The causes of the French revolution

Abstract

If we were to expose and discuss what the several historians had written about the causes of the French Revolution, the time of a lecture or the space of an article would not be sufficient. It is for this reason that we are going to leave apart all the particular views of the authors singularly taken and contenting ourselves of the short bibliography mentioned in the foot-note (1), we intend classifying the causes which they mention into categories, viz : 1. Social causes: class interest and social distinction; :3. Administrative and Juridical causes: faulty administrative system, and confusion of courts and laws; a. Religious causes: Protestantism, Gallican theories and Jansenistic opposition; 4. Philosophic and Anarchic: causes: Illuministic movement and Ma.sonic propaganda; 5. Political causes: King~s weakness and appalling financial plight; 6. Constitutional causes: all-pervading idea of the people's sovereignty and the desire for a change in the form of government.