THEFrench Revolution of 1789it represents one of the most important events in contemporary Western society, thanks mainly to the political legacy left as a model of state organization. It was also important because it was the moment of the rise of the bourgeoisie among the social classes of the nascent capitalist society.
Among the factors that resulted in the French Revolution there are economic and sociopolitical problems. In the 1780s, agricultural production, the basis of the French economy, suffered from climatic problems. led to bad harvests, increasing food prices and causing malnutrition and misery for much of the population.
There was also a crisis in manufacturing production as a result of an agreement with England, the Eden-Rayneval Treaty, of 1786, which accepted lower taxes on English manufactured goods in exchange for lower taxes on French wine in the market English. The result was bankruptcies and unemployment.
There was also a political crisis of the French Absolutist Monarchy, mainly linked to the increase in court expenses and the wars in which France was involved. Faced with this, King Louis XVI called the Assembly of the States General to try to contain these problems. Since 1614 that Assembly was not convened.
She was formed by three states: the first state, which was formed by the clergy; the second state, constituted by the nobility; and the third estate, which consisted of all the rest of society, such as bourgeois, merchants, artisans, wage workers, peasants, etc.
However, there was a social crisis, mainly because the three States did not follow the new division of society, especially with the economic weight conquered by the bourgeoisie. On the other hand, the first two states essentially ended up being composed of very similar social sectors, since the clergy was also a large rural landowner, like the nobility.
The peasant population no longer supported the heavy taxes they were obliged to pay to the nobility and the church. To contain this dissatisfaction, King Louis XVI appointed as minister Turgot, who intended to end with some feudal taxes, such as the right of way, and instituting the collection of taxes on the nobility and the clergy. The reaction was great and the king dismissed his minister. The crisis was here.
To remedy the crisis, elections were held for the Assembly of the States General, in 1788. 1139 deputies were elected. The clergy received 291 seats, the nobility 270; and to the third state, 578. The third state managed, in this way, that one of its demands was met: the expansion of its representation. But the others, like the individual vote, no.
At the opening of the Assembly's work in May 1789, Louis XVI insisted on voting by states and that the Assembly of the States General dealt only with the issues of the Monarchy's financial deficit and measures to fight it. Facing the defense of the third estate in the matter of individual vote, the king decided to close the Assembly's work.
The deputies of the third estate left Versailles, where the Assembly was held, and went to Paris to form a National Assembly and create a constitution for France. Louis XVI encouraged other states to participate in the assembly, which became a Constituent Assembly from July 9, 1789. However, the king sent troops to Paris, which angered the population. Revolted, on July 14, 1789, she invaded the Bastille, a prison destined for the enemies of the monarchy and a symbol of royal repression. Weapons were distributed to the population, thus beginning the French Revolution.
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