... had it not been for underlying causes which had been gathering momentum in France in the period leading up to 1789. The Bourbons who ruled France were descended from the Valois family line that had ruled France since it became a nation. The kings of France were absolutist rulers. The French army was directly responsible to the King, the nations debts were the king's debts and the King could theoretically overrule any court or system of law in the land. The King claimed a divine right to absolute rule and claimed this power from God, hence minimising any usurpation of his position. "Most important of all there was no individual or institution in France with any right to override or control the actions of the king."1[1]. Louis XVI came to the French throne in 1774 and was the last ruler under the Ancien Regime in France. The thirteen parlements, local ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now