Causes of the French Revolution

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Before 1789, France was considered one of the most dominant European powers with a historically resilient absolute monarch at its head. However, under the regime of Louis XVI, the people grew restless and resentment towards the monarchy reached a new extreme. Jack Goldstone writes that for a revolution to occur, several factors must be considered: the social psychology of the people, the “why and when” of the failed state, the sociological element, political sciences of the matter, class conflict and finally the conscious agency, or decision making, of the people. So what is the state of mind that pushes almost an entire nation over the edge? What factors play into this? The economic conditions of 18th century France are often seen as a catalyst towards a future of grievances among the bourgeoisie, resulting in many cultural and intellectual changes such as the Enlightenment and its new ideas that would change the nature of the Frenchman drastically. France’s finances first approached a dangerous place during the American Revolution. After forging an alliance with the rebellious colonists, France promised an array of “…supplies, arms and ammunition, uniforms, and most importantly, troops and naval support…” (“”French Alliance, French Assistance, and European Diplomacy during the American Revolution””) However crucial their involvement in the war was, the effects that it had on France’s economy were absolutely devastating. A wave of crop failures in the 1780’s led to extreme scarcity of food. Combined with the heavy taxes citizens were paying to compensate for the war abroad, prices for bread grew heavily and the people’s resentment soared. The food shortages forced rural residents to leave the countryside and live in a very overcrowded, hungry and disgruntled Paris. It was these people who were most responsible for the revolution. The economy only got worse
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