Origins of the French Revolution

Origins of the French Revolution

The French Revolution, can be seen as part of a general movement in the western world, however, these European movements were limited in scope. Only in France did the revolution achieve its goal. No other revolution involved such a widespread participation of the peasant masses. The discontent

created by the class system, in which certain individuals had special status and privileges, ultimately forced the people of the Third Estate to challenge the divine right of kings, the power of the church, aristocracy, privilege, titles, feudal dues and clericalism. What were the main factors that led to the French Revolution and the resulting collapse of the government? The grand ideals of the Enlightenment, the poor state of economy in France and the visible differences in wealth and power between the peasants and the nobility were some of the main causes of the revolution.

The philosophers of the Enlightenment were one of the main causes of the revolution because they were pressuring the government to adopt concepts such as individual rights and equality which were introduced by Rousseau. They manipulated the peasant masses with passionate speeches and encouraged them to act in order to achieve change in the society. The revolutionaries looked upon the American Revolution as an example of such rights being implemented by force. The peasants became aware of these new ideas and understood that they were "deprived" of rights them for a very long time. Because of their belief in these emerging ideals the 3rd estate was ready reclaim its rights by means of a revolt.

The poor economic state of France also influenced the revolution. While the French population was rising there were virtually no changes in the agricultural productivity and the standard of living rapidly decreased. The result of these changes was a rising death rate, emigration and an increase in the number of beggars and criminals. The taxation system exempted all members of the rich nobility and clergy while increasing the burden on the poor peasants. There was no central treasury where accounts were kept or any genuine notion of an annual budget. France was also on the verge of bankruptcy due to the costs for the Seven Years' War (1756-63) and the Revolutionary War (1775-83). It was evident that the monarchy could not sustain itself without money from the nobility . Antagonism towards the throne grew stronger, helping the revolutionaries evoke hatred for the monarchy in the hearts of the peasants.

In France, the contrast between the nobles and the peasants was probably one of the greatest in the European countries. While the nobles represented only about 2% of France's population, they were the richest and the most powerful classes. They were exempt from the taxation system, owned most of the land and were the only members