French Revolution
Causes:
• Debt
• Taxation Issues
• Failure of Reform
Famine Debt:
• French government was in debt around 8 to 12 billion livre – more than our current debt
• Louis XVI spent a lot of money on luxurious things, instead of being responsible
• Lots of war debts from Seven Year’s War (with England) 1756-1763
• Much of their debt was compiled because they weren’t exploring like rival England
• England was able to use colonies as steady source of income
• France hadn’t completely bought into mercantilism either, but England had Taxation
• France at this time was heavily involved in trading (good)
• However, to be a good trading country, you can’t have high tariffs(tax on imported goods), so you need to tax heavily on people (bad)
• Masses of people (peasants) of France were not happy. Nobles (high class) didn’t have to pay any taxes.
Failure of Reform
• Some French “economists” stated that the nobles should be included in taxation
• This backfired, as peasants had to pay even more than before
• France continued to stick with their economic plan, even though they were continuing deeper into debt Famine
• Crop failure in 1780s didn’t help
• Supply and demand occurs here with bread
Guillotine
• Got to the point where peasants though the crown had wishes for them to die (conspiracy) Guillotine
• Condemned person is secured at bottom of frame, with his neck held directly below blade
• It used long after Revolution and remained France’s standard method of execution until abolition of capital punishment with the backing of President Francois Mitterrand in 1981
Marie Antoinette
• Born Vienna, Austria
• Married Louis the XVI
• Became Queen of France
• Had two sons and two daughters
• Very popular at beginning of reign
• At end, very unpopular
• Executed by guillotine
Napoleon
• Military leader during later stages of Revolution
• Became Emperor of French in 1804
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