Causes of the French Revolution

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Causes of the French Revolution
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What factors led to the French Revolution?

• I.
• Absolute Monarchy
• Louis XVI (1774 - 1792)
• a. claim to divine right no longer as strong
• b. Louis XVI was too
• harsh in response
• to public criticism

Political Causes-
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II. Luxury spending War Debt
Economic Causes -
a. Absolute rulers spent more than the country
made
b. Marie Antoinette (Louis wife) was a
symbol for overspending was extremely
hated
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c. French spent too much in wars - American
Revolution (influenced French!) - Seven Years
War (vs. British for North American land)
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Social causes-

• III.
• Estates Rigid Social Structure
• (the Old Regime)
• French population was divided into three groups
• All three groups were unhappy with absolutism

Louis! Stop spending money!
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1st Estate clergy (made up 1)
2nd Estate nobles (made up 2)
3rd Estate ordinary people (made up 97)
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c. What is the 3rd Estate? The Nation!
- members included 1. Bourgeoisie
(professionals that made up the middle class)
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2. peasants and skilled laborers - largest
group - had the least amount of rights
privileges
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Intellectual Causes-

• IV.
• Spread popularity of Enlightenment Ideas
• Philosophers did not call for violent revolution
  b/c its against reason (logical thought
• Instead their ideas helped challenge the order of
  things (status quo) and created a revolutionary
  state of mind in France

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1. What were the three social classes that the
French population was divided into?
2. What social class complained about inequality
high taxes?
3. What kind of government is it when the people
have no rights are ruled by one person?