Important causes of the French Revolution were social causes, political causes and financial difficulties.
  In the 17th and 18th centuries, France was ruled by an absolute government. The king had all the political power. Louis XIV and the kings who came after him were despots. Unlike rulers such as Frederick the Great of Prussia, they were not lightened despots. For example, anyone who criticized the government could be arrested and put in prison without trial. Louis XIV at least ruled this country efficiently. Last French kings were not good rulers. Louis XIV was king at the time of the French Revolution. He was more interested in hunting than governing France. He and his Austrians queen, Marie Antoinette, lived an extravagant life at the Palace of Versailles. They did not really care about the state of their country. The government was inefficient, unjust and corrupt. There were too many government departments, different laws in different parts of the country and officials. Many people became angry about the way France was governed. They could do nothing to change it. The French Parliament was called the Estates-General. It was made up of the First Estate- churchmen or clergy, the Second Estate- nobility, the Third Estate- commoners. The Estate- General had not met since 1614. It could not meet without consent of he king. It had no political power. .
      During the 18th century, the French government spent more money than it collected in taxes. By 1788, the country was bankrupt. .
      Most of the money was kept on wars. France had been at war for nearly 50 years out of the previous one hundred years. France supported the Americans in the American War of the Independence. After the war, France was in financial ruin. The Bourbon kings on palaces, entertainment and gifts to favorites also spent large sums of money. Because the government spent a lot of money, taxes were high.
