March 28th 2013

French Revolution: The Beginnings

Causes of the French Revolution

Debt

French gov’s debt was around 8 to 12 billion livre (their currency)
Louis XVI spent a lot of money on very luxurious 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 compiled because they weren’t exploring like than rival, England
England was able 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 country, you cannot have high tariffs, so you need to tax heavily on your people (bad)
Masses of people of France were not too thrilled with this idea. Also nobles did not pay these taxes.

Failure of Reform

Some French “economists” stated that the nobles should be included in taxation
This plan backfired, as peasants had to pay even more than before
France continued to stick with their economic plan even though they were continuing to go deeper and deeper into debt

Famine

Crop failure in the 1780’s didn’t help much
Supply and demand occurs here with bread
Got to the point where peasants thought the crown had wished for them to die (conspiracy)

Guillotine

The condemned person is secured at the bottom of the frame, with his or her neck held directly below the blade
However, it continued to be used long after the Revolution and remained France’s standard method of judicial execution until the abolition of capital punishment with the backing of President Francois Mitterrand in 1981 (a little more than 30 years ago)

Marie Antoinette

Napoleon

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