French Revolution Analysis Essay

Causes of the French Revolution

To the rest of the world in the 1700s, France could be described as utopia. During this time, it was considered the most advanced country of Europe, with population of 26 million and a prosperous foreign trade. It was the center of the Enlightenment and when the Enlightenment reached its height in the mid 1770s, Paris became the meeting place for philosophes to discuss politics and ideas. However, the people of France were desperate for change and reform, the outward success and appearance of France was misleading. This great unrest in France led to the French Revolution which stated in 1789. Nonetheless, what started in France as reform, which is a change in the system, transformed into a revolution, which is change of the system. This desire for change and reform which sparked revolution, was a result of social, economic and political causes. The French revolution would not have been possible without the social causes which instigated the need for change.

The French revolution was unavoidable, because of the the Old Regime which was the social and political system of Francein the 1700s. This system separated the people of France into three estates or social classes. The first estate consisted of the clergy and the second estate was formed by the nobility. On the other hand, the third estate which was about 97 percent of the population consisted of the bourgeoisie or middle class, urban workers and peasants. (Beck 217) It is implied that the French revolution was inevitable because of the Old Regime, and it is depicted that under this the system the gap between the population and power of the estates were vast. The first and second estates enjoyed privileges such as exemption from paying taxes and access to high offices. On the other hand, despite the third estate’s large population it had no power to influence the government and were heavily taxed. (Beck 218) This shows that the old regime was unequal and created social...