Causes of the French Revolution Mr. Meester AP European History Pages: 592-603

Financial Crisis & Taxes Following the Seven Years’ War & American Revolution The French Government was severely in debt. France had problems getting enough tax revenue Attempts to tax the nobility were stopped by the Parlements Rene Maupeou nearly broke the Parlements but was dismissed The Parlements were run by the Nobles but had public support Sex scandals and living in Versailles marred the public’s view of the monarchy

Necker, Calonne, & Brienne In 1781, Finance Minister Jacques Necker issued a report that the situation wasn’t as bad as people believed. Necker was removed from office In 1786, Charles de Calonne became Minister of Finance He tried to encourage internal trade and new land taxes Calonne needed public support from the Assembly of Notables but couldn’t get it Etienne de Brienne replaced Calonne but couldn’t gain approval for new taxes Eventually Necker was brought back & the Estates General was called

Problems at the Estates General The 3 Estates clashed immediately The 3rd Estate refused to let the Aristocracy & Monarchy to determine the future alone The organization & voting in the Estates General was also debated Old social & political differences still existed Public outrage caused the “Doubling of the Third” Most representatives brought Cahiers de Doleances Showed a great deal of similarity in grievances between the estates

The National Assembly & Oath The 3rd Estate refused to sit a separate order & invited the aristocracy to form a new legislature. Formed the National Assembly Louis XVI tried to reassert control over the Estates General Locked National Assembly out of its meeting room Led to the Tennis Court Oath Finally agreed to voting by head Change would spread beyond the government

Fall of the Bastille Louis tried again to regain control this time by using the army and firing Necker The National Assembly wanted a limited monarchy Louis sided with conservative aristocrats The people of Paris reacted to these events and the price of bread violently on July 14th 1789 Storming of the Bastille The next day the National Guard gave command to Marquis de Lafayette This set the precedent of common citizens influencing the fight

The Great Fear Unrest also existed in the French countryside where the Great Fear led to peasant uprisings The Night of August 4th say the aristocrats in the National Assembly tried to end uprisings. They voluntarily gave up their special privileges It abolished the social distinctions of the Old Regime Louis XVI failed to understand the significance of these events The National Assembly had an ally in the people against the king and conservative aristocrats

The Declaration of the Rights of Man On August 27th the National Assembly issued a broad list of political principles known as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Drew on the Enlightenment and other documents It was directed at the abuses on the Old Regime It wasn’t an accident that it was addressed only to men

Women’s March on Versailles Louis didn’t immediately sign the Declaration Bread price had remained high for months 7000 armed women marched to Versailles demanding bread They forced him to not only sign but also move back to Paris