In the 18th century, France was one of the richest and most prosperous countries in Europe, but many peasants were unhappy with the way France was governed . On July 14, 1789, peasants and soldiers took the Bastille and started the French Revolution. This essay will analyze the main causes of the French Revolution, including the ineffectiveness of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the discontent of the Third Estate, and the Enlightenment. It will also be argued that the most important factor that caused the French Revolution was the ineffective leadership of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The first and foremost reason for the French Revolution was the terrible leadership of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The peasants wanted to overthrow them as they bankrupted France through excessive spending. He spent just under £228 million in 15 years. King Louis had sent huge sums of money, military equipment and soldiers to America during the American Revolution because he wanted to help them defeat Britain. He also spent a lot of money building his castle, Versailles. Marie Antoinette also used huge sums of money for her lavish parties and to satisfy her extravagant tastes. These two elements combined created additional debt for France. King Louis wanted to increase taxes on the Third Estate to pay off debts, which made the peasants even more angry, which will be discussed in the next paragraph. King Louis came to power at the age of 20 and entrusted most of the financial responsibilities to Turgot, one of the best statesmen. When he finally realized that the French Revolution was a big problem, all his attempts to stop it were in vain because he didn't know what to do sin... middle of paper ... rent laws and views. The revolutionaries fought for a government by the people and for the people, a government where all would be equal and have the right to vote. The Enlightenment changed the way people viewed politics, government, and religion. This made people realize what they wanted France to be, ultimately causing them to revolt against the government that made France a republic. It is obvious that these three reasons are the main causes that led to the French revolution and the fall of the French monarchical system. . The ineffectiveness of King Louis and Marie Antoinette is the main reason for this since it is because of this that it led to the discontent of the peasants, which led them to seek better systems and laws in the Age of Enlightenment . It was all of these reasons combined that ultimately led to the destruction of the ancien regime and the French Revolution..