Causes of the French Revolution

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There is significant disagreement among historians of the French Revolution as to its causes. Usually, they acknowledge the presence of several interlinked factors, but vary in the weight they attribute to each one. These factors include cultural changes, normally associated with the Enlightenment; social change and financial and economic difficulties; and the political actions of the involved parties. For centuries, French society was divided into three estates or orders. The first estate, the highest class, consisted of the clergy. The second estate consisted of the nobility. The third estate consisted of the commoners. It included businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers, peasants, landless labourers and servants. The first two estates together consisted of 2% of the population, whereas the third estate was the remaining 98%. All of the many types of taxes were paid by the third estate. The society was based on the old French maxim "The nobles fight; the clergy pray, and...

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