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To what extent was the mishandling of the French Economy the main cause
for the downfall of the Absolute Monarchy. To what extent ...
Submitted by jimbo3000 on January 19, 2007
Category: History Other
Words: 2822 | Pages: 12
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To what extent was the mishandling of the French Economy the main cause for the downfall of the Absolute Monarchy
The absolute monarchy was present in France throughout the Bourbon reign and can be defined as a period where the monarch had total control; no popular sovereignty. The end of the absolute monarchy can be seen to occur at various points, with the beheading of Louis the 16th being the most obvious. However for the basis of this essay I will use the point where the power of Louis was first constricted which is arguably at the National Assembly. The Economic problems within France were without doubt a major factor, which lead to the end of the absolute monarchy, but there were other factors such as; the impact of France’s involvement in the American war of Independence, the social orders and it’s vertical problems, Louis’s personality and the enlightenment. Many of the separate areas can be split down into sub-sections, with the internal and external economic policies being a prime example of this. The collapse can be attributed to fiscal, political and military mistakes and problems, both in the long term and short term.
Simon Schama suggests “trajectory was pointing sharply upwards” on the eve of the French Revolution, therefore suggesting there were little economic problems within France at the time. The agricultural problems and the poverty gap within France at the time, highlighted by the fact many Parisians during Louis the XVI’s reign would be spending over half their wages on bread alone, undermine Schama’s views on the economic system at the time. Some historians have emphasised the importance of the poor harvests within France during the late 1780’s and the economic problems the harvests caused. Doyle emphasises the large impact of the weather conditions on the growers by highlighting the benefits to the growers of having high demand but a low amount of produce, thus increasing the price. This...
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