2007-02-23 22:38:55 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
A great national debt caused by overspending, the wars of the 18th century, and a very inequitable system of taxation.
A very high unemployment, rampant inflation, the high price of food, the poor crop yields of the 1789-1793 caused food shortages.
The bourgeoisie and feudal structure allowed for a great disparity with respect to equality especially in the justice systems that was highly contentious. Consideration was given to the nobility, family standing and wealth is court rather than the offense. Indebtors prisions. It was common for persons to be imprisoned for not paying their debts.
The tennat system of farming where the land was owned by a land owner but the crop was farmed by another inexchange for a percentage of the yeild, often the land owners took what they believed was their share, and the farmers got what was left, and when crops failed the land owner still took their share.
The American Revolution and the stories from the French soldiers who returned from America of their Republican experience of were everyone was equal, had freedom to choose the way they wished to worship, that all were equal before the law, and how the ability to go from poor to wealthy based upon good fortune and hard work.
The royal debt, the royal family overspent their finances, and owed the French state. The only way for the French state and crown to recoup this debt was to pass the debt on to the taxpayers.
2007-02-23 23:12:13 · answer #1 · answered by DeSaxe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Much of the inspiration for the French Revolution came from the book, 'The Rights of Man', by the 18th century radical Thomas Paine. The same book also inspired the American Revolution.
France pre-1789 was very much a feudal system with the King having absolute power (as in England before 1649), the nobility in control of all the land and the common people having very little in the way of rights. The King didn't help matters by imposing swingeing taxes which alienated the rising middle classes as well as the poor.
Hence the uprising which eventually overthrew the royalty and the upper classes and led to the formation of the Republic.
Btw Thomas Paine (who was in France at the time) never envisaged the resultant bloodshed and narrowly escaped death himself when he protested against the execution of King Louis XVI.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
2007-02-23 22:57:57 · answer #2 · answered by squeaky guinea pig 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the french revolution started due to the financial collapse of the monarchist goverment.
2007-02-23 23:21:26 · answer #3 · answered by joseph j 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally speaking the French revolution can be thought of as the archetypal Workers' Revolution. The Workers have been kept under, and finally fought back. They may be similarities with Wat Tyler as well as the Russian Revolutions.
2007-02-23 22:44:59 · answer #4 · answered by plwimsett 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
France was kettering on the brink of bankruptcy at the time. In fact, it was already there. So, the king turned to the wealthy nobles for money. They refused, and the world went to "hell" after that.
2007-02-23 22:51:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The french people starved; there was no way out of this situation cause noblemen didn't want to solve this problem
2007-02-23 22:56:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
July 14,1789 is known as Bastille Day
2007-02-24 01:31:17 · answer #7 · answered by Dave aka Spider Monkey 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the wealthy where living the high life while the poor struggled to survive so they revolted killing the aristocracy and royalty
2007-02-23 23:15:05 · answer #8 · answered by old-bag 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Which one? I think there have been 5 so far.
2007-02-24 09:26:43 · answer #9 · answered by Kevan M 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
SORRY, - I got into a RIGHT barney, about this, only last week, - so, I'm staying OUT of THIS!
2007-02-23 23:59:51 · answer #10 · answered by Spike 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋