The Enlightenment

In the time leading up to the French Revolution, the working and middle classes of France began to embrace Enlightenment ideals espoused by popular writers and philosophers such as Voltaire, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Denis Diderot. These ideals included personal freedom and equality of all people Before the revolution, France was ruled by an absolute monarchy under the control of King Louis XVI. Thanks to the Enlightenment, such a system of government came to be despised. The people of France preferred a democratic government that would put control in the hands of the many, rather than in the hands of a privileged few.

Economic Crisis

By the time that Louis XVI took over as the King of France, the nation was practically bankrupt. Since France was an absolute monarchy, the king had complete control over the nation. They lacked a system of checks and balances such as a legislative body. This unchecked government led to gross fiscal irresponsibility such as spending an exorbitant sum of money building Versailles. In addition to this, the nation was plunged further into debt by fighting numerous wars, including the American Revolutionary War. France was not a huge trading nation at the time, so in order to offset the debt, Louis XVI raised taxes on the French people. The taxes were not evenly distributed and the burden was laid mostly on the lower working classes. These unfair and unjust taxes incensed the people.

Famine

As the old saying goes, "a hungry mob is an angry mob," and at the time leading up to the French Revolution, the people of France were indeed hungry. After facing a few consecutive harsh winters, there was a crop shortage. Grain prices skyrocketed making bread unaffordable to the common French peasants and leading to starvation. Bread riots broke out across the nation and led to mob rule in many places.

Perception of the Monarcy

The French monarchy was out of touch with the common French population. The most famous example of this is the famous quote from Marie Antoinette when she said "Let them eat cake" in response to the news that the people had no bread. That quote may not actually have been uttered, but the perception of the royals was that they were out of touch with the commoners and cared little for their strife. The rule of Louis XVI was also highly criticized due to its lack of transparency.

The American Revolution

A few years before the French revolution, France aided the American colonists in their war for independence against the British. The success of the American colonists and the establishment of a democratic republic based on Enlightenment philosophies sent shock waves throughout the world and inspired many oppressed people around the globe, including the French, to stand up and fight for their rights.