Question

explain in easy any five causes of French Revolution.​

Answer 1

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Explanation:

Although scholarly debate continues about the exact causes of the Revolution, the following reasons are commonly adduced:

• (1) the bourgeoisie resented its exclusion from political power and positions of honour;
• (2) the peasants were acutely aware of their situation and were less and less willing to support the anachronistic and burdensome feudal system;
• (3) the philosophes had been read more widely in France than anywhere else;
• (4) French participation in the American Revolution had driven the government to the brink of bankruptcy;
• (5) France was the most populous country in Europe, and crop failures in much of the country in 1788, coming on top of a long period of economic difficulties, compounded existing restlessness

Answer 2

The major five causes are:-

1. SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN FRANCE DUE TO THE ESTATES SYSTEM
2. TAX BURDEN ON THE THIRD ESTATE
3. THE RISE OF THE BOURGEOISIE
4. IDEAS PUT FORWARD BY ENLIGHTENMENT PHILOSOPHERS
5. FINANCIAL CRISIS CAUSED DUE TO COSTLY WARS

Now, in detailed

SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN FRANCE DUE TO THE ESTATES SYSTEM

In the 1780s, the population of France was around 24 million and 700 thousand and it was divided into three estates. The First Estate was the Roman Catholic clergy, which numbered about 100,000. The Second Estate consisted of the French nobility, which numbered about 400,000. Everyone else in France; including merchants, lawyers, laborers and peasants; belonged to the Third Estate, which comprised around 98% of the French population. The Third Estate was excluded from positions of honor and political power; and was looked down upon by the other estates. It was thus angered and resented its position in French society. This led to them coming together to launch the French Revolution in 1789.

TAX BURDEN ON THE THIRD ESTATE

The First Estate in France, or the clergy, owned 10% of the land though it comprised less than 0.5% of the population. It was very wealthy and paid no taxes. It had many privileges, including the collection of tithes. Tithes was one-tenth of annual produce or earnings taken as a tax for the support of the Church. The Second Estate, or the nobles, owned about 25% of the land. They were exempted from paying many taxes and were allowed to collect dues from peasants. In contrast, the Third Estate was forced to pay heavy taxes while the other two were exempted. This burdened the Third Estate leading to their questioning this unjust Estates System and planning to overthrow it.

THE RISE OF THE BOURGEOISIE

The bourgeoisie were the rich men and women of the Third Estate who started to become influential in the years leading to the revolution. They evolved into a new caste with its own agenda and political aspiration. The bourgeoisie resented the position of the First and the Second Estate, which they believed was derived from their efforts. Moreover, they aspired to attain political equality with the other two estates. The desire of the bourgeoisie to rid themselves of feudal and royal encroachments on their personal liberty, commercial prospects and ownership of property was one of the reasons which led to the French Revolution.

IDEAS PUT FORWARD BY ENLIGHTENMENT PHILOSOPHERS

The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century. Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Baron de Montesquieu questioned the traditional absolute authority of the monarch and divisions of society like the Estates System. For example, Locke argued that a leader may only govern a society if he had the consent of those he governed; Rousseau was against all class divisions; and Montesquieu advocated for a system of government based on separation of powers. The writings of Enlightenment thinkers were discussed in France more than anywhere else and they greatly influenced the revolutionaries.

FINANCIAL CRISIS CAUSED DUE TO COSTLY WARS

Throughout the 18th century, France participated in a series of expensive wars primarily against its long-term rival Great Britain. Louis XV, who ruled over France from 1715 to 1774, lost the Seven Years’ War against Britain. He then drew up a plan to avenge the loss by building a larger navy and an anti-British coalition of allies. However, this only resulted in a mountain of debt. Louis XVI, grandson of Louis XV who succeeded him in 1774, then involved France in the American War of Independence against Britain. Though U.S. won the war, France gained little from it. French support for the war was expensive costing 1.066 million French livres, a huge sum at the time. This worsened the economic crisis in the nation and pushed it toward bankruptcy.

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