The Primary Immediate Causes of the French Revolution

The Primary Immediate Causes of the French Revolution. The revolution was cause by a myriad of problems. The lead up to 1789 saw a sharp reversal in the economic and social developments making a condition favorable to revolution. Contributing factors can be seen in the sever droughts and storms in 1785. The fluctuating harvests that affecting more then just food products, fabrics and textiles were also disrupted because of inconsistent harvest. The monarchy had through the nation into severe debt and in 1786 the Controller general of finances, Calonne reported to the King that radical reform was required. Interest payments sucked the government dry and the kings ministers found it impossible to raise new taxes, old taxes did not yield†¦show more content†¦In the 1780s, the debts of Louis XVIs government were immense. Interest payments sucked the government dry. At the same time, the kings ministers found it impossible to raise new taxes, and old taxes did not yield efficiently. One reason for this was the number of people who ha d fiscal privileges. Also, those who collected taxes in Old Regime France were not salaried employees, but tax-farmers who took their profit first before handing over the revenue to the treasury. Even the governments own receivers were allowed to use the funds in their care for their own purposes which usually meant lending the government its own money at interest. When Louis XVIs finance minister Calonne came to him in 1786 to tell him the till was empty, the government, with its debts and many commitments, had little room to maneuver. Yet drastic action was necessary[ ]. The government had neither money nor credit. An absolute king in theory should have the power to bring in new taxes, especially in an emergency of this sort. But in actual fact, some kind of agreement with the privileged classes was necessary if their tax burden was to be increased. 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