France’s absolute monarchy The Enlightenment Social divisions in France The American Revolution
There was no single cause of the French Revolution. France had many long-term problems, but few people in the 1780s imagined the fall of the monarchy and the complete change that would occur in France in the years after 1789.
1. France’s absolute monarchy
Louis XVI ruled France in the late eighteenth century as an absolute monarch. This meant he had total power over the country and claimed he had a divine (God- given) right to rule, so could do whatever he wanted. This system could work when the king was a strong and competent ruler. However, Louis was weak and incompetent. His Austrian wife, Marie Antoinette, was unpopular with the French people. The couple lived a very extravagant and expensive lifestyle at their huge palace at Versailles. As the French economy worsened and the government’s debts grew, people began to criticise the royal family.
Louis XVI 2. The Enlightenment
During the eighteenth century, a movement called the Enlightenment emerged in Europe. It was a movement of thinkers who valued reason and science above faith or authority as a basis for society. Many of these writers were French, like Voltaire, Rousseau and Montesquieu. They criticised the ancien régime (the ‘old system’) of Louis’ absolute monarchy. They wrote about their ideas in essays, books, pamphlets and newspapers. Many educated French people read these and wanted to change the system of government so that the king shared power with the people.
