COMPREHENSION

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The Origins of the French Revolution

The French Revolution was a time of great upheaval between 1789 and 1799,
when French citizens overthrew their monarch and initiated political and social
reform in their country. The rebellion was characterized by extreme violence, and
it did not achieve all of the goals originally put forth. However, it did succeed in
altering the way that the people of France, and indeed, people around the world,
perceived the power of the individual to effect change. While the exact origins of
the revolution have been debated for centuries, many would agree on specific key
factors that propelled the movement.
Social Causes
At the onset of the revolution, the ancien régime—the old order—ruled, and the social
hierarchy in France was strictly divided into three different classes, or estates.
In the First Estate, at the top of the hierarchy, were the clergy, who were subdivided
into upper and lower categories. The Catholic Church had the most powerful
position in France, and all of the power was with the upper clergy members. They
maintained high ranks, such as bishops and abbots, and had significant wealth and
property that they held tax-free. It was not unusual for the upper clergy to live in
the home of the king at Versailles. Meanwhile, the lower clergy were often village
priests who worked hard and were paid very little for their efforts.
The Second Estate consisted of the nobility, who could also own land and were
exempt from paying taxes. Like the clergy, they were subdivided into two different
levels. Those in the Nobility of the Sword served the king directly at Versailles and
were highly respected. Most inherited their titles, which were passed down in
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their families through many generations. Those in the Nobility of the Robe were
less prestigious because they often paid the king to obtain their titles.
The Third Estate included everyone else in France—the middle class, or bourgeoisie;
the peasantry; and urban workers. Peasants made up the majority of the group,
and they essentially lived in poverty. Some owned small parcels of land, but most
rented their farms from the top tier of peasant landowners or from nobility. The
bourgeoisie often had wealth, but they had no power, for the aristocracy did not
allow them to be upwardly mobile and improve their position in society. They
were also required to pay many taxes, along with the other members of the social
order. The Third Estate paid taxes to both the king and the church, and for
popular purchases, such as bread and wine.

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The First and Second Estates consisted of about 500,000 people who collectively
owned roughly 45% of the land and paid no taxes, and the Third Estate was made
up of 25 million people who owned about 55% of the land and paid enormous
taxes. There was a huge disparity between the social classes, and the common
citizen suffered greatly for it.
The bourgeoisie were the most vocal about these inequalities, for the middle
class had perhaps the most to gain from change. They were intelligent, educated
people who were denied by the monarchy any position of power or influence. As
a result, the middle class encouraged a new government with a parliament and a
constitution limiting the king’s powers. The influence of the Age of Enlightenment
and its promotion of reason supported their ideas, and they were encouraged by
the recent revolution that took place in America. The bourgeoisie sought freedom
from oppression with their own monarch, and they roused the entire Third Estate
to take action.
Political Causes
Political causes also supported the advent of the revolution, most notably the corrupt
absolute monarchy. Louis XVI was on the throne at the time, and he had inherited a
crown that was based on irresponsible spending, inefficient management, general
extravagance, and complete disregard for its people.
The monarchy was absolute—there were no checks and balances from groups that
represented the people. The king’s word generally was law, and decisions were
often made arbitrarily and without consideration for the people. The regions of
France had local parlements that made legal decisions about their citizens, but
they were inconsistent within and across their borders, and there was no unified
system of law across the country. This made the people feel unprotected at best

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and persecuted at worst, and they resented the treatment by the crown.
Economic Causes
In addition, the monarchy was bankrupt and in significant debt due to years of
borrowing and spending to support foreign wars and from overspending on
luxury at home. Because France had no money, the king continued to heavily tax
the Third Estate, and the tax rate increased enormously in relation to income.
To add to the volatile environment, the French economy was weakening. Higher
standards of living resulted in an enormous population growth, which in turn
created greater demand for food and goods, just as prices were rising in general.
Meanwhile, antiquated agricultural methods and high taxes on bread resulted in
food shortages. People were starving and had no money left to give, so the king
had to look elsewhere to pay his debt.
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Facing a political crisis, Louis XVI attempted to tax the elite First and Second
Estates. Many believe that this was the catalyst for the revolution because it
created significant unrest among all of the social orders and a general sense of
animosity for the king. Groups began to form in opposition, and the movement
took hold.
The mixture of social, political, and economic problems in France during the
reign of Louis XVI was simply too much for the people to bear. As a result, the
monarchy was eventually overthrown, and a new regime took its place. The
French Revolution is an excellent example of the delicate dynamics that exist
between a ruler and the people and the importance of always maintaining a
balance between power and progress.
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