Реферат: The Efffects Of Louis 16Th On France

of cheaper material. They spent half of their earnings on bread and were plagued with

unemployment. In Paris the gap between the very rich ( minority) and the majority of

peasants was large. The crisis of the western world was felt mostly in France.

Population increase was accompanied by the fragmentation of peasant holdings,

inadequate increase in agriculture productivity and bad harvests after 1770. Both wages

of the commoner and the level of employment lagged behind the rising price of grain and

other basic necessities. Substantial sections of France were faced with declining

standard of living. The result of this was death, emigration, and increased number of

beggar, pauper and homeless citizens (* Revolution and Terror in France..pg20). The

peasants were working hard or not at all, and the money they made was spent on bread

and taxes. Many people were left homeless because they couldn?t pay the taxes. Even

though the ?whole? situation was not Louis XVI?s personal fault, the choices and

decisions he formed, made the situation even worse.

During Louis XVI?s reign, he made some very poor decisions that could have

influenced the end result of the French revolution. Firstly, He was influenced greatly by

people around him (* Canadian Encyclopedia, Ref: Louis XVI). He was described as not

overly intelligent, inexperienced and not completely dedicated to his duties.

Through-out his reign (1774-1792) the king was helped/supported and even betrayed by

Necker. Necker made a lot of the king?s decisions and persuaded him. He seemed to be

on Louis XVI?s side but then Necker published an account of the royal finances, which

revealed the heavy costs of the privileges and favoritism. This action, not only went

against the monarchy, but earned Necker popular acclaim. Necker also helped Louis

decide that the commoners (third estate) would have as many voters as the First and

Second Estate (clergy and nobility) combined. But both he and Louis failed to make a

ruling on the method of voting (the head count was not granted). In 1770 Louis married

Marie Antoinette, youngest daughter of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. She

influenced Louis to attend to the interests of Austria, and to ignore the financial crisis in

France. She often stood in the way of Louis?s proposed reforms by talking him out of

them ( Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette pg 488 ). She talked him into firing Turgot,