Question

Outbreak of the french revolution

Answer 1

The causes of the French revolution can be attributed to several intertwining factors: Cultural: The Enlightenment philosophy desacralized the authority of the King and the Church, and promoted a new society based on "reason" instead of traditions. Social: The emergence of an influential bourgeoisie which was formally part of the Third Estate (commoners) but had evolved into a caste with its own agenda and aspired to political equality with the clergy (First Estate) and the aristocracy (Second Estate). Financial: France's debt, aggravated by French involvement in the American Revolution, led Louis XVI to implement new taxations and to reduce privileges. Political: Louis XVI faced virulent opposition from provincial parliaments which were the spearheads of the privileged classes' resistance to royal reforms. Economic: The deregulation of the grain market, advocated by liberal economists, resulted in an increase in bread prices. In period of bad harvests, it would lead to food scarcity which would prompt the masses to revolt. All these factors created a revolutionary atmosphere and a tricky situation for Louis XVI. In order to resolve the crisis, the king summoned the Estates-General in May 1789 and, as it came to an impasse, the representatives of the Third Estates formed a National Assembly, against the wishes of the king, signaling the outbreak of the French Revolution.

Answer 2

Answer:

Louis XVI of Bourbon dynasty became the King of France in 1774. It was the time  when France was facing huge financial crises. Financial situation was so bad that  even the king was struggling to maintain his court at Versailles. To meet the  financial needs, King Louis XVI decided to collect taxes from the people of  France. The outbreak of the revolution began when the King decided to not tax every  citizen equally. During his rule, French society was divided into three estates - Clergy, Nobility and Peasantry. Louis XVI decided to only tax the pleasantries. This policy made it hard for the people of the third estate to even afford a bread.  Situation got worse when people of the first estate - Clergy, started taxing the people of the third estate in the name of Tithe. Another reason behind this revolutionary protest was the social environment  created by the middle class and the philosophers. These people inspired the third  estate to talk about the ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. In order to create  equal opportunities for all in the French society, three philosophers have  contributed greatly - these were Montesquieu, Rousseau, and John Locke. Thus, subsistence crisis and the social environment lead to the outbreak of  revolutionary protest in France.