What were the main causes of the French Revolution?
ScanSolve AI Answer
The French Revolution (1789–1799) overthrew the monarchy due to:
1. Social inequality: The Three Estates system — clergy and nobles (2% of population) paid almost no taxes, while the common people (98%) bore the burden.
2. Financial crisis: France was bankrupt from wars (including helping America's revolution) and lavish royal spending at Versailles.
3. Enlightenment ideas: Philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau spread ideas about liberty, equality, and government by consent.
4. Food shortages: Bad harvests in 1788 caused bread prices to skyrocket, leading to widespread hunger.
The revolution began when the Third Estate formed the National Assembly, and the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 became its iconic moment.
Still stuck on this one?
Ask a follow-up, and the answer starts from this question.