Main Cause of The French Revolution, 1689-1789? (Term Paper Sample)

HOW FAR WAS ROYAL MISMANAGEMENT THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, 1689-1789?
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Introduction
Multiple approaches to studying the French Revolution of 1879 have been formulated by History scholars over time. For instance, scholars aligned to Marxist interpretations prioritized class tensions in French society in their study of the French Revolution while Revisionist view the revolution as a quest for a better system of governance. Historians well known for Marxist approach include George Lefebvre who wrote a leading manuscript of the French Revolution in his book The Coming of the French Revolution and Jean Jaures’ Histoire Socialist. George Lefebvre’s explains the French revolution as a set of four class-based revolutions. Specifically, Lefebvre asserts that the French revolution began with the aristocratic revolution; this was facilitated by the depletion of France's Treasury. The aristocrats took advantage of the weak and financially unstable monarch to seize power and make laws that favoured them. For instance, they frustrated the taxation process and exempted themselves from it. Further, George Lefebvre argues that aristocratic revolution is followed by the bourgeois revolution with the working class organizing themselves to seek equal rights. These used mainly legislative and political manoeuvres such as the declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The third revolution occurred among the town dwellers in France. According to Lefebvre, the attack on the Bastille was initiated by members of the third revolution. The fourth revolution was witnessed among peasants in rural France; these were the highest in number and they fought for more access to land and proper taxation systems.[Heller, Henry. 2010. "Marx, the French Revolution, and the Spectre of the Bourgeoisie." Journal of Science and Society 74 (2): 184-214.] [Lefebvre, George.1939.” The Coming of the French Revolution.]
Revisionists view the French revolution as a benevolent act that sought to bring change by deposing the Monarch and aristocratic government. Adolphe Thiers is one of the historians who ascribe to the revisionist view; he diverted from the class-based explanations of the French Revolution of 1789 and focused on the actions of the leaders. Specifically, Adolphe Thiers claimed that the clergy, monarch and aristocrats failed to adapt to the changing landscape of France leading to the French revolution. Even more, he criticized radical leaders who led to deaths and beheadings during the French Revolution. Specifically, he criticized Robespierre and Marat. Another scholar who is widely credited for the revisionist views of the French Revolution of 1789 is Alfred Cobban. Dissatisfied with the explanations of Marxists such as George Lefebvre that the French Revolution of 1789 resulted from feudalism and the oppressive policies on the peasants, Cobban argues that the French revolution is a result of political changes. His arguments are grounded on his premise that feudalism had long ceased to exist by the time of the French revolution. However, his view could be disputed by evidence from Joseph Sieyès’ pamphlet that detailed the oppression of the French third estate. Despite the contradiction with Marxist conceptualizations that the French revolution of 1789 occurred in the social domain, Albert Cobban’s arguments sparked interest in examining whether political factors played a larger role than social causes hence adding to the revisionist approach.[Langlois, Claude, and Timothy Tackett. 1990. "The French Revolution and "Revisionism"." The History Teacher (Society for History Education) 23 (4): 395-404.] [Thiers, Adolphe. 1827.Histoire de la Revolution française] [Ibid.] [Cobban, Albert. 1963. "The Social Interpretation of the French Revolution ."] [Ibid(n6)]
Notably, both the Marxist and Revisionist approaches significantly downplay the role of the ruling class in the French Revolution. From historical accounts, decisions and actions of the monarch contributed to and sustained the heated aggression witnessed in the French Revolution of 1789. Even more, the social, political and economic causes of the French Revolution of 1879 are intimately interlinked with actions of the monarchy. For example, many sources claim French citizens were frustrated by the corruption by Nobles and at the Royal Court of King Louis XVI. In the current research, the collective actions of the monarch and aristocrats are viewed under the umbrella term “royal mismanagement”. Essentially, the term encapsulates all actions by the French ruling class that directly or indirectly caused the French Revolution. King Louis XVI inherited the throne from his father King Louis XV in 1774 when France had lost a considerable amount of financial resources in the 7 years war with Britain over the Americas.In a bid to establish the dominance of France, King Louis XVI committed France’s resources to undermine England’s authority in the Americas by financing the American Revolution between 1778 and 1783. The decision had catastrophic effects on the French financial system. Many historical accounts assert to the fruitless efforts by King Louis XVI to revive the economy. Ultimately, the monarch resorted to systemic taxing of The Third Estate, the lowest social class in France to cater for the needs of France and the ruling class. In the end, the events and tensions cascaded into one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history. From the Monarch’s actions, it is evident that royal mismanagement is a key causal factor for the French Revolution of 1789; in fact, it played a more important role than other factors as it spans across all domains; social, economic and political. The French Revolution was caused by factors embodied under the social, political and economic domains of people in France. The ongoing report categorically classifies causes into their domains, however, the relationship between the causes and royal mismanagement during the French Revolution of 1789 is explored deeply to determine the extent to which royal mismanagement caused the French Revolution more than other factors.[Riley, James. 1986. The Seven Years War and the Old Regime in France: The Economic and Financial Toll. Princeton University Press.] [Kramer, Lloyd. 1981. "America's Lafayette and Lafayette's America: A European and the American Revolution." JSTOR (William & Mary Quarterly) 38 (2): 228-241.] [Chanel, Gerri. 2015. "Taxation as a Cause of the French Revolution:" STUDIA HISTORICA GEDANENSIA TOM VI 66-81.]
* Social Causes of the French Revolution Vs Royal Mismanagement
From a social perspective, France fell into the French Revolution of 1789 because of internal class conflicts and inequalities in France for the period preceding the Day of Tiles, which is the first open uprising against the King that occurred on 7th June 1788. France's social structure in the period up to the revolution constituted of three classes commonly referred to as “Estates” in history. The topmost class, the First Estate comprised of the Monarch who ruled without question or regard to the citizens. One of their powers is demonstrated through ‘Lettre de cachet’ which was a signed document giving monarchs powers to imprison or arrest anyone at will. The clergy were also members of the First estate; however, they comprised of two groups the lower and higher clergy. From historical accounts, the lower clergy was more in touch with the concerns of the citizens than the higher clergy whose members enjoyed the pomp and luxury of the Versailles Royal Court. The Second Estate comprised of the Nobility which was also divided into Provincial Nobles and Court Nobles. The latter was out of touch with the issues of the people while the former is recorded to have served the public interest. The third estate is the largest group with common citizens who were mainly farmers. Amongst the Third Estate, there were relatively wealthy and educated individuals who are commonly referred to as the Bourgeois estate. The role of the Bourgeois in the French Revolution is crucial; in fact, Marxists view the French Revolution as a conflict between the Bourgeois and the ruling classes where eventually the former wins. Class struggles play a key role in sparking the French Revolution but royal mismanagement of the class conflict by the monarch is a broader cause for the revolt. The monarch constantly failed to focus on the concerns (equal rights) of the Third Estate who were the majority in the French population; thus, the crisis erupted into a revolution.[Heller, Henry. 2010. "Marx, the French Revolution, and the Spectre of the Bourgeoisie." Journal of Science and Society 74 (2): 184-214.] [Ibid.] [Ibid.] [Ibid.] [Ibid.] [Ibid.] [Ibid(n6).]
While the financial situation of France worsened, King Louis XVI convened the Estates General on 5th May 1789 to find solutions for the crisis. Notably, the First and Second Estates did not pay taxes to the monarch and were often thought to live in luxury at the expense of the Third Estate. The unequal treatment of the classes and the unwillingness of the Monarch to address contentious issues such as universal fiscal accountability counts as royal mismanagement. King Louis XVI convened the Estates-General; however, he did not provide a solution to France's situation. Even though King Louis tried to appeal to the Third Estate by appointing Jacques Necker as the France Finance Minister on 25th August 1788, he failed to garner common support. Royal mismanagement of the social conflict between the Bourgeois is evident from the treatment of the delegates of the Third Estate to the Estates-General in comparison to their peers from the Nobility and the Clergy. Moreover, the...