Get Updates
Subscribe to receive instant notifications for new study materials and important updates.
Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revoluti... - India And The Contemporary World – I
Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France.
The circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France were:
Social Inequality: French society was divided into three Estates. The First (Clergy) and Second (Nobility) Estates enjoyed feudal privileges and were exempt from paying taxes. The burden of taxes fell entirely on the Third Estate (peasants, workers, lawyers, etc.).
Economic Problems: The state treasury was empty due to long years of war and the cost of maintaining the extravagant court at Versailles. To manage expenses, King Louis XVI was forced to increase taxes.
Subsistence Crisis: The population of France increased rapidly, leading to a high demand for food grains. Production could not keep pace with demand, causing the price of bread (the staple diet) to rise rapidly. A bad harvest due to hail or drought made the situation worse.
Role of Philosophers: Philosophers like John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu spread ideas of freedom, equal laws, and opportunities for all, inspiring the people against the monarchy.
Political Crisis (The Immediate Cause): In 1789, Louis XVI called an assembly of the Estates General to pass proposals for new taxes. The Third Estate demanded a "one person, one vote" system, which the King rejected. This led to the Third Estate walking out and forming the National Assembly.