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Causes of The French Revolution

The French Revolution began in 1789 due to a combination of social, economic, and political causes. The Third Estate, comprising 98% of the population, faced inequality and heavy taxation, while the country suffered from a financial crisis exacerbated by poor harvests and extravagant royal spending. Inspired by Enlightenment ideas, the people sought change against King Louis XVI's absolute rule, leading to the revolution.

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Manjuni Suresh
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34 views2 pages

Causes of The French Revolution

The French Revolution began in 1789 due to a combination of social, economic, and political causes. The Third Estate, comprising 98% of the population, faced inequality and heavy taxation, while the country suffered from a financial crisis exacerbated by poor harvests and extravagant royal spending. Inspired by Enlightenment ideas, the people sought change against King Louis XVI's absolute rule, leading to the revolution.

Uploaded by

Manjuni Suresh
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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󾓧 Document 3: Causes of the French Revolution

Subject: History
Topic: The French Revolution (1789)

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📌 Introduction

The French Revolution began in 1789 and changed France forever. It did not happen by
accident; it was the result of many problems that built up over years. Historians often
group these problems into social, economic, and political causes. Together, these
factors pushed the people to take action against the king and the unfair system.

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⚖ Social Causes

French society at the time was divided into three groups called the Three Estates. The
First Estate was the clergy, who were the leaders of the church. The Second Estate was
the nobles, who owned land and lived privileged lives. The Third Estate included
everyone else—peasants, city workers, and the middle class. The Third Estate made up
about 98% of the population, yet they had very few rights and had to pay most of the
taxes. This inequality caused anger and frustration among ordinary people.

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💰 Economic Causes

France was facing a serious financial crisis. The country had spent huge amounts of
money on wars, including helping the Americans in their fight for independence. The
king and his court at Versailles also spent too much money on luxury. At the same
time, poor harvests led to food shortages and high bread prices, making it hard for
ordinary people to buy enough food. The rising cost of living and unfair tax system
made many families suffer.

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🏰 Political Causes
King Louis XVI ruled with absolute power and did not listen to the problems of the
people. Many French people were also inspired by new ideas from the Enlightenment,
which taught about rights, freedom, and equality. These ideas made people question
why they had so little power while the king and nobles had so much.

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🧠 Conclusion

All these problems— an unfair society, serious economic crisis, and new political
ideas—came together to cause the French Revolution in 1789. The people of France
decided they could not accept the old system anymore and demanded change.

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