what were the causes of french revolution ?date 1789?

Question

i have no idea about it and i am all confused

Answer 1

The causes of the French Revolution, the uprising that brought the regime of King Louis XVI to an end, were manifold. France in 1789, although facing some economic (and especially fiscal) difficulties, was one of the richest and most powerful nations in Europe; only in Great Britain and the Netherlands did the common people have more freedom and less chance of arbitrary punishment. At the time Louis XVI called the Estates-General of 1789, he himself was generally popular, even if the nobility and many of the king's ministers were not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_the_French_Revolution

The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period of major political and social change in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Enlightenment ideals of democracy, citizenship, and inalienable rights. These changes were accompanied by violent turmoil, including mass executions and repression during the Reign of Terror, and warfare involving every other major European power.
For the next 75 years, France would be governed as a republic, a dictatorship, a constitutional monarchy, and an empire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution

France in 1789 was, at least in theory, an absolute monarchy, an increasingly unpopular form of government at the time. In practice, the king's ability to act on his theoretically absolute power was curtailed by the (equally resented) powers and prerogatives of the nobility and clergy, remnants of feudalism. Similarly, the peasants covetously eyed the relatively greater privileges enjoyed by townspeople.

The large and growing middle class — and some of the nobility and of the working class — had absorbed the ideology of equality and freedom of the individual, brought about by such philosophers as Voltaire, Denis Diderot, Turgot, and other philosophers of the Enlightenment. The example of the American Revolution showed them that it was plausible that Enlightenment ideals about governmental organization could be put into practice. Some of the American revolutionaries, such as Benjamin Franklin, had stayed in Paris, where they were in frequent contact with the French intellectuals; furthermore, contact between the American revolutionaries and the French troops who had assisted them resulted in the spread of revolutionary ideals to the French. Many in France attacked the undemocratic nature of the government, pushed for freedom of speech, and challenged the Roman Catholic Church and the prerogatives of the nobles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_the_French_Revolution#Absolutism_and_Privilege

Answer 2

When King Louis XVI came to the Throne of France, the economy was in a disastrous state. The wars of Louis XIV and Louis XV had over-burdened many with high taxation to pay for the wars. This had included the levying of troops.

Meanwhile there was high unemployment and food shortages. As farmers and landowners paid more taxes or were used as soldiers to fight France's wars, the fields went untendered. Poor produce and crop failures only made made matters worse.

The American revolution did not help things. Under Louis XVI, France helped the American colonies achieve independence from Britain. Seeing American colonies free themselves from the tyranny of the British King and the issues of taxation, at home French citizens were thinking the same things - especially the rising middle class in the towns.

When Louis XVI called the Estates-General together to resolve the issues - and to levy a land tax to get France out of debt. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. The 3 estates objected and used the opportunity to air their grievances - something that had not been done as the monarchy had become more absolute and intollerant.

Another major cause was the power of the Catholic Church,
which as a major landholder in France, used and abused its power.

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Answer 3

there were a number of different factors that all influenced the french revolution, but none can be put down as the official 'cause'. they all kind of worked together to build the tension of the situation:
enlightenment thinkers: (made some of the bourgeouise think about ideas of self determination, king not being all powerful, new ideas, etc)
personality of Louis: (he was weak, and just did what his advisors suggested, which was not good advice)
poor leadership by louis: (did not make good decisions regarding his finance ministers who recommended tax changes, and then he fired them)
american war of independence: (put france in money troubles (for supporting the americans) and gave them some ideas about 'freedom' and release from unfair taxation)

basically there was a very unfair tax system, that had the nobles and the church paying very little tax, and the rest of the country paying a lot of tax, and a lot of silly incidental taxes, that people got sick of (like having to fix the roads themselves, or paying to get their bread baked). so they pushed the king to change this system, but he decided not to act, and to instead offer the 'cahiers de doleance' (not sure about the spelling) where people could write in their greivances. then people got upset because he basically asked for people's opinions but then didn't act on them. he also ran the 'estates general', where people from all classes could come together to discuss the issue, but then he also gave those representatives the runaround, and this caused the 3rd estate (the peasants and bourgeouisie) to become frustrated with the process and then all that bastille stuff happened.
hope this gives you some ideas.