Why was the French economy so poor in 1789?

Tax collectors were corrupt, so not all the taxes reached the state treasury. The people of France resented the fact that the King and Queen and the nobility lived in luxury, spending extravagantly despite the country’s problems. Bad weather conditions led to poor harvests and inflation in 1788 and 1789.

What did Napoleon do for the French economy?

Napoleon’s impact on the French economy was of modest importance in the long run. He did sweep away the old guilds and monopolies and trade restrictions. He introduced the metric system and fostered the study of engineering. Most important he opened up French finance by the creation of the indispensable Bank of France.

What economic problems did France face in the 1700s?

1 Excessive Spending. A central economic problem facing France throughout the late 1700s was unsupportable levels of government spending.

What were the economic condition of France before 1789?

The economic condition of France before 1789 was: King and the Queen lived luxurious and royal life whereas poverty and hunger were spreading in the countryside. Due to the natural calamities, harvests were completely destroyed resulting in subsistence crisis.

What was the economic history of the French Empire?

Economic history of France since its late-18th century Revolution was tied to three major events and trends: the Napoleonic Era, the competition with Britain and its other neighbors in regards to ‘industrialization’, and the ‘total wars’ of the late-19th and early 20th centuries.

Why did the French Revolution start in 1789?

A lot of this was due to the harvest crisis of 1788. France had been experience bad harvest for about 10 years, so when the harvest of 1788 was destroyed by a terrible hail-storm, the poor of France became desperate.

What was the fiscal crisis in France in 1789?

The National Assembly that took de facto control of political power in France in the summer of 1789 found itself facing an even worse fiscal crisis than that faced by the now defunct monarchy just months earlier. The Assembly was spending enormous sums on public works projects in Paris and for bread subsidies.

What was the economic argument for the French Revolution?

The Economic Argument. What caused the French Revolution? The Economic Argument. The French Revolution was one of the most explosive revolutions of all time. In a few short years, the monarchy which had ruled France for centuries, was brought down with seeming ease. So how did such an established powerhouse fall so swiftly?