Causes

There are 3 significant causes that motivated the French Revolution. They were all economically, politically and socially related.

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The French government were broke and just about bankrupt. They owed money to many other European nations but were incapable of making any repayments. This was for a number of reasons, but the biggest 2 reasons was: 1. The funding of wars; most notably the Seven Years War against Britain and Prussia, and the American War of Independence where they backed the 13 colonies on the Eastern Coast of America against Britain also. 2. Excessive spending by the King. Despite many people living in poverty and the country on the verge of bankrupcy, King Louis XVI continued to spend unrealisticly on lavish items for himself and his wife.
 * Debt and Increasing of taxes.**

French society was divided into 3 estates: 1. The clergy (the church was the biggest individual land owner in France and paid no taxes); 2. The nobility (who owned close to 90% of the land, given many birthrights and also paid no taxes); 3. Anyone who wasn't in the first 2 estates (paid all the taxes and had no say at all).
 * Unfair Social Divisions and Unfair Laws.**

The many tremendously unfair laws were probably the biggest influence for the French Revolution.

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The Enlightenment Movement promoted the use of scientific reasoning to justify everything instead of relying on faith alone. This was very radical at the time. One of the most radical ideas was that ordinary people should be able to elect their leaders instead of it being assumed that they are leaders through the divine right of God. This was very appealing to the ordinary people.
 * New Ideas from the Enlightenment Movement.**


 * Other causes related the significant 3 causes.**
 * Poor agricultural harvests from terrible winters and famine:** this caused serious food shortages and lower wages. Therefore hunger and lack of work was a big issue for many people. Still the govenrnment continued to fund unaffordable wars and the king was spending and eating lavishly.
 * Severe economic depression:** Came about as a result of the debt and wasteful spending. King Louis XVI wanted to increase the taxes for the 3rd estate as a result, but they were already struggling enough as it was.



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