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The French Revolution of 1789 is an extraordinarily complicated and complex time period. The country was having financial, social and political problems all of which contributed to the outbreak of the war. France, had two Kings each of whom ruled the country in different ways but both were effected tremendously by the people. When an absolute monarch is in control the king is supposed to have complete control over the country and therefore in order to be a successful or well-liked King he must be able to connect to the people. In order to successful govern a country through an absolute monarchy it is important for the King to solve the problems or attempt to solve the problems that the people need. Neither Louis XV or Louis XVI demonstrated the best way to govern through an absolute monarchy which made it difficult for France to improve for a long period of time. Louis XVI in particular divided the country into three classes which obviously divided the country and would …show more content…
undoubtedly make it more difficult to gain the support of all the people. While the reign of both kings did impact the outbreak of the French revolution specifically because of the financial problems the country was going through the Enlightenment proved to have a significant impact on this wars occurrence. The enlightenment ideas that spread throughout Europe encouraged people in France to desire and attempt for changes to be made.
It seemed they were fascinated by the outcome of the American Revolution and the basis of freedom in general. Because ideas from thinkers like Voltaire spread it made people more anxious for change and therefore the association with the outbreak of the French revolution and the enlightenment go together. Overall, The French Revolution was in some ways almost bound to happen if you consider all of the circumstances and problems the country was having. From economic problems, to social discrepancy to new enlightenment ideas the problems effected almost every group of people. It is not whether one is more responsible then the other it is more the idea that the country had so many long term problems that it was bound to burst at some point. The fact that the condition of the country was so bad in so many different ways proved that France needed to undergo serious
changes. John Locke: John Locke was an enlightenment observer that based his ideas off the negative ideas from a previous thinker. He based his ideas off of a blank slate in which he believed that every human being was born with this blank canvas and all understanding and thinking comes from experiences the individual goes through. One of the main things he is going against in this idea is divine right because the authority given by god to a king is not possible if this blank slate is true. According to Locke the government does not deserve to have power over anything but life liberty and property and by creating a better society human beings will be better. Physiocrats: This was a group of French men who were interested and specialized in the economy. Based on the fiscal condition of France during the 17th century they created and thought of economic reforms that could help the country and they continued to become more widespread during the 18th century. One of the main changes they wanted to make was the government’s involvement with trade. They believed that by limiting the governments involvement in the trading industry the economy would benefit. Their ideas aligned with the laisez fair theory. Cogito ergo sum: This phrase translates to “I think therefore I am” and comes from Descartes. During the time of the scientific revolution people were trying to stray from the traditional ways of thought and explanations and Descartes was one of these people. His idea was that everything needs to have factual information to back it up. Parlement: This was the court of law in France. This was made up of a group of people who were able to vote on things but could not make them official. This was one way that France strayed about from an absolute monarch as it allowed other people to make some decisions or have a say. By establishing this group of people they were able to have more opinions and hopefully a more thoughtful decision made. This also showed the collaboration between the monarch and the people which was a major step for France. Bloody Mary: Bloody Mary was the Queen of England during the 16th Century Reformation . She was the daughter to King Henry the 8th and quickly established the nickname of bloody Mary. The reasoning for her nickname is because of her brutal and deadly approach to trying to reinstate Catholicism throughout England. In her attempt to make England catholic again she killed many protestant followers.
The French revolted due to political, economic, and social injustices. Politically, the government was a mess. An absolute ruler can only be beneficial to the people if they cater to
This oppression of the Third Estate along with the financial problems that fell on the common people would lead to the French Revolution. Overall, the people of France revolted against the monarchy because of the unsuccessful estate system and the inequality it led to, because of the new enlightenment ideas that inspired them, and because of the failures of the monarchy.
The French Revolution started during 1789, it allowed for the people to have a better government that actually protected the natural rights of the people. This toke a nearly a decade of rioting and violence for the Third Estate to have their way and get the rights they deserved. From all the causes like the famine of wheat, long debts because of wars, the heavy taxes, and their rights not being protected, some causes stood out more than the others. It is noted that these reasons had to play a major role in order for the French Revolution to occur. The three most important causes of the French revolution are the ideas that came from the Enlightenment, the Old Regime not being an efficient class system, and the heavy taxation.
Beginning in mid-1789, and lasting until late-1799, the French Revolution vastly changed the nation of France throughout its ten years. From the storming of the Bastille, the ousting of the royal family, the Reign of Terror, and all the way to the Napoleonic period, France changed vastly during this time. But, for the better part of the last 200 years, the effects that the French Revolution had on the nation, have been vigorously debated by historian and other experts. Aspects of debate have focused around how much change the revolution really caused, and the type of change, as well as whether the changes that it brought about should be looked at as positive or negative. Furthermore, many debate whether the Revolutions excesses and shortcomings can be justified by the gains that the revolution brought throughout the country. Over time, historians’ views on these questions have changed continually, leading many to question the different interpretations and theories behind the Revolutions effectiveness at shaping France and the rest of the world.
The French Revolution, also known as the revolution of 1789, was a movement that helped shape France into what it is today. The Revolution may have started in 1787 but it wasn’t till 1789 when the revolution actually started to become worse. The Revolution had many reasons for why it started, but it was only a few major things that really made it happen.
When Louis the XIV began his rule in 1643, his actions immediately began to suggest and absolute dictatorship. Because of the misery he had previously suffered, one of the first things he did was to decrease the power of the nobility. He withdrew himself from the rich upper class, doing everything secretly. The wealth had no connection to Louis, and therefore all power they previously had was gone. He had complete control over the nobles, spying, going through mail, and a secret police force made sure that Louis had absolute power. Louis appointed all of his officials, middle class men who served him without wanting any power. Louis wanted it clear that none of his power would be shared. He wanted "people to know by the rank of the men who served him that he had no intention of sharing power with them." If Louis XIV appointed advisors from the upper classes, they would expect to gain power, and Louis was not willing to give it to them. The way Louis XIV ruled, the sole powerful leader, made him an absolute ruler. He had divine rule, and did not want to give any power to anyone other than himself. These beliefs made him an absolute ruler.
middle of paper ... ... Revolutionists fought for a government by the people and for the people, one where everyone was equal and had the right to vote. The Enlightenment changed the way people viewed politics, the government, and religion. It made the people realize what they wanted France to be, eventually causing them to revolt against the government, making France a republic.
The French Revolution started in 1787 because the country was going through financial difficulties and there was unrest between the classes of citizens in the country. The differences between the lower class citizens and higher classes, being nobles and the monarchy were great. The citizens had heard of the revolution that went on in the colonies and they also wanted freedom and independence. The real start of the French Revolution was on July 14, 1789, with the storming of the Bastille. Between 1789 1793, a constitution was written, feudalism was abolished, war had broken out, and King Louis XVI was put to death. In late 1793 and early 1794, Maximilien Robespierre became the head of the Committee of Public Safety in France. This was the new governing body in France; it could be compared to the executive branch of a government. Robespierre was a great leader, he ins...
1. Why and how did the French Revolution take a radical turn entailing terror at home and war with European powers?
The revolutions that swept the world from 1765 to 1815 was an era marked by both relatively peaceful enlightenment based overthrows of repressive governments, and extremely bloody uprisings based on violence and the repression of its own citizens. The United States revolution lasting from 1775 to 1783 and the French revolution lasting from 1789 to 1799 fit these descriptions perfectly; and although they both fall under the same time period, these revolutions could not differ more. When compared to each other, the ideas that the American and French revolutions were founded on were similar, but the outcomes and the ways in which each revolution were executed were vastly different.
The Enlightenment was a major influence of the French Revolution. The Enlightenment caused the revolution in three ways. First of all, the Enlightenment made people see how France was not a perfect society. It opened their eyes to the fact that France was helping other countries more. For example, the French government gave money to support the American Revolution while the people in their own country need money. Also, Voltaire who was an Enlightenment thinker caused uproar by the peasants upon his return to France when he announced that England was superior to France (Voltaire 7). Second, it made people skeptical about whether the government was there to fulfill their duty of protecting the people’s natural rights. The Enlightenment encouraged people to question divine right, the God-given authority rulers claimed to have (Enlightenment, Its Origins and the French Revolution 15). Finally, it made the third estate realize how the taxation was simply greed. It made their eyes open to the fact that...
An Analysis of the Absolute Monarchy of France in the 17th Century This historical study will define the absolute monarchy as it was defied through the French government in the 17th century. The term ‘absolute” is defined I the monarchy through the absolute control over the people through the king and the royal family. All matters of civic, financial, and political governance was controlled through the king’s sole power as the monarchical ruler of the French people. In France, Louis XIII is an important example of the absolute monarchy, which controlled all facts of military and economic power through a single ruler. Udder Louis XIII’s reign, the consolidation of power away from the Edicts of Nantes to dominant local politics and sovereignty
“An absolute monarchy is a type of government in which the monarch rules with absolute control, with no limitation from any law or type of constitution (Totally history, 2013)”. Born on September 5, 1638, Louis XIV was destined to become the next ruler of France, he assumed power on May 14, 1643, when he was just four years old and along his side was his mother Anne of Austria and the chief minister Mazarin. When Louis started his reign France was politically corrupt, weakened, and divided by the rebelling nobles but Louis XIV was very determined to unifying France and gain power, resulting the establishment of France as the dominant European power. Louis XIV reign lasted for seventy-two years, the longest in European history. Louis XIV successfully controlled the nobility, peasantry, military, religion, and the taxes and government spending of France, embodying the definition of an absolute monarch.
There are several factors that led to the Revolution. King Louis XV and King Louis XVI both led extremely extravagant lives. They spent a lot of the government's money on luxuries even while the government had some financial problems. One of the government's main jobs back then was to protect their country from, and manage wars. In the Seven Years War against England, France spent large sums of money on the war effort but they still lost the war and had to give up their colonies in North America. Many French citizens regarded this loss as a major humiliation.
Revolution? The major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes between the different types of social classes in French society. The French Revolution of 1789-1799 was one of the most important events in the history of the world. The Revolution led to many changes in France, which at the time of the Revolution, was the most powerful state in Europe. The Revolution led to the development of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism. It questioned the authority of kings, priests, and nobles. The Revolution also gave new meanings and new ideas to the political ideas of the people.