The Gallic Revolution was a important milepost in European history, remembered by many in historical and literary plants. The state of affairs in France, largely under the leading of Louis XVI, had a negative influence in France, therefore making a perfect clime for the Gallic Revolution. France was plagued by both debt, and hapless determination devising. prior to 1789. France was destitute and burdened with some of the highest debts. On the and Interior Minister Chretien Guillaume de Lamoignon de Malesherbes ( The economic beginnings of the Gallic revolution, pg. 4 ) .
Louis introduced some of the most oppressive revenue enhancements and instituted fiscal reforms. Greater reforms were prevented by the resistance of the upper categories and tribunal. This resistance was so strong that Turgot was forced to resign and was replaced by Jauques Necker. Lengthy wars, the support to the American Revolution and the gross sum of revenue enhancements paid and the munificent disbursement of the tribunal contributed to the immense national debt. The authorities’s fiscal jobs were made worse after 1740 by the reclamation of dearly-won wars ( the Gallic revolution, pg. 9 ) .
The war of the Austrian Succession ( 1740-1748 ) and the Seven Year’s War ( 1756-1763 ) were European wars over the domination of cardinal Europe and colonial and commercial wars between France and Great Britain ( Aspects of the Gallic Revolution pg. ) . At their terminal, in 1763 France had lost about all of it’s colonial imperium in America and India. In 1778 the Gallic launched an onslaught against Britain in the American Revolution. They were trusting to weaken old competitions and regain lost settlements.
The hopes of the Gallic were non realized and their engagement in the war increased an already heavy national debt. After Louis XVI granted fiscal assistance ( 1778-81 ) to the American settlements revolting against Great Britain, Necker proposed drastic revenue enhancements on the aristocracy. Necker was forced to vacate in 1781 ( Louis XVI and M. Antoinette..pg 37 ) because of the discontentedness of the people. Charles Alexandre deCalonne replaced him in 1783 and borrowed money for the tribunal until the adoption bound was reached ( Canadian Encyclopedia ref: France, revolution ) .
The choler of the Gallic people against revenue enhancements, debt and munificent disbursement on the Court resulted in the callback of Necker in 1788, who still could non forestall bankruptcy of the authorities. During the following twosome of old ages the fiscal crisis steadily worsened, because the authorities was bankrupt. Louis was forced to name a meeting with a delegate of the Estates-General, ( a authorities group dwelling of representatives of the clergy, aristocracy and common mans ) .
Once in the run intoing the Estates-General took power of the authorities. One of the other causes of the national debt was at the mistake of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Louis Sixteen was described as non overly intelligent, weak and incapable male monarch ( Encarta, ref: Louis XVI ) . But he was intelligent plenty to acquire money from the authorities.
It was good known that Louis was more concerned with his ain personal personal businesss than with the involvements of the tribunal and the people. Often work bored him and he left his work up to his advisers an curates. He preferred to pass a batch clip and the people’s money on extravagant things, and his married woman. Rather than paying back old debts and assisting the state of affairs, he increased revenue enhancements on the provincials and spent more money, declining the quandary.
By 1787, the national debt was 112,000,000 livres ( the Gallic Revolution, Albert … ; pg. 25 ) and continued to acquire worse, sharpening the national debt even more. In the clip taking up into and during the Gallic Revolution there was category tensenesss, frequently between the aristocracy and the provincials. There were besides hapless life conditions. Some say that these state of affairss are non Louis XVI’s mistake but were jobs he inherited with the throne. So he can non be blamed for the events taking into the Gallic Revolution. In this clip period there were category tensenesss.
The Lords had all the privileges and rights. The provincials were stepped on from every angle. So what made the Lords so desirable? There was glamor, differentiation and acknowledgment that the baronial statues brought. They had a scope of privileges that they received. Lords took precedency on public occasions, and carried blades. ( the Gallic Revolution, Sydenham, ..pg 61 ) They were entitled to a test at a particular tribunals. They besides enjoyed fiscal advantages. They paid no responsibilities on tran sferring feudal belongings and aristocracy conferred freedom from the basic revenue enhancement, lupus erythematosus taille ( Oxford, pg. 27 )
The affluent consisted of the Lords, clergy and the middle class and there was about 120,000 wealthy. The provincials and common mans ( in-between and lower category ) nevertheless were on the underside and consisted of 80 per centum of the population. They struggled to last and were to a great extent taxed. The workers of France Ate inferior staff of life to their betters, and wore vesture made of cheaper stuff. They spent half of their net incomes on staff of life and were plagued with unemployment.
In Paris the spread between the really rich ( minority ) and the bulk of provincials was big. The crisis of the western universe was felt largely in France. Population addition was accompanied by the atomization of provincial retentions, unequal addition in agriculture productiveness and bad crops after 1770. Both rewards of the common man and the degree of employment lagged behind the lifting monetary value of grain and other basic necessities. Significant subdivisions of France were faced with worsening criterion of life. The consequence of this was decease, out-migration, and increased figure of mendicant, pauper and homeless citizens ( Revolution and Terror in France..pg20 ) .
The provincials were working hard or non at all, and the money they made was spent on staff of life and revenue enhancements. Many people were left homeless because they couldn? t wage the revenue enhancements. Even though the? whole? state of affairs was non Louis XVI’s personal mistake, the picks and determinations he formed, made the state of affairs even worse. During Louis XVI’s reign, he made some really hapless determinations that could hold influenced the terminal consequence of the Gallic revolution.
First, He was influenced greatly by people around him ( Canadian Encyclopedia, Ref: Louis XVI ) . He was described as non excessively intelligent, inexperienced and non wholly dedicated to his responsibilities. Through-out his reign ( 1774-1792 ) the male monarch was helped/supported and even betrayed by Necker. Necker made a batch of the male monarch’s determinations and persuaded him.
He seemed to be on Louis XVI’s side but so Necker published an history of the royal fundss, which revealed the heavy costs of the privileges and favouritism. This action, non merely went against the monarchy, but earned Necker popular acclamation. Necker besides helped Louis decide that the common mans ( 3rd estate ) would hold as many electors as the First and Second Estate ( clergy and aristocracy ) combined. But both he and Louis failed to do a governing on the method of vote ( the caput count was non granted ) .
In 1770 Louis married Marie Antoinette, youngest girl of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. She influenced Louis to go to to the involvements of Austria, and to disregard the fiscal crisis in France. She frequently stood in the manner of Louis’s proposed reforms by speaking him out of them ( Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette pg 488 ) . She talked him into firing Turgot, who may hold been able to forestall the revolution. Her munificent life manner and the fact that she was a alien made her unpopular with the populace. She besides influenced Louis to spend unbelievable sums of money on her.
Second, due to the fiscal jobs and the struggle between categories, the twelvemonth 1788 proved to be hard for all. All categories were discontent with the Ancien Regime and wanted a alteration. Louis XVI ne’er took advantage of this state of affairs to present new reforms and derive the support of the people. Third, under force per unit area from aristocracy and other influential powers, Louis agreed to run into with the Estates-General.
Alternatively this encouraged farther unfavorable judgment of the Ancien Regime and provided a stronger force against the monarchy in France. All in all, Louis was incapable of a strong determination. He should hold been capable of get the better ofing his jobs. Louis’s powerful place should hold allowed him to coerce revenue enhancements on the aristocracy. He should hold ne’er met with the Estates-General. Alternatively he should hold introduced mild reforms to derive the support of the populace.
Possibly if Louis XVI had been a stronger individual the aristocracy, the clergy and his married woman wouldn? Ts have influenced him to the same grade. As we have noticed, there were many factors/causes that lead to the revolution. Many facets were piled up and the merely was down was the revolution. Many of the replies to our inquiries are left unknown. If Louis XVI had non been King, would there have been a revolution, or was it inevitable?
