Main Causes of the French Revolution – Flashcards

Enlightenment ideas, Economic Troubles, Weak Leader, Meeting of the Estates General, National Assembly, and Tennis Court Oath.

New views about power and authority, inspired by the American Revolution, demand equality, liberty, and democracy (from Rousseau/Voltaire). Government should be about the people

France's economy was declining should have never got involved with American Revolution. Government was in debt. American Revolution inspired French Revolution

People wanted to become a democracy and it doubled their debt.

Production and Trade were expanding but the burden of taxes made it hard to conduct business profitably.

Burden of taxes upset nobility and Cost of living increased

Bad weather caused crop failure which lead to shortage of grain=price of bread doubled. People starved.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette spent a lot of money. Louis borrowed money from other kings. Borrowed money from bankers for American Revolutionaries in their war against Great Britain (DOUBLED THEIR DEBT). Bankers eventually refused to lend anymore money.

Louis XVI was indecisive, paid little attention to government advisers, and had little patience. He was born into the throne...didn't want the hardships of being king. He wanted to make everyone happy (hid from his problems). Queen had poor advice and interfered in government which was bad because she was a member of the royal family in Austria who is France's enemy (married to Louis as a peace treaty)

Louis' solution was to impose taxes on the Second Estate (nobility) because he reached his limit on taxing the Third Estate. Third Estate was starving, very poor, and already pay 50% of their earnings. Second Estate forced him to call a meeting of the Estates General to approve this new tax at Versailles.

It was to figure out how to deal with the crisis and who to tax. Each Estate only gets one vote which isn't fair because if it was a democracy, each delegate should get one vote. This would help the Third Estate because they have the most delegates (97% of population). Third Estate wanted to change the government. Also, each Estate met in a different room. They called themselves the National Assembly.

Third Estate called themselves this. They passed laws in the name of the French people.

Louis was not happy with the National Assembly so he locked them out of the meeting room (put a note on the door that said it was closed for cleaning). The National Assembly met at the Tennis Court and they refused to leave until they had drawn out the new constitution.

Proclaimed the end of absolute monarchy and beginning of representative government. This was the first movement towards the French Revolution.

The lofty goals of those who supported it were "Life, Liberty, Fraternity". They wanted equal taxation and rights for all classes.

Enlightenment period ended because the french revolution went so poorly

Held at Versailles which was one cause for debt (so expensive to build), Louis did not create debt but inherited most of it and created some of it.