The French Revolution

Causes of the French Revolution

The statement citing the essential cause of the French

Revolution as the "collision between a powerful, rising bourgeoisie

and an entrenched aristocracy defending it's privileges" has great

pertinence in summarizing the conflict of 1789. The causes of the

French Revolution, being provoked by this collision of powers, was the

Financial debt of the government and the long-standing political

differences in the government.

Over the course of twenty-five years after the Seven Years' War,

the government of France--the Bourgeoisie royalty, could not manage

it's finances on a sound basis. This was worsened when France aided

the American Revolution against Great Britain. The Government had

reached great financial debt. The problem lied and continued because

of the government's inability to tap the wealth of the French nation

by taxation. There was a great paradox in France being a rich nation

with a government in poverty. The deteriorating finances of the

government is what triggered the prolonged differences between the

Bourgeoisie and the aristocracy.

The political differences between the monarchy and the nobles

came about after the Seven Years' war also. The increasing debt of the

government escalated the hope for the monarchy to resume a "absolute

power" status as it did with Louis XIV. However this could not be

accomplished because of the doubt that the public had towards the

present kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, and the public could not be

swayed to help. The only result of the attempts for absolutism by the

monarchy were a series of new and increase taxes on the nobles. The

aristocracy immediately reacted to these taxes as declaring them

unfair and would