Why Did The French Revolution Happen

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Was the bloodbath that is the French Revolution doomed to happen? On the eve prior to the downfall of the Ancien Regime, there was no discernable mood that could have propelled the onslaught of it from the three estates; rather, certain groups of people, such as rural commoners, intellectuals of Grub Street, philosophes, members of the upper third estate, nobility, and clergy were concerned to varying degrees with the issues of taxation and social equality (privilege). Although they were worried and wanted reform, the radical change and upheaval--the French Revolution--was not what they had in mind. Rural commoners were unhappy with the taxes and social inequality, but the frustration was towards the seigneurs and their abuse of power rather…show more content…
Philosophes, such as Jean Jacques Rousseau, think the social contract, the general will, and a uniform government constituted a lasting government. Unfortunately, "the judicial and institutional map of France had no uniformity" (Doyle, 23). France did not have constitutional stability nor legitimacy to last, as some public offices were held by incompetent nobles who bought their position or inherited it. This privilege given to the elites causes the most unrest among the rest of the nation. The philosophes believe that "the duty of obedience is owed only to legitimate powers," and the power of the wealthy to buy their offices does not merit respect for others to obey them (Rousseau, 53). The privilege they are given violates the social pact and general will. These privilege members "usurp the power which they ought only to exercise as a body" (Rousseau, 133). Because of this, philosophes solidified the need for the revision of the government. Very seldom does a government undergo modifications in its form, but it only does so when its " exhausted energies are too feeble to maintain its original form" (Rousseau, 132). To the philosophes, the government is on its way down hill, and a "revolution seems to [them] to be inevitable" (Rousseau 90). However, it is important to note that they do not mean revolution as in overthrowing the…show more content…
Although the nobility can buy their offices and "enjoyed [a] virtually unchallengeable tenure," there are a few who advocated for equal rights for all citizens regardless of their rank or class (Doyle 23). Some affluent members of the third estate called for much of the same personal liberties as the nobility, but they specifically sought for administrative offices. They request that offices are earned based on merit. In addition to this, working women of the 3rd estate also ask for national education for all classes. Their goal was to learn and teach their children of the great nation of France. Their appeals to the king, like that of the 3rd estate in Carcassonne, contain no menace, praising the king as an "August Person" and "tender Father" (Petition of Women of the Third Estate to the King, 63). The revisions the third estate in Carcassonne and the nobility propose regarding social equality in their journal of grievances were for the general happiness of the nation as a whole. To the third estate and the nobility, the nation's happiness is the "indestructible foundation or power" for the "welfare of the monarch" (Cahier nobility of blois). They want alterations to be made to strengthen the monarchy rather than overthrow
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