French Revolution Dbq

The French Revolution had a major impact on Frances society. Revolutions can be contagious; the American Revolution inspired the French in their revolution. Many conditions led up to the French Revolution. Political, social, and economical conditions caused anger and rage to people of the third class. The views of the Enlightenment inspired new ways of government and ways of living to society.

The French Revolution was a drastic time for the people of France. In 1789, the majority of people were living in poverty and dealing with terrible conditions. People were split into three estates: the first, second, and third, the first being the wealthiest. Political, economic, and social situations were what contributed to people’s desire for change. The three main, or biggest causes of the French Revolution, were taxes, inequality, and lack of reform.

It started because the third estate wanted equality, Liberty, and democracy. It happened and in Paris France. At the time Louis the 16th was the ruler of France. In 1993 Robespierre became leader of the committee of public safety. He governed France virtually as dictator and that period became known as The Reign Of Terror.

The French Revolution started in 1789 and lasted to 1814. The French Revolution had political , economic and social causes of the Revolution. The French Revolution people in France and outside of France. During the french Revolution there was political, economic and social advances that help their society thrive. “ The King ,Louis XVI,was absolute.

The French Revolution was a revolution in France from 1789 to 1799. It also led to the end of the monarchy, and to many other wars. But every revolution has a cause right? Whether it be a major argument or one person's different belief, it’s still a start. The causes of the French Revolution were a lack of guidance, an unstable economy, and ideas from the American Revolution.

The American Revolution, French Revolution, and seventeenth-century English revolutions were similar in the aspects of governmental systems, influences from European philosophies and religion, and military forces. Alike in opposition, each revolution had a desire to revolt due to poor ruling monarchies and lack of progression. All their attempts to topple the monarch power were to establish a new governing system. While doing so, each revolution was influenced by the emerging philosophy of Europe, the Age of Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment brought to light on the importance of liberty and rights of common people.

Approximately 40,000 people were executed. Known as the "Reign of Terror," 15% of the executed were nobles and the clergy and another 15% were people of the middle class. The remaining executed citizens were peasants and san-culottes. All of them had one thing in common: death by guillotine, a new execution engine with a falling blade. Endorsed by Maximilien Robespierre, the guillotine brought great fear to citizen across France.

Robespierre said he was for the people, but he abused his power, and used it in the wrong way. He also tried to convince the people he was for a democracy. He thought that only the people who supported the democracy should live, so he started killing the citizens who were against the democracy. That meant that 500 people died a day, caused by Robespierre. (Source

The French Revolution had the French in debt with bad leadership and financial corruption. Absolute monarchies were the accurate ways to run a country. They caused many problems with the people. One main family passed on leadership through generation to generation known as the Louis family. Louis XIV left France in debt when he created Versailles and attempted to make the most powerful nation.

The worst period of the Revolution occurred from 1793 to 1794 during the ‘Reign of Terror’. This was led by a man called Maximilien Robespierre and he was one of the most powerful men in the Revolution. He organised for the law to be changed so that anyone suspected of being opposed to the revolution could be killed. Approximately 40,000 people were executed or died in prison during this time. By July 1794, Robespierre was executed as people would not longer tolerate his extreme cruelty.

Comte de Mirabeau claimed that “In times of anarchy one may seem a despot in order to be a saviour.” The National Assembly created the Committee of Public Safety, of which Robespierre was the most notable. The Committee’s abuse of power led to the Terror, which occurred from 1793-1794 and clearly demonstrates a period of anarchy, in which measures were taken to stabilise France. Robespierre’s despotic actions during the Terror agree with Mirabeau’s viewpoint. Robespierre’s despotic actions include; his exploitation of fear, his de-Christianisation of France and his organised execution of ‘enemies of the revolution.’

During the Eighteenth Century, France had an absolute monarchy with Louis XVI as king and Marie Antoinette as queen. In that time period, French society was based upon a system of Estates where the clergy made up the First Estate; the nobility comprised the Second Estate, and everyone else including professionals, peasants, and the bourgeoisie made up the Third Estate. The Third Estate was immensely unhappy with the old regime, the Estates General, and Louis XVI’s leadership. France was also in the midst of a fiscal crisis due to the American Revolution, Louis XVI’s lavish lifestyle, the Seven Years War, and the tax exemption of the First and Second Estate. Following the surge of new ideas and impactful philosophers from the Enlightenment,

The French Revolution began in 1789 and was a disruption for a modern society and economy. Two of the many causes of the revolution were disagreements between the nobles, the monarchy, and the middle class, or bourgeoisie, and Louis XVI’s unsuccessful rule. During this period, like in other periods in Europe, people from different classes had different opinions as to how rights should be distributed. The poor suffered greatly as they always had without important necessities, such as food and shelter. Assistance was to be given to the poor.

The French Revolution was caused by the French government’s inability to unite their people as one nation and address the people’s demand for reformation of unjust taxation and citizen equality causing uprisings and revolts among middle and lower class people. The French government was already unstable after their assistance in the United States with their fight for independence, which put France in tremendous debt. Since the nobles and the clergymen were favored by the government, taxes were forced upon the Third Estate resulting in even more unrest. All citizens were not equal under the law, and the government was too occupied by their financial situation to focus on fixing the inequality and lack of representation among their own citizens.

The French Revolution was one of the most significant wars that changed France’s history. The Revolution started in 1789 and ended in 1799 and was mainly initiated by the conditions affecting the Third Estate. Louis XVI was predominately the king during this time period but little did he know that an uprising among the peasants was happening. The French Revolution was caused by the Enlightenment ideas because of the American Revolution, the knowledge of rights, and the questioning of France’s government. The American Revolution was basically the “fire” that ignited the change the Third Estate wanted to see in their country.