Deals with the bourgeoise, Louis XVI, and the other classes in Revolutionary France Good work
The years before the French Revolution (which started in 1789 AD.) were ones of vast,
unexpected change and confusion. One of the changes was the decline of the power of the nobles,
which had a severe impact on the loyalty of some of the nobles to King Louis XVI. Another
change was the increasing power of the newly established middle class, which would result in the
monarchy becoming obsolete. The angry and easily manipulated peasants, who were used by the
bourgeoisie for their own benefit were another significant change, and finally the decline of the
traditional monarchy, that for so long had ruled, were all factors to the main point that the French
Revolution was caused by a political base, with social disorder and economic instability
contributing to the upheaval. All of the sub-factors relate with one-another, but are separate in
their own ways.
For centuries, the French noble was well set in society. He found prosperity and security
in the old regime, and all he had to do was pay homage to the king, and provide the king with his
services. This all came to a gradual stop, however beginning with the loss of the noble's power
over their own land at the hands of Louis XIV.1 This was the foundation of the revolte nobiliaire
in the fact that it formed a basis of mistrust, and anger for the monarch.2 In that time the feudal
system was still being practiced, so social status was based on the amount of land you could attain.
With no land, the nobles saw themselves to be as common as the common folk. Even in their
arrogance they saw that they were losing power. The next blow to...