1. International - 2. Political conflict - 3. The Enlightenment - 4. Social antagonisms - 5. Ineffective ruler - 6. Economic hardship
Explanation:
International: struggle for hegemony and Empire outstrips the fiscal resources of the state
Political conflict: conflict between the Monarchy and the nobility over the “reform” of the tax system led to paralysis and bankruptcy
The Enlightenment: impulse for reform intensifies political conflicts; reinforces traditional aristocratic constitutionalism, one variant of which was laid out in Montequieu’s Spirit of the Laws; introduces new notions of good government, the most radical being popular sovereignty, as in Rousseau’s Social Contract [1762]; the attack on the regime and privileged class by the Literary Underground of “Grub Street;” the broadening influence of public opinion.
Social antagonisms between two rising groups: the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie
Ineffective ruler: Louis XVI
Economic hardship, especially the agrarian crisis of 1788-89 generates popular discontent and disorders caused by food shortages.
