The French Revolution

The French Revolution

CAUSES

In France, the revolution started for many different reasons:

Social and economic

Political and ideological

In the second half of the 18th century, absolutism was criticised by the Enlightenment, and the American Revolution demonstrated that it could be destroyed.

All the social groups were unhappy.

• Both the nobility and the clergy had lost out to royal absolutism and, despite their fortunes, many had economic difficulty because of their high expenses.
• The bourgeoisie had no political influence, and their business was obstructed by the monarchical control of the economy.
• The peasantry, burdened by high taxes, could barely make ends meet.
• And urban popular groups lived in misery.

THE REVOLUTIONARY SPARK

The spark or immediate cause that led to the revolution was a double economic crisis:

Financial crisis

Food crisis

Motivated by the state's indebtedness due to the high military expenditures of the Court.

Due to poor harvests of previous years, which caused famine to spread across many parts of the country.

PERIODS

1791-1792

1789

1795-1799

ASSEMBLY LEGISLATIVE

DIRECTORY & CONSULATE

GENERAL STATES

THE CONVENTION

ASSEMBLY CONSTITUTIONAL

1789-1791

1792-1795

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