French Revolution: Causes and Social Impact
Causes of the French Revolution
The French Revolution was a watershed event in modern European history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte.
1. Political Causes
During the eighteenth century, France was the center of an autocratic monarchy. The French monarchs had unlimited power and declared themselves the “Representatives of God”. The French monarchs engaged themselves in luxury and extravagance at the royal court of Versailles.
Louis XV (1715-1774) succeeded Louis XIV. His defective foreign policy weakened the economic condition of France. Louis XV fought the Seven Years’ War against England, which brought nothing to France. France became bankrupt due to overspending in wars and luxury.
After Louis XV, Louis XVI (1774-1793) ascended the throne of France. The economic condition of France became weak. He was influenced by his queen, Marie Antoinette, who always interfered in state affairs and enjoyed a luxurious and extravagant life. She sowed the seeds of the French Revolution.
2. Social Causes
The social condition of France during the eighteenth century was very miserable. French society was divided into three classes: the Clergy, the Nobility, and the Common People.
- The Clergy (First Estate): They managed the churches, monasteries, and educational institutions of France. They did not pay any tax to the monarch. They exploited the common people. The higher clergy lived in scandalous luxury and extravagance. The lower clergy served the people in the true sense of the term, and they lived a very miserable life.
- The Nobility (Second Estate): They also did not pay any tax to the king. The court nobles lived in pomp and luxury. They did not care about the problems of the common people in their areas. On the other hand, the provincial nobles paid attention to them, but they did not have the same privileges.
- The Third Estate: This formed a heterogeneous class. The farmers, cobblers, sweepers, and other lower classes belonged to this class. The condition of the farmers was very miserable. They paid the taxes. The clergy and nobles employed them in their fields in corvée. The Bourgeoisie formed the topmost group of the Third Estate; they had wealth and social status and influenced the people for revolution.
3. Economic Causes
The economic condition of France became poor due to wars. During the reign of Louis XVI, the royal treasury became empty due to the extravagant expenses of his queen, Marie Antoinette.
Louis XVI appointed Turgot as his Finance Minister in 1774. He tried to minimize the expenditure of the royal court. He also advised the king to impose taxes on every class of society. After him, Necker became the Finance Minister in 1776. He published a report on the income and expenditure of the state in order to arouse the people. The next was Callone. He adopted the policy of borrowing in order to meet the expenditure of the royal court. But due to this policy, the national debt of France increased.
In this situation, the king at last summoned the States-General. Economic instability formed one of the most important causes of the French Revolution.