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Causes of the French Revolution - Coggle Diagram
Causes of the French Revolution
Economic Conditions
Economy based on agriculture
Peasants were required to pay all the taxes
Bourgeoisie gathered wealth
Bankruptcy
Louis XVI used money on Versailles
Mary Antoinette was a wasteful spender
Government funds depleted from war
Privileged would not pay taxes
Assembly of nobles voted down for taxation for nobility
Deficit Spending
Government spending more money than it receives from taxes.
Absolutism
Single monarch having power over the people with unjust laws and Old Regime
Estates General
The king called a meeting to all estates so they could find a solution to bankruptcy.
Because the voting was conducted by estate rather than by population, the first and second estate had advantage, leaving the third estate got angry; and resulting in their banishment from the meeting.
Although they were banished, they still wanted to make a change therefore, they found a tennis court where they wanted to create a written constitution for France
King Louis was so desperate that he then decided to change the voting method and instead vote by population.
Influence of Previous Revolutions
England's Revolution: 1688-1689
American Revolution: 1775-1783
Great Fear
Worst famine in memory
The hungry peasants feared that the nobles as the Estates General were seeking privilege
Nobles were attacked
Believed that the king wanted to overthrow the third estate
Old Regime
Social political system existed during the 18th century
People were divided into three estates
1st: High-Ranking members of church + Privileged class
2nd: Nobility + Privileged class
3rd: Peasants in the country + Unprivileged class
Would support France's economy by paying taxes and working on Agriculture