1answer.
Ask question
Login Signup
Ask question
All categories
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Business
  • History
  • Health
  • Geography
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Computers and Technology
  • Arts
  • World Languages
  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
  • SAT
  • Medicine
  • Law
  • Engineering
kherson [118]
3 years ago
10

How was French society unequal? In the 1700s, France was the leading country in

History
1 answer:
Pie3 years ago
5 0

Answer:The French Revolution was the most important event in modern history. It destroyed the old order of society and government and brought about modern changes in the world. It swept away the last remnants of feudalism and made the middle class the dominant class of modern society.

Background

In 1789 France was the most populated nation in Europe and had been growing in wealth and prestige since the time of Louis XIV.  Despite this economic growth, it was far behind many people’s ideas of what a society and government should be.  Socially, it was divided into three unequal classes of people.  And politically it was still ruled by an absolute monarch.

The Causes of the French Revolution

The Revolution was the result of three related crises that fell upon France at the same time: a social crisis, a political crisis, and an economic crisis.

The Social Crisis

Feudal France was neatly divided into three social classes, or Estates, with different jobs and privileges.  The clergy was the First Estate, the nobles were the Second Estate, and the peasants were the Third Estate.  The Third Estate was the largest but had few rights at all.

One of the major problems of French society was the growth of a large middle class.  These people did not fit into the neat divisions of the three estates, so they were considered equal with the lowest, the Third Estate.  What had happened over the years is that the middle class grew in size and in wealth but never gained rights or respect that their wealth deserved.  Because they worked for their money instead of inheriting it, they were looked down upon.  This caused a great deal of anger and tension in French Society as peasants and middle class French people began to hate the nobles and aristocrats.

The Political Crisis

The political crisis centered on king Louis XVI (16th).  Unlike Louis XIV (14th) he was not very popular.  He lived in Versailles and cost the people millions of dollars and kept spending lavishly on himself even as France was going through a financial crisis.  He was humiliated when his armies were defeated by the Prussians in 1787.  But his worst problem was that people no longer believed in the divine right of kings.  That is, most people no longer believed that you obeyed the king because God gave him his authority.  Rather, people were coming to believe the philosophers of the Enlightenment who said that a leader is only legitimate if he has his people’s consent.  And Louis XVI had his people consent less and less.

The Economic Crisis

By 1786 the French government was broke.  They had spent millions helping out the American colonies in their revolution against England.  And France was still trying to pay off the expense of the palace of Versailles and Louis XIV’s other extravagant expenses.  Then France was hit by a drought; crops failed and people died.  As the people began to protest, the king and nobles still lived their expensive lifestyles.  In desperation Louis XVI decided to call on the Estates General, the representative body that had not met for over 150 years.  This body met and the Third Estate proclaimed that their representatives were the real government of France.  The Revolution began and 10 years of bloody revenge was poured out on the nobles, aristocrats and clergy.  The king himself was beheaded.

Although a violent and bloody time, the French Revolution had important permanent results.  Absolute Monarchy was ended.  The Revolution ended the feudal privileges of the nobles.  Serfs were freed.  Mandatory offerings to the Church were ended and the government changed from a religious (divine right of kings) to a secular (consent of the people) foundation.  The Revolution also paved the way for one of the most important leaders in all of French history: Napoleon Bonaparte.

Explanation: Hope this helps~!

You might be interested in
What did frontier farmers and urban artisans hope the Constitution would do?
ICE Princess25 [194]
Wait for the farmers to finish work before fight practice
5 0
3 years ago
What do you think the west came to symbolize in the american culture?
Stells [14]
Jackie was absolutely correct in requesting specific, measurable, and observable goals from Kathleen. A provision of the grant was that the agency show “demonstrated progress” toward <span>meeting the purpose of the grant in the three year period</span>
5 0
3 years ago
Which of the following was Germany permitted ro keep under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
crimeas [40]
 it was military equipment 

5 0
3 years ago
Read 2 more answers
Why did the northern public get tired of reconstruction?
NARA [144]
Because they got tired of oppressing south.
South was also tired of military rule. As the South got more and more upset about the military rule, North came under more pressure to end it.
The only reason for military rule was protecting the black rights. Most of the North didn't care abot black rights.
This was the reason why reconstruction ended.
3 0
3 years ago
Which midwestern state is farthest northwest
MatroZZZ [7]

Answer:

Florida

Explanation:

4 0
3 years ago
Other questions:
  • Name three ways that people participated in the Second Great Awakening:
    14·2 answers
  • Which of the following belongs in this list of conditions created by the Articles of Confederation to admit a territory into the
    8·1 answer
  • During the Cold War, how were the policy of containment and the domino theory related?
    6·2 answers
  • Which would most likely have caused the giant ice caps that existed in the paleozoic era to melt?
    5·2 answers
  • what did the explorers expect the northwest passage to provide? a.) a way around south America b.) a shorter trip across the atl
    14·1 answer
  • How did lincoln approach the issue of slavery in his speeches
    7·2 answers
  • If a citizen votes for a Republican for president and a Democrat for senator, he or she has engaged in
    12·1 answer
  • What was the official religion of the tang dynasty
    15·2 answers
  • Who was the Mayor of Garfield?
    11·2 answers
  • What is an example of a positive external shock?
    14·1 answer
Add answer
Login
Not registered? Fast signup
Signup
Login Signup
Ask question!