French Revolution

There were numerous distant factors that contributed to the French Revolution of 1789. The
political, social, and economic realities in France were all factors that led to the
dissatisfaction that many people in France, particularly those belonging to the third estate,
felt. The concepts that were proposed by the intellectuals of the Enlightenment brought about
new perspectives in both society and government. A significant factor that contributed to the
development of the French Revolution was the American Revolution. The Philosophes began
the process that would eventually lead to the French Revolution. Their objectives were to
bring to light and eliminate the disparities that existed under the historic government (the old
order).

Dissatisfaction with the political system in France was one of the factors that led to the
Revolution. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, France was governed by a government
that exercised absolute power. Each and every political authority was vested in the monarch.
Anyone who voiced their disapproval of the administration may be detained and imprisoned
without the possibility of a trial. During the period of the French Revolution, Louis XVI was
the monarch of France. His enthusiasm in hunting was greater than his interest in managing
France. At the Palace of Versailles, Charles and his Austrian queen, Marie Antoinette, had a
lavish lifestyle via their opulent lifestyle. It was clear that they did not give any thought to the
condition of their nation. The conclusion that the votes in the assembly were not taken by the
head is shown by the passage from the cahiers that is cited in document 3. The citizens who
were a part of the third estate had a feeling of betrayal when the monarch took the position
that block voting was preferable to head voting. In order to prevent the massive third estate
from becoming a challenge to the authority, the first two estates collaborated in order to
increase their chances of winning the vote. According to Lord Acton, an Englishman, the
collapse of the monarchy was not the spark that ignited the Revolution. The American
Declaration of Independence is the spark that ignited the French Revolution, according to
him. In addition to being ineffective and unfair, the French government was also corrupt. A
large number of government agencies, various laws that were in effect in various regions of
the nation, and officials were all there. The manner in which France was controlled infuriated
a great number of people. In order to bring about a change, the people were unable to take
any action. Estates-General was the name given to the French Parliament at the time. Since
1614, it had not convened, and it was impossible to do so without the approval of the
monarch. In essence, it had no authority.

In addition, the economic troubles that were caused by the monarchs of France were a
contributing factor in the Revolution. When compared to the amount of money it earned in
taxes, the French government spent more money throughout the 18th century. By 1788, the
nation had lost all of its money. An Englishman and observer named Arthur Young, who
travelled to France between the years 1787 and 1789, wrote a book titled Travels in France in
which he portrays the living circumstances of the peasants in a furious manner.