MAKING OF A NEW NATION 1776 1800
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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France had no king to lead the country
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Government debt due to overspending and involvement in wars
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France had a surplus of food due to bountiful harvests
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men between the ages of 18-25 were required to join the army.
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Detailed explanation-1: -French involvement in the Seven Years’ War and the American War of Independence added substantially to the state’s debts. Jacques Necker, finance minister from 1777 and 1781, had largely funded France’s war effort through loans. As a result the state debt ballooned to between 8 and 12 billion livres by 1789.
Detailed explanation-2: -France’s Debt Problems France’s prolonged involvement in the Seven Years’ War of 1756–1763 drained the treasury, as did the country’s participation in the American Revolution of 1775–1783.
Detailed explanation-3: -half of the country’s annual budget. The American Revolution [1775-1783] cost France 1.3 billion livres. By 1789 France’s total debt was 4 billion livres or $40 billion. France was on the verge of bankruptcy with no means to pay.