FRENCH REVOLUTION – THE BEGINNINGS
4 Main Causes 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 the 16th spent a lot of money on very luxurious things instead of being financially responsible.
- Also they still had war debts from the Seven Years war with England (1756-1763)
- Much of their debt was compiled because they weren’t exploring like their rival, England.
- England was able to use the colonies as a source of steady 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 not too thrilled with this idea. Also nobbles did not pay these taxes. They were taxing the people who couldn’t afford it and weren’t taxing the ones who could afford it.
Failure to 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 fo deeper and deeper 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 had wished for them to die. (conspiracy)
Guillotine:
- A structure for death.
- The condemned person is secured at the bottom of the frame with his or her head 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:
- Born in Vienna, Austria.
- Married Louis the 16th.
- 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 French revolution
- Became the emperor of the French in 1804.
- Known for Napoleonic code, height, battle tactics, and waterloo.
Comments