The ideas and writings of Enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau became widespread. The French people were inspired to go against their king.
Louis XVI was an absolute monarch and therefore held all power. Known as the ‘Divine Right of Kings’ it meant that the king’s authority came directly from - and he was answerable only to – God himself. The people of the 3rd estate in France had grown to resent their monarch and royal absolutism. Beloved by the people at first, his indecisiveness and conservatism led the people to reject and persecute him for the perceived tyranny of the former kings of France.
From 1788 onwards, France sank into an economic depression. While the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, in 1783, had ended the , for those members of society who were tired of absolute monarchy it had also sanctioned the republican ideal.
Louis XIV had spent too much. His successors did not cut down expenses. Louis XVI also failed to improve the financial situation. He dismissed ministers who tried to introduce financial reforms. By 1789, the government was bankrupt.
the government of France--the Bourgeoisie royalty, could not manage
it's finances on a sound basis. This was worsened when France aided the American Revolution against Great Britain. The Government had reached great financial debt. The problem lied and continued because of the government's inability to tap the wealth of the French nation by taxation. There was a great paradox in France being a rich nation
with a government in poverty. The deteriorating finances of the government is what triggered the prolonged differences between the Bourgeoisie and the aristocracy.
The political differences between the monarchy and the nobles came about after the Seven Years' war also. The increasing debt of the government escalated the hope for the monarchy to resume a "absolute power" status as it did with Louis XIV. However this could not be accomplished because of the doubt that the public had towards the present kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, and the public could not be swayed to help. Louis XV began with a series of Financial advisors chancellors to save the monarchy from financial ruin. The
government continued to become poorer and poorer and it seemed the
only successful taxation was done towards the peasants, whom had the
least money. The monarchy eventually fell and caused great unrest
leading to the French Revolution.
The French Revolution was caused by the escalating rivalry between the monarchy and the aristocracy. The conflict would make an
impact on all of Europe to come and even world history. All this
turmoil was caused by a bunch of greedy Nobles and kings which wanted
power and money. It seems this problem repeats history, even today --
because big money-makers, like Texas Oil Ranchers, wouldn't pay to fix
pollution problems early on it eventually lead and is still leading to
great conflict for the future.
The calling of the Estates General created extraordinary excitement across the land. When the king invited his subjects to express their opinions about this great event, hundreds did so in the form of pamphlets, and here the liberal or "patriot" ideology of 1789 first began to take shape.
France still practiced feudalism in the 18th century. The nobles and clergy enjoyed special privileges. They did not have to pay taxes. The common people did not have power and freedom in politics. They worked hard and had to pay heavy taxes. The nobles and clergy made up the First and Second Estates in the Estates General. The common people (i.e. the middle class (bourgeoisie), peasants and artisans) made up the Third Estate and made up the bulk of the population. The nobles and clergy could outvote the common people easily though the Estates General was always not called by the king, who ruled as an absolute monarch. The common people became discontented with the privileged classes.
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