The French Revolution of 1789 was the fundamental social, economic and political change that occurred in 1789 when the poor peasants, discontented bourgeoisie and some disgruntled aristocracy of the nobility and clergy rose up against the ancient regime of the Bourbon Monarchy.
The monarchy was under weak King Louis Xvi who had come to
power in 1774. The Revolution began as peaceful movement for reform but eventually culminated into the destruction of the monarchy and its replacement by a republican revolutionary government.
To a greater extent, the weakness and character of King Louis Xvi was responsible for the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1789 as discussed below;
- He ruled as an absolute monarch and a despot which made him very unpopular
- King Louis XVI depended on the bad advice of his wife Marie Antoinette and the privileged aristocracy of nobles and the clergy
- Louis XVI was weak in character and was no real despot which encouraged the masses to rise up against his government
- King Louis XVI failed to handle and control the Estates-General Meeting which marked the start of the Revolution in May 1789
- Failed to address the grievances of the French Army
- King Louis failed to suppress the revolution in its initial stages
- Dismissed reformist financial controllers and ministers like Jacques Turgot and Jacques Necker
- He accepted to sign the 1786 free trade treaty with England which had disastrous effects on the French economy
- King Louis XVI kept himself away from the masses and could not therefore address their problems
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