2006-09-08 21:05:03 · 7 answers · asked by Pums 1 in Social Science ➔ Anthropology
There is an old saying: the man to be afraid of is not the one with the most to gain, but the one with nothing left to lose.
Depite the excesses of the French monarchy, and the poverty of the common citizens, order was maintained until the people began starving. When it reached the point that most felt they would starve to death anyway, they reasoned that if they were going to die, fighting and dying in battle was much better than the misery of starving to death.
Sure, there were other political, religious, and social issues involved, but hunger was the catalyst that drove the peasants to revolt.
2006-09-08 21:14:29 · answer #1 · answered by L96vette 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like most revolutions, the one in France was caused by a huge gap between rich and poor as well as political corruption.
The reason that an actual violent revolution occurred was because of the advent of the Industrial Revolution (a peaceful change from a mercantile system to the underpinnings of modern capitalism). By 1789, France had a new and growing middle class. However, the monarchy levied taxes only on this class and the peasants. The king ruled as a divine head of state, and his nobility and clergy paid no taxes. The people had become interested in democracy because of France's role in the American Revolution.
However, France had spent so much money helping the U.S. that its own government was nearly bankrupt. The royalty tried to balance the budget by increasing the taxes on the burgeoning middle class. As the middle class (the bourgeoisie) became more educated and politically wise, they stirred the peasants into a series of mob actions against the throne.
Between 1789 and 1799, thousands of aristocrats, including the king and queen, lost their lives on the guillotine. Even after order was restored, France suffered through the Reign of Terror under Robespierre and unsettled times during the periods that Napoleon was in power.
Eventually, the people voted against the limited monarchy that had replaced the Bourbon kings and implemented a republic, divided into departments and districts, each of which had representatives in the national Congress.
(Entire books have been written on the subject, but this is a fairly good thumbnail sketch.)
2006-09-09 04:34:54 · answer #2 · answered by Goethe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jean-Jacques and Pierre were smoking some weed and heard that the king and M.A. had a great stash hidden in the castle. Mon Dieu said Pierre if we can cause a diversion we might be able to snatch the stash from Marie. The French revolution was a diversion caused by a couple of potheads. Hence the expression "let them smoke Acapulco gold".
2006-09-11 07:12:19 · answer #3 · answered by Brian M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
King George Edward Frank Cardin (the 17/22nd) was turning out to be a real pain in the neck so he got his head chopped off.
if u r really serious i suggest a bibliotheque or the internet search engines.
2006-09-09 04:25:06 · answer #4 · answered by Sid 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
like any other revolution. poverty, inslavement, injustice...etc
sadly, there are no peacefull revolutions...only bloody ones!
another factor for the french revolution is the "enlightment era" a philosophy were reason and sientific observations were growing in popularity.
2006-09-09 07:23:09 · answer #5 · answered by Mo 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Widespread poverty,and an apathetic government.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
2006-09-10 18:26:16 · answer #6 · answered by Rich B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
good question. It started out just like today, very few had so much and very many had so little..........?!?!?
2006-09-11 19:49:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋