History French Revolution

Absolutism in France left Louis XVI being the ‘divine ruler’ over France at the time, which was a minor factor contributing to the origins of the French Revolution due to his inability to cope with the momentous events which continued to unfold around him. However, the financial crisis was a primary short-term cause of the French Revolution due to the increasing amount of deficit the government was building which had a knock on effect on the French public. Furthermore, the financial crisis is only another factor which contributed to the revolution was the French customs from predecessors and their inherited actions of 200 years ago which would soon become very out dated and could be seen to anger the French public these out dated customs followed onto the constant uprisings within the different estates also tied into the origins of the French Revolution with the feeling of discontent.
Absolutism meant that the authority of the French Crown was mainly controlled by the King; this could have potentially led to the French Revolution due to how Louis XVI chose to run the country. The main characteristics of the ruler would be very important; their personality and character as it sets the tone for the style of government to follow. Louis XVI had said ‘I have no intention of sharing my authority’ which could definitely have led to mass discontent, especially as Louis himself was said to be inadequate enough to rule over France. His evident lack of self confidence and his apparent lack in character to combat the powerful factions in his court contributed to the failures within the system of absolutism. This could cause many problems for him as King in the future, because as a nation France are expecting a King who is on top of all the current affairs within the kingdom and they require a King who is strong enough to have the country working in cohesion with one another. However, this is only a partial contribution to the origins of the French Revolution as Louis XVI’s