LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Answer the following questions.
1. Discuss the political, economic and social causes of the French Revolution.
Answers
Answer:
The clergy and the nobility formed the first two Estates and were the most privileged classes in the French society. They were exempt from payment of taxes to the State.
Explanation:
Social causes
people of the third estate were discriminated . They had to pay taxes and all their activities could only be performed after the approval.
Clergy and nobility enjoyed may privileges based on birth and where exempted from paying taxes .
french society was divided into three estates clergy , nobility and common people .
clergy and nobility were 10% of the population but possessed 60% of the lands , the 3rd estate where 90% of the population but only possessed 40% of the lands .
political causes
France was ruled by a monarch who was weak and incompetent .
all the political powers were in the hands of the first two estates and they enjoyed all the privileges.
Louis XVI was drove france into useless wars bringing the country to the verge of bankruptcy.
Economic causes
All the taxes were paid by the third estate .
the government was under heavy debt after fighting several wars the country had a debt of about 2 billion livers.
The church extracted taxes called tithes and one indirect one called taille.
The population of France rose from 23 million to 28 million in 1789 . this lead to rapid increase for food grains and an economic crisis began .
all these these reasons led to the french revolution,