Editing French Revolution (section)

== Causes ==
{{History of France sidebar}}
{{Main|Causes of the French Revolution}}
The Revolution resulted from multiple long-term and short-term factors, culminating in a social, economic, financial and political crisis in the late 1780s.{{Sfn|Jessene|2013|pp=39–40}}{{Sfn|Jourdan|2015|p=100}}{{Sfn|Marzagalli|2015|p=4}} Combined with resistance to reform by the ruling elite and indecisive policy by [[Louis XVI]] and his ministers, the result was a crisis the state was unable to manage.{{Sfn|Baker|1978|pp=279–303}}{{Sfn|Jordan|2004|pp=11–12}}

Between 1715 and 1789, the French population grew from 21 to 28 million, 20% of whom lived in towns or cities, Paris alone having over 600,000 inhabitants.{{Sfn|Marzagalli|2015|pp=6–7}} This was accompanied by a tripling in the size of the middle class, which comprised almost 10% of the population by 1789.{{Sfn|Clay|2015|pp=24, 31}} Despite increases in overall prosperity, its benefits were largely restricted to the rentier and mercantile classes, while the living standards fell for wage labourers and peasant farmers who rented their land.{{Sfn|Jessene|2013|pp=32–33}}{{Sfn|Marzagalli|2015|pp=8–10}} Economic recession from 1785, combined with bad harvests in 1787 and 1788, led to high unemployment and food prices, causing a financial and political crisis.{{Sfn|Jessene|2013|pp=39–40}}{{Sfn|Jourdan|2015|p=104}}{{Sfn|Marzagalli|2015|pp=5, 14–17}}{{Sfn|Tilly|1983|p=337}}

While the state also experienced a debt crisis, the level of debt itself was not high compared with Britain's.{{Sfn|Weir|1989|p=98}} A significant problem was that tax rates varied widely from one region to another, were often different from the official amounts, and were collected inconsistently. Its complexity meant uncertainty over the amount contributed by any authorised tax caused resentment among all taxpayers.{{Sfn|Chanel|2015|p=68}}{{Efn|Contrary to what is often assumed, the nobility were subject to tax, although how much they were able to evade or pass onto their tenants is disputed.{{Sfn|Behrens|1976|pp=521–527}}}} Attempts to simplify the system were blocked by the regional ''[[Parlement]]s'' which approved financial policy. The resulting impasse led to the calling of the [[Estates General of 1789]], which became radicalised by the struggle for control of public finances.{{Sfn|Weir|1989|p=96}}

Louis XVI was willing to consider reforms, but he often backed down when faced with opposition from conservative elements within the nobility. [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] critiques of social institutions were widely discussed among the educated French elite. At the same time, the [[American Revolution]] and the European revolts of the 1780s inspired public debate on issues such as patriotism, liberty, equality, and democracy. These shaped the response of the educated public to the crisis,{{Sfn|Jourdan|2015|pp=94–104}} while scandals such as the [[Affair of the Diamond Necklace]] fuelled widespread anger at the court, nobility, and church officials.{{Sfn|Smith|2015|pp=50–51}}