Essay on french revolution causes and effects
Answers
CAUSES FOR THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
1. Political causes (or) Louis XVI and his problems
a. Louis XVI came to power in 1774 at the age of 20.
b. Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France. So the French
treasury was empty.
c. Louis XVI helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their independence from
the common enemy, Britain.
d. France had taken 3 billion Livres loan from moneylenders who began to charge
10% interest.
e. To meet its regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army, the court,
running government offices or universities, the ruler was forced to increase taxes.
2. Social causes(or) Division in the French Society
a. French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates- Clergy,
Nobility and Common People.(I, II and III Estates)
b. Clergy and Nobility were 10% of the population but possessed 60% of lands. III
Estate was 90% of the population but possessed 40% of the lands.
c. Clergy and Nobility enjoyed many privileges based on birth. The church collected
taxes from people.
d. They were exempted from paying taxes. Nobles collected feudal dues from III
Estate people.
e. Peasants were obliged to render services to the Clergy and Nobility to work in
their houses, fields, serve in the army or to participate in building roads.
3. Economic causes (or) The Struggle to Survive
a. The population of France rose from 23 million to 28 million in 1789.
b. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains.
c. Production of grains was less because drought or hail reduced the harvest.
d. Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops. Owners of the
workshops did not increase the wages of workers.
e. This led to a subsistence crisis (scarcity of food grains) which occurred frequently
in France.
4. Growth of Middle Class and influence from USA
a. The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of social groups, termed
the
middle class, who earned their wealth through trade and professions.
b. They were influenced by declaration of independence of the USA.
c. They were also influenced by fundamental rights given to the citizens of the USA.
d. All of these were educated and believed that no group in society should be
privileged by birth
e. They also believed that French society should be based on freedom, equality and
equal opportunities for all.
5. Role of Philosophers in the French Revolution
a. John Locke, in his book the Two Treatises of Government, criticized the doctrine
of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.
b. Jean Jacques Rousseau, in his book Social Contract proposed a form of
government based on a social contract between people and their representatives.
c. Montesquieu in his book The Spirit of the Laws, proposed a division of power
within the government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.
d. The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively in salons and coffeehouses
and spread among people through books and newspapers. The news that Louis
XVI planned to impose further taxes generated anger and protest against the ruler and
system.
I hope it is helpful you can reduce the answer according to the sub topics.