Unmanageable national debt
Resentment of royal absolutism
The rise of Enlightenment ideals
Food scarcity in the months leading up to the revolution
High unemployment and high bread prices – ppl unable to buy food.
Resentment of noble privileges and their dominance in public life by professional classes.
Failure of Louis XVI to deal effectively with problems.
France 1789 – absolute monarchy ( if only in theory - an increasingly unpopular form of government at the time.)
Large/growing middle class – ideology of equality and freedom of the individual. Ideas from philosophers Voltaire and Turgot and others of the Enlightenment.
French Mon operated many yrs without resorting to legislature. Managed fiscal maters by increasing taxes, borrowing money, selling titles and privileges. These bought titles exempted them from future taxes, therefore buying an annuity. Leading to the long-running fiscal crisis of the French gov. On eve of rev. France was effectively bankrupt, after Louis XIV’s extravagant expenditure on Versailles, with other spending on the Seven Years War & American war of independence. Britain had much debt caused by conflicts - more advanced fiscal structure was able to deal with it, as Britain was a trading nation, with ready capital, more than france.
Unequal collection of consumption taxes. The gabelle tax– extremely unpopular – taxed by private collectors. The taxation system separated the nation - preventing a unified market developing. Peasants – numerous obligations to landlords – rent (cash), payment related to produce (champari). Taxes often devastating.
Justice only in reach of wealthy classes as judges paid fees by parties in civil lawsuits.
Tax burden fell on peasants - wealthy could afford to buy titles exempt from most taxes (except modest quit rent tax). Lower classes cut off from most positions of power, caus unrest.
Economic reform failed. Turgot&Necker proposed revision of tax system to tax nobles. Encountered constant resistance from the parlements.
Despite being an absolute monarchy, became clear royal gov could not successfully make changes it desired without consent of nobility. Financial crisis became political crisis as well.
These problems compounded by scarcity of food in 1780s. Crop failures causes shortages, subsequently raising the price of bread, after 2 years of bad harvests previously. Peasantry’s ambition – counteract social inequity & end food shortages. The ‘bread riot’ evolved into a major cause of the French Revolution. M
assive urbanisation coincided with be of Industrial rev - people moved into French cities seeking employment. Cities became overcrowded, (hungry disaffected people) those people being the peasantry, who suffered more than anyone else from the economic and agricultural problems.
