French economy ruined.

Discussion in 'Revolutionary War' started by cameronpalte, Feb 11, 2013.

  1. cameronpalte

    cameronpalte Member

    The French economy was ruined by France going with and siding with Europe over the battle and everything that went on. What effect do you guys think and do you think it had a big effect of the French revolution.
     
  2. pietastesgood

    pietastesgood Member

    You mean siding with the colonies? And yes, it did have a great effect on the revolution. Their spending on the American Revolution pushed them into greater debt.
     
  3. Vercingetorix

    Vercingetorix Member

    I think French finances were in a shambles even without the American Revolutionary War. I think the war did hasten the arrival of the French Revolution, but some kind of upheaval would have happened in France without the war, although it might have taken a different shape.
     
    skyblue likes this.
  4. pietastesgood

    pietastesgood Member

    ^You're right. France was already in a bad way, and Louis XVI, with his lavish spending, had already alienated the vast majority of the impoverished French. Simply the fact that the American Revolution happened would have probably kickstarted some revolution of sorts in France, but the even worse economic conditions caused by the French helping the colonists might have made the French Revolution more desperate and violent than it would have been otherwise.
     
  5. The irony of the French situation is that initially, they ended up worse off after their revolution (Napoleon) than they were before.
     

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