Major causes

 Social Inequality: French society in the eighteenth century

was divided into three estates namely The Clergy, The
nobility and third estates. First two estates, that is, the
clergy and the nobility enjoyed certain privileges by birth.
They were exempt from paying taxes. The Third estate
comprises of businessmen, merchants, Peasants and
artisans, labors had to pay taxes to the state. For hundreds
of years the people of France had blindly followed the king
and accepted their place in life. However, in the 1700s, the
culture began to change. The "Era of Enlightenment"
presented new ideas such as "liberty" and "equality." Also,
the American Revolution represented a new type of
government where the people ruled rather than a king.
 2. Political Causes: Long years of war had drained the
financial resources of France. France had a debt of more
than 2 billion livres. To meet its regular expenses, such as
the cost of maintaining an army, the court, running
government offices or universities, the state was forced to
increase taxes which angered the people. Before the
Storming of the Bastille, King Louis XVI had been losing
power within the French government. He was a weak king
and didn't realize how bad the situation was for the
commoners in France. The members of the Third Estate
formed the National Assembly to force the king to make
reforms. Not only was the king in conflict with the
commoners, but the king and the nobles could not agree
on reforms.
 3. Economic Problems: The population of France also
increased from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789.
Food grains were now in great demand. The price of
bread shot up. Wages did not keep pace with rising
prices. This led to subsistence crisis. In 1789, the
French government was in a major financial crisis. The
king had borrowed heavily to maintain a lavish
lifestyle. Also, the government had borrowed to fight
Great Britain in the Seven Years' War and to help the
Americans in the Revolutionary War.
 4. Strong Middle Class: A new middle class emerged
educated and wealthy during the eighteenth century.
They believed that no group in society should be given
privileges by birth. Ideas of equality and freedom were
put forward by philosophers. The ideas of these
philosophers were discussed intensively in salons and
coffee houses and spread among people.
 5. Immediate Causes: On 5 may, 1789, Louis XVI called
together an assembly of Estates General to pass
proposals for new taxes. Third estates protested
against this proposal but as each estate have one vote,
the king rejected this appeal. They walked out of the
assembly.
Some other causes.
 1. Under the Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, France had fought
against Prussia and the British Empire in amlan. They also
fought against Britain again in the American Revolution. They
borrowed much money to pay for the wars, and the country
became poor. 2. The high price of bread and low wages given to
workers caused the ordinary people to suffer from hunger and
malnutrition. This made them dislikes the rich nobles, who had
the money to eat well and build huge houses. 3. The Roman
Catholic Church, which owned the most land in France, put a tax
on crops called the dime (tithe) which hurt the poorest and
hungriest people as they were not able to afford the tax. 4. Ideals
of Enlightenment. Many people disliked absolute rule by the
royalty and the nobility. They could see that in other countries,
such as in the United States, which, in this time period, had just
been formed, people like them had more power over the
government. They also wanted freedom of religion.
Conclusion.
 1789 is one of the most significant dates in history –
famous for the revolution in France with its cries of
‘Liberté! Egalité! Fraternité!’ that led to the removal of
the French upper classes. The French Revolution didn’t
just take place in 1789. It actually lasted for another six
years, with far more violent and momentous events
taking place in the years after 1789. However, here we
examine the British reaction to the events in France
during this famous year – were the British government
extremely worried or did they see it as merely a few
minor disturbances?
 As the 18th century drew to a close, France’s costly
involvement in the American Revolution, and extravagant
spending by King Louis XVI and his predecessor, had left
the country on the brink of bankruptcy.
 Not only were the royal coffers depleted, but two decades of
poor harvests, drought, cattle disease and skyrocketing
bread prices had kindled unrest among peasants and the
urban poor. Many expressed their desperation and
resentment toward a regime that imposed heavy taxes – yet
failed to provide any relief – by rioting, looting and
striking. In the fall of 1786, Louis XVI’s controller general,
Charles Alexandre de Calonne, proposed a financial reform
package that included a universal land tax from which the
privileged classes would no longer be exempt.
