The French Revolution: Why?

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The French Revolution I. Causes A. Accelerators 1. Did the country recently experience a military defeat? a. The Seven Years’ War 1. made France lose its position as colonial power in Europe 2. lost most of its territory in America 3. destroyed the French navy 4. depleted the national treasury b. The American Revolution 1. allied with the Americans in the American Revolution 2. revolution was a success, but America owed France almost 11 million dollars by end, money couldn’t be paid back, both countries in debt 3. revolutionary ideas played a large role on France’s revolution 2. Has there been an economic crisis? a. external national debt from multiple wars b. internal bankruptcy and extravagant spending of money by nobility and aristocrats 1. extreme poverty of lower classes d. financial crisis was one of the largest contributing factors to revolution 3. Has the government committed violent or other hostile acts against the people? a. not directly violent, however cruel negligence of lower classes 1. peasants lived in extreme poverty while aristocrats and nobles lived in extreme grandeur 2. taxes on lower classes extremely high, while upper classes (nobles and aristocracy exempt) 4. Are there disagreements among the members of the ruling class? a. Charles de Calonne 1. new controller general of finance 2. suggested that previously exempt nobles should begin to pay taxes to improve the failing economy b. most nobles wanted to continue to be exempt from taxes c. King wanted a peaceful, unanimous solution 5. Have there recently been attempts to reform the system? a. Estates-General 1. convened by king to come up with a tax solution that all people could agree with 2. 3 groups represented (first 2 exempt from taxes) 1. clergy 2. nobility 3.
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