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CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. ESTATE SYSTEM MONEY BAD HARVESTS---FOOD SHORTAGE MEETING OF THE ESTATES GENERAL. PROBLEM #2: MONEY. French government was bankrupt, Why? Spent money fighting costly wars (Example: American Revolution)

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CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

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  1. CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

  2. CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION • ESTATE SYSTEM • MONEY • BAD HARVESTS---FOOD SHORTAGE • MEETING OF THE ESTATES GENERAL

  3. PROBLEM #2: MONEY • French government was bankrupt, Why? • Spent money fighting costly wars (Example: American Revolution) • Spending too much money on luxuries • Corrupt tax system (tax collectors did not hand over taxes to the government)

  4. PROBLEM #3: BAD HARVESTS • Bad harvests (1787 and 1788) due to harsh winters • Smaller harvest- farmers smaller income/unemployed---food prices rise---people starve • SANS-CULOTTES, BREAD AND PARIS • Sans-culottes – most ate 3 lbs of bread per day---little else • Cost of bread increases---mobs attack carts of bread and grain in Paris • Why did the price of bread double? • Severe winters in 1787 and 1788 lead to a grain harvest that was small

  5. PROBLEM #4: MEETING OF THE ESTATES GENERAL

  6. FRANCE’S KING IN 1780’S • LOUIS XVI(1774-1792): • Good hearted, generous, weak, indecisive, believed to be clinically depressed • Married Marie Antoinette (from Austria) on May 16, 1770) • He was 15 and she was 14 • Ascended to the throne at age 19

  7. 1789-LOUIS XVI’S PLAN TO SOLVE THE CRISIS: • Tax nobles (in addition to raising taxes on 3rd Estate) to avoid bankruptcy • PROBLEM WITH LOUIS XVI’S PLAN: • Continued to spend money on war • Continued to spend money on court luxuries and extravagances • RESPONSES OF THE NOBLES: • Refuse to pay taxes • Demand a meeting of the Estates General (like England’s Parliament) • WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE ESTATES-GENERAL MET? 1614

  8. HOW DOES THE ESTATES GENERAL WORK? • Each estate meets to discuss the issue (1st, 2nd and 3rd) • 1st and 2nd estate – approximately 300 representatives • 3rd estate – approximately 600 representatives • Each estate votes for or against the proposal • Final decision – Each estate has one vote • 1st and 2nd estate always out vote 3rd estate 2-1

  9. DIFFERING GOALS FOR THE MEETING OF THE ESTATES GENERAL • KING – hoped new taxes would be approved • NOBLES AND CLERGY – hoped they would control affairs and continue their privileged lifestyles • BOURGEOUISIE (MIDDLE CLASS) – want to have more say in government like the English • PEASANTS – Drew up a list of complaints and want solutions to their problems

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