

john Locke propounded the ideas refuting divinity and absolute rights of monarchs.

Montesquieu's philosophy outlined constitutional monarchy and division of powers. He believed all powers should not be concentrated in one person's hand.

Thus the ideas of the philosophers were a direct attack on privileges and feudal rights which protected the upper classes.They played a vital role in focusing the discontent and bringing about the Revolution.

Estates General

Opened in Versailles on May 5th, 1789.

the First and Second estates would combine to outvote the Third Estate in almost all cases.