King Louis XVI: The Political Spark of the French Revolution

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There were many causes to the French Revolution including social, economic, political and intellectual. I believe that the most influential cause to start the french revolution was political. I think this because King Louis XVI, rather than pay for his starving citizens, decided to support the American Revolution by taxing the lower class. Also he used most the taxes he collected, from the working class, to throw huge parties for the rich only and he also splurged on his wife with this money as well. Finally king Louis XVI was the absolute monarch in a country that wanted equality and rights. The first reason why King Louis XVI was a bad monarch was because he let old rivalries get in between him and his country. King Louis decided that he wanted to “get back” at Great Britain, because of their rivalry with France, by supporting the American side in the American Revolution. And you are …show more content…

I guess he thought that because he had unlimited access to the countries money he could just do as he pleased with it. He thought wrong! He soon realized that he was going through the money that was neither his nor his wife's money way too fast so he decided to increase the tax burden on the poor which led to a revolution. Because of this the citizens of France decided to write the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen which had many important statements that accused King Louis of wrongdoing and that all should be treated equal. Also in statement fourteen the document said that if there is going to be taxes that all must pay them, not just the poor, and that they don't want taxes and they think they are not fair. This all is political because the taxes were implemented by the absolute monarch and enforced by the government to be paid and the King set the guidelines for this by only making the poor pay them. (DRMC,

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