The French Revolution of 1789 Essay - 1950 Words

There is no doubt that the French Revolution has had a profound effect on the world. The cause or causes of it have been greatly disputed. Clearly the Revolutions primary cause was the presence of a weak monarchy and a lack of a stable system of government. Frances absolute monarchy had many changes toward the end of the eighteenth century. King Louis XVI, in his attempts to consolidate his authority and lessen the power of the aristocrats, had planned out an intendant system. The intendants were like governors. They would oversee one constituency of the country. These intendants could not govern the region in which they lived, and were chosen from other than the aristocracy. This insured that their allegiance was pledged to the king and†¦show more content†¦There were three divisions or classes in France called estates. The first estate, which was composed of church officials, had immense authority and obtained enormous salaries. Church officials obtained their salaries via taxes collected from church property. Therefore, since the officials received their salaries from the church property, they did not have to pay taxes. The second estate was composed mainly of nobility. They, too, were exempt from paying taxes. This left the entire tax burden upon the third estate. The third estate consisted of some merchants and entrepreneurs; however, the majorities were peasants. Corruption of the estates was causing much frustration among the common people who composed 70 percent of the population. The monarchy tried to make an attempt to give the third estate power by establishing the Estates General, but this too was corrupted. Unlike most legislative bodies, the Estates General did not vote by each person having a single vote. Rather, they let each estate have one vote each. Since the first two estates were always in agreement, the third estate was always out voted. This is a prime example of how the lack of a stable government had an immensely tragic effect on the people of the country. If the monarchy had tried to make some reform or if Louis XVI had more backbone to institute some tax reform to lessen the burden on the third estate, the Revolution may have been avoided. The government is the backbone of anyShow MoreRelatedThe French Revolution Of 17891191 Words   |  5 PagesFrench Revolution in 1789 Introduction: King Louis XVI required cash. His money related crisis constrained the French ruler to reluctantly meet the Estates General with a specific end goal to require another land tax that would ideally settle his financial hardships. It had been basically 175 years since a last meeting of this deliberative body. 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The Revolution600 Words   |  3 PagesThe French Revolution of 1789- 1799 was a time of change for many people of France. The Revolution led to many changes in France which at the time of the Revolution, was the most powerful state in Europe. The major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes between the different types of social classes in French society. Harsh economic conditions brought high taxes and bad harvests resulted in suffering for the revolutionary women. They broke people down in Three estates: 1st was made up ofRead MoreCauses of the French Revolution During the period of 1789-1799 people lived much differently than700 Words   |  3 PagesCauses of the French Revolution During the period of 1789-1799 people lived much differently than individuals do today and there were many reasons for this. During the French Revolution there was a large amount of taxation for certain class groups, â€Å"While average tax rates were higher in Britain, the burden on the common people was greater in France† (GNU, 2008, pg. 2). Due to these large taxations on the peasants and lower class and not on the clergy and nobles it caused excessive conflict betweenRead MoreFrom 1789 to 1799, Who Posed the More Dangerous Threats to the French Revolution: Its External Enemies or Its Internal Enemies?891 Words   |  4 PagesBetween 1789 and 1799, France went through one of the most dramatic events of modern European History: the French Revolution. The French population went through economic chaos, a dictatorship, and a civil war as well as other dramatic changes. During these years, the French decided to speak up for themselves and they became enemies of the French revol ution. Internal enemies included the King, Louis XVI, Monarchists and Royalists and the Churches that were run by refractory priests. External threatsRead MoreFrom 1789 to 1799, Who Posed the More Dangerous Threats to the French Revolution: Its External Enemies or Its Internal Enemies?880 Words   |  4 PagesBetween 1789 and 1799, France went through one of the most dramatic events of modern European History: the French Revolution. The French population went through economic chaos, a dictatorship, and a civil war as well as other dramatic changes. During these years, the French decided to speak up for themselves and they became enemies of the French revolution. Internal enemies included the King, Louis XVI, Monarchists and Royalists and the Churches that were run by refractory priests. External threatsRead MoreThe Causes Of Joseph De Maistre And The French Revolution1696 Words   |  7 Pagesmere eight years after the Revolution. 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The French Revolution ended the thousand-year rule of the monarchy in France and began when King Louis XVI gathered representatives fro m the 3 social groups called the Clergy