The economy was reliant on agriculture and during the 1780s there were disastrous harvests causing prices to rapidly increase in urban areas. It is evident that the effects were so extreme that by 1789 a labourer was spending 88% of his daily wage on bread. As a result of this, protests sparked up in the city amongst workers and the tensions and unrest amongst the Parisians was further exacerbated when the government made no attempts to introduce new reforms to deal with the economic crisis when the Estates-General met in May 1789. Another factor which worsened the situation was the presence of Louis’s troops stationed around Paris. The King’s strategy of military force was believed to be necessary due to the third estate rebelling and breaking away from the Estates-General in June 1789.
French Revolution In 1789 the common people rose up against the unfair economic situation put upon them by the French Aristocracy. The monarchy spent such great amounts of money it put the country plunging into a large amount of debt. King Louis XVI and his predecessors left the country in poor conditions such as droughts, disease with cattle and massive price increases in goods. The monarchy sought to recover the debt by taxing the common people till they eventually reached the point of starvation and poverty while the King continued to spend money at his own dispense. At the time the United States was hoping to use their alliance with France to gain an advantage over the British, but did not want to lose their much needed trade with the British.
King John and the barons were together in their interests for their kingdom. It wasn’t until the continued failures of King John that there interests started to change. The barons were fed up with the higher and higher taxes on their people. Their continued loss of their people in failed wars. Fed up by the series of failures of the king finally led to the baron’s revolt and put the king’s power in check.
The Common Dissent After a thirty-year presidency, Porfiro Diaz’s centralized agrarian policies favoring the elite haciendas had caused formidable rebellions in the North and South of Mexico. Diaz established many new technologies and industries only to appeal to the greater European investors. These industries, such as mines and sugar plants, robbed the people of their land, dehumanized working conditions and cut minimum wages resulting in major dissent among the suffering middle class. By October of 1910, during Madero’s release from prison, militant rebellions led by local leaders erupted in the North and South states killing several units of Federal troops. Separated geographically, Poncho Villa in the North and Emiliano Zapata in the South contrasted in both their origin and military strategy, while
In 1776 French government paid half its annual budget for interest of their debt. The French government was nearly bankrupt. First and second estates comprised ten percent of the population and were incredibly well-to-do, but the French government had no authority to tax them. French government raised taxes ruinously on the third estate, which were mostly poor peasant. Main causes of French revolution were poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
All of these steps toward a better future lead to the French Revolution. But why was there a French Revolution in the first place? Well, it began when King Louis XVI became the ruler of France in 1774. He was definitely not considered a good king. He heavily taxed the third estate, which comprised of merchants and peasants all together totaling to 98% of the population, in hopes to relieve the financial problems of France.
It shook the serfdom in the Middle Ages and pushed the Europe to get into a modern society. At the same time, the political status of the nobles declined while the bourgeoisie kept accumulating wealthy and then held the important posts in national political power center. Opportunities were provided for bourgeoisie to get stronger and the foundation was built for the beginning of the bourgeois revolution. Because of the lack of people, the labor intensity increased, and peasants required to enhance their salaries. However, the ruling class enacted to squeeze and exploit with their political power, which sharpened the contradiction and resulted in the uprisings.
This led to further economic collapse that hit its climax 1777. So in order for the government to dig its way out of this huge hole was for it to create new taxes, Calonne attempted to do this by side stepping the parliament which only resulted in a Nobles revolt and a call for an estates general. Brienne became the new minister to replace Calonne, however although his many attempts to try to fix the national debt and end the crisis he was sabotaged by Louis XVI and disgraced. Once again France was at this fragile point in its economy and with the high national debt and the high taxes that the 3rd estate, and second estate were paying it made it the perfect environment for a
History The transition from monarchy to republic in France during the French revolution was volatile under the three main governments. France went from one ruling government to the next starting with the National assembly, the national convention, and finally Napoleon. France's volatile transition began in the late 1700s When king Louis called a meeting for the 3 estates, because France was in financial debt , the monarch was collapsing , the peasants were starving and there was inequality amongst the 3 estates. The commoners which included the bourgeoisie, sans culottes , and the peasants made up 97 percent of the population but they paid the most taxes, owned very little land , and they only were entitled to 1 vote as an estate. The Nobles and the clergy who made up the other 2 estates paid either very little taxes or none at all and always voted a
The causes of the American revolution differ a lot from the causes of the French revolution. Both revolutions intended to change the actual government into a republic, but the causes that brought them in a revolution were different for many reasons. The French were used to the idea and life associated with a monarchy, and they did not have this change necessary until a nearly fatal economic depression showed them the weak points of their absolute monarchy. Before the revolution in France there were many inequalities in society. Under the Old Order with the King at the top, then the First, Second and the Third Estate there was a distinct difference between the rich people and the poor ones.