法國大革命的原因?(不要香港教育圖書公司的穿梭世界歷史2裹的內容)

1. Social inequality
The social was divided into three estates or classes. The clergy formed the First Estate. The nobles were the Second Estate. The common people(including the bourgeoisie, city workers and peasants) made up the Third Estate.
The First and Second Estates enjoyed political and economic privileges. They did not have to pay tax to the government.
The peasants had the hardest life. They had no farm or little land to farm, but they need to pay heavy tax.
City workers need to work day and night , but were poorly paid.
Bourgeoisie were rich and educated, but they had no political rights.

2. Rule of Louis XVI
Louis XIV ruled as an absolute monarch. His successors were not strong leaders. Louis XVI was very weak. His was controlled by his wife, Queen Marie Antoinette. He spent much of his time enjoying his life. His government was corrupt and inefficient.

3. Financial difficulties
When Louis XIV and Louis XV ruled France, they spent too much money on foreign wars. They also lived luxuriousl. So, France became poorer. By 1789, the France government was almost bankrupt.

4. Influence of the Enlightenment
The French learnt about the Enlightenment ideas such as equality and the right to rebel against tyranny. This helped the French Revolution to start.

5. Influence of American Revolution
The success of the Americans showed the common people could actually overthrow tyranny and set up a democratic government. This encouraged the French to fight for their own freedom. In fact, the French started their revollution only a few years after the U.S.A was born.

Because France was the country which had many enlightenment thinkers, just like Locke, they spread their enlightenment thinkings to the French. These ideas were very popular in the middle class of French. So this made people wanted to overthrow the goverment which didn't protect people's rights.
And also, the success of American Revolution gave French confidence.