Economic Downfall and Revolution: The Case of France

When people go hungry, they go crazy, and no country has experience this quite like France. The economy in France was going down a spiral after King Louis XV died and left a young and irresponsible Louis XVI in charge. Louis XVI had many opportunities to save France from impending economic depression, by taxing the nobles, so that the financial responsibility would not fall on the lower classes (Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution). This dark time in France’s history claimed the lives of over 20,000 people and even the leaders of the revolution. The French government was in a weak and vulnerable place after the Revolution and ripe for a change in leadership. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte, threw a successful coup d’état and took control

The French mercantilism system was failing and Louis XIV worked hard to keep France at the high standard, but the system itself was going under. When Louis XV ascended to power, he knew that he could only lead the country, but not save it, he even said, “After me, the deluge” (Nary). He passed away, and left the throne to his grandson Louis XVI, in 1774. Louis XVI married Austrian Princess, Marie Antoinette and together they continued to dip into France’s monetary resources. This element is presented in the book, by the Marquis’ brothers. This was seen with the older and more responsible Evremonde brother in charge and then change of power to the very irresponsible younger one. As the younger one raped a girl and murdered her brother, his older one tried to save them by asking Dr. Manette to save them, and the doctor failed. When his conscious got to him, and he attempted to talked, they sent him to the Bastille, to ensure the ‘purity’ of the family name (Dickens Ch. 10). Leadership from both the nobility and the Royal Family contributed to the hostile environment created in France before the

Louis hired two renowned French economists to try and balance the budget, but they both told him the same thing: he needs to tax the nobles. Louis was a pushover, so when he brought the idea up to the nobles, and they told him no, he conceded. After pressure from the Parlement of Paris, Louis called in the French equivalent to Parliament, the Estates General after over 100+ years of adjournment to force the nobles to pay up. Within two weeks, Louis disbands the Estates General for the more democratic National Assembly, headed by sympathetic clergyman Sieyes. This is the group that is behind the famous Tennis Court Oath, that some of the nobles will work effortlessly, until a constitution that encompasses equality for all the French citizens is drafted (Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution). However, there were bread riots spreading throughout France, so fearing a riot in Paris, Louis called in the army for safety. The common revolutionary in France faced the army and feared a counter revolution. They go to the local jail to arm themselves. When the citizens go to the Bastille, they were able to communicate with the governor of the jail, but when the anxious guards fired a shot, all hell broke loose. The rebels stormed the jail and broke down the building stone by stone. They released seven prisoners and only got a few guns. The governor of the Bastille, De Launay, was