AS History Matters AS History Matters Sunday, 20 September 2015 What were long and short term causes? KI1: Causes of the French Revolution.

AS History Matters AS History Matters Sunday, 20 September 2015 Session Aims Causes of the French revolution. Explain role of Absolutism and Louis XVI Define and explain features of a long Vs short term cause Judge the long and term causes.

AS History Matters AS History Matters Long term causes 1.Louis XVI – Royal Government 2.Social inequality – the structure of France 3.Economic injustices 4.Enlightenment 5.Example of American Revolution

AS History Matters AS History Matters Louis XVI By A.F. Callet ( ) #1: Absolute Monarchy

The First Estate 1% of the Population (Clergy) The Second Estate 1.5% - 2% of the Population (Titled Nobility) The Third Estate % of the Population (Bourgeoisie & Working Lower Class) #2: Social Inequality

AS History Matters AS History Matters

AS History Matters AS History Matters By Abbe Sieyes, a clergyman who became a revolutionary, 1789 “What is the Third Estate? All. But an ‘all’ that is fettered (chained) and oppressed. What would it be without the privileged order? It would be all; but free and flourishing. Nothing will go well without the Third Estate; everything would go considerably better without the other two.”

AS History Matters AS History Matters #3 Economic Injustices The cost of maintaining Versailles and expensive wars had the government spending more than it earned. Led to a greater tax burden on the Third Estate. Bad harvests in 1789 led to widespread starvation. Inflation.

AS History Matters AS History Matters Versailles Court

AS History Matters AS History Matters Versailles Chapel

AS History Matters AS History Matters Versailles gardens

AS History Matters AS History Matters Marie Antoinette Hated Austrian Princess embodied the failure in the Seven years War. Her lavish extravagance only intensified public opinion

AS History Matters AS History Matters Marie Antoinette

AS History Matters AS History Matters Marie Antoinette's village amusement at the Château de Versailles

AS History Matters AS History Matters One of the cottages built in Marie Antoinette's private village

AS History Matters AS History Matters #4: The Enlightenment The Enlightenment thinkers, especially those from France, led many to question France’s absolute monarchy and led to demands for democracy.

AS History Matters AS History Matters #5: English and American Examples England’s Glorious Revolution 1688 The successful fight for liberty and equality in the American Revolution 1774 onwards