for those watching religious right - who was behind the French Revolution?

[bobbieinok]

see http://www.godskingdomministries.org/FFI/2003/December.htm

I have read in scholarly journals that the masons supported various anti-tyranny movements in the 18th century - but really!!

[htuttle]

1. There have been scores of theories about who was 'behind' the revolution

But my favorite explanation charted the historical cost of a loaf of bread against the average day's pay for a laborer in Paris (as best as can be ascertained from various sources).

Each time the cost of bread got higher than a day's wages, there was also a rebellion, riot or uprising very soon after.

While I wouldn't discount the various leaders and backers of the French revolution as being inconsequential, I also think that the widespread support they received had as much to do with the French economy at the time, as it had to do with the influence of the revolution's leaders.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Which Revolution?

1789? 1792? 1797? 1799? 1848? Each one had different catalysts and instigators.

Most were from the "leftists" or the combination of students, factory workers and the intellegencia vs. the church and the gentry (royalists)...and in almost each case extremes destroyed the initial intention of the revolution. Silly French.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

3. "the Economy" was the ostensible cause...the Estates General.

Recall that it was a fiscal crisis that lead to the calling of the Estates-General by Louis XVI..and the Revolution initially started in the Estates-General...when the third estate reconsituted istelf as a National Assemby.....so yes, economic forces had a big play in setting the stage for the Revolution.