Podcast Beta
Questions and Answers
Which of the following philosophers emphasized reason, equality, and individual rights, contributing to the social causes of the French Revolution?
What was a major economic cause of the French Revolution?
What was a major social cause of the French Revolution?
What was an immediate cause of the French Revolution?
Signup and view all the answers
What was a result of the National Assembly's vow in the Tennis Court Oath?
Signup and view all the answers
What was a major political cause of the French Revolution?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Social Causes
- Enlightenment Ideas: Spread of liberal and democratic ideas from philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu, emphasizing reason, equality, and individual rights.
- Social Inequality: Rigid class system with privileges for the nobility and clergy, while the commoners (bourgeoisie and peasants) were heavily taxed and lacked representation.
Economic Causes
- Financial Crisis: France was deeply in debt from the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War, leading to heavy taxation and economic hardship.
- Poverty and Famine: Widespread poverty, famine, and food shortages, exacerbated by a harsh winter in 1788-89, increased discontent among the population.
Political Causes
- Absolute Monarchy: King Louis XVI's authoritarian rule and lack of accountability led to widespread discontent and calls for reform.
- Estates-General: The Estates-General, representing the three estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners), had not been convened since 1614, leading to feelings of powerlessness among the common people.
Immediate Causes
- Financial Crisis of 1789: The French government was on the brink of bankruptcy, leading to the summoning of the Estates-General in May 1789.
- Tennis Court Oath: The National Assembly's vow to continue their work on a new constitution, marking a turning point in the Revolution.
Social Causes
- Enlightenment ideas emphasizing reason, equality, and individual rights were spread by philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu, influencing the French population.
- France had a rigid class system with privileges for the nobility and clergy, while the commoners (bourgeoisie and peasants) were heavily taxed and lacked representation.
Economic Causes
- France was deeply in debt from the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War, leading to heavy taxation and economic hardship.
- Widespread poverty, famine, and food shortages, exacerbated by a harsh winter in 1788-89, increased discontent among the population.
Political Causes
- King Louis XVI's authoritarian rule and lack of accountability led to widespread discontent and calls for reform.
- The Estates-General, representing the three estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners), had not been convened since 1614, leading to feelings of powerlessness among the common people.
Immediate Causes
- The French government was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1789, leading to the summoning of the Estates-General in May 1789.
- The National Assembly took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing to continue their work on a new constitution, marking a turning point in the Revolution.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the social and economic factors that led to the French Revolution, including Enlightenment ideas and financial crises.
