History: French Revolution: Discuss how the social and political situation made fertile ground for the French revolution

Essay by W-KrptoniteHigh School, 10th gradeA-, February 2004

download word file, 3 pages 4.0

Downloaded 89 times

Discuss the social and political causes made fertile ground for the French revolution

King Louis XVI of France married Marie Antoinette, and together they lived in luxury, at the palace of Versailles while his people suffered. King Louis ruled as an absolute monarch.

He believed in the 'Divine Right of kings' (that the King is a messenger from G-d and was put on the throne by G-d and only G-d can remove him from the Throne and not the people). A question arises : Should the social and Political factors have resulted in a Revolution of a country?

For the upper classes life was easier as they had privileges that peasants and third estate never had. For example, First estate and clergy could hunt and fish for sport but third estate could not fish or hunt for food. This frustrated peasants as they were starving and did not have food for their families.

The 1st Estate clergy were divided into an Upper clergy and Lower clergy - The upper Clergy having many privileges and the Lower Clergy being deprived. It was not unknown for a Noble having to work for ends meet every day because he belonged to Lower clergy. Lower clergy (only received 15% of church's income)

Nobles of the Estate made peasants suffer with high taxation, Hard labour and sharing of crops. This caused hatred amongst the peasants but they could not do anything about it due to the fact that they were uneducated. Their dislike of the upper classes kept building up which leads back to the question of why did the revolution happen. It is easier to understand, when realising that 95% of France's population lived in poverty.

Nobles of the Sword (who's ancestors were knights) lived at Versailles despite being uneducated and unqualified. The situation...