Question

Why were famine and bread important when considering the causes of the French Revolution?

Answer 1

Answer:  Obviously, there were a lot of causes for the French revolution, but bread shortages and famine were very important, even causing riots as far back as the early 1500s!  However, in the 1760s, a group of economists made the decision that wealth was attained by agriculture, and thus, raised the prices of bread and other prices.  In 1775, riots exploded in France, wherein angry protesters started "the Flour Wars."

In reality, bread became a sort of symbol for the French Revolution in the 1780s, and revolutionaries used it as a metaphorical weapon to spark outrage amongst citizens.