The French Revolution: The Beginnings
- Cause of the Revolution
- debt
- taxation issues
- failure to reform
- famine
- Debt
- the debt of the french government was around 8 to 12 billion livre (their currency)
- louis XVI spent a lot of money on very luzurious things, instead of being financially responsible
- also they still had war debts from the Seven Year's War (with england) 1756-1763
- much of their debt was complied because they weren't exploring like their rival, england
- england was abled to use the colonies as a steady source of income
- france had not completely bought into Mercantilism either at this time like England had
- Taxation
- france at this time was heavily involved in trading (good)
- however, to be a great trading coutry, you connot have high tariffs, so you need to tax heavily on your people (bad)
- masses of people of France, not too thrilled with this idea. also nobles did not pay these taxes
- Failure to Reform
- Some French "economists" stated that the nobles should be included in taxation
- That plan backfired, as peasants had to pay evem more
- France stuck to the plan digging them further and further into debt
- Famine
- Crop failure in the 1780's didn't help much either
- supply and demand occurs here with bread.
- got to the point where peasants thought the crown wished for them to die
- Guillotine
- Structure for Death
- the guilty person would be locked in the contraption
- it lasted a long time after the revolution up until about 30 years ago
Marie Antoinette
- born in vienna, austria
- married louis the XVI
- became the queen of france
- had two sons and two daughters
- very popular with the people at the beginning of her reign
- at the end of her reign, very unpopular
- executed by the guillotine
Napoleon
- Military leader during the later stages of the revolution
- became the emperor of the french in 1804
- known for
- napoleonic code
- height
- battle tactics
- waterloo
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