French Monarchs had unlimited power and ruled with divine right. Louis XIV (1643-1715) of the House of Bourbon was a powerful king, but not always a good one. He ran France into a huge economic debt which took many years to recover from. Later, Louis XVI (1774-1793) took the throne. During that period, the economic condition of France became weaker than it already was. France had a series of ineffective kings which later would influence the beginning of the French Revolution. Militarily, French people were becoming very nationalist and valued the idea of the rich brotherhood that one had in his country. A French Soldier, Francois-Xavier Joliclerc, shows his nationalist ideas in a letter home to his mother. “If I should perish there, you ought to rejoice. Can one make a finer sacrifice than to die for one’s country?” ( Joliclerc 1). The nationalist ideas that this soldier had were becoming common throughout the country. These ideas fueled the French Revolution. The French Revolution was caused not only because the people were unhappy with their rulers, but also because they were developing nationalist ideas in their military. There was a huge tax inequality between the three estates and the Monarchs were spending carelessly in the years which led to the French Revolution. The poor economic condition of France began during Louis XIV’s rule. Louis ran the country into a deep debt. His involvement …show more content…
It took place from 1789 to the the late 1790s. The events leading up to it all had enormous effects. The country was not consistent in many ways. It was suffering from political, economical, social, and religious problems. France did not have a good ruler and the absolute monarchy getting out of date. There was a great tax inequality between the estates. The estates system holding France back from advancement. Ideas of Enlightenment and the teaching of intelligent thinkers such as, John Locke and Voltaire, spread like wildfires and fueled the Revolution. The American Revolution was going on as people began to think about revolting. The French people were inspired by the American revolutionaries. The French Revolution was influenced by many ideas from the century which led up to