Ancien Regime Info
By the late 18th century, several factors converged to destabilize the regime:
Intellectuals like Voltaire and Rousseau began questioning the legitimacy of absolute power and the inequality of the estate system, advocating for reason, liberty, and meritocracy. ancien regime
Politically, the Ancien Régime was defined by the "Divine Right of Kings." The monarch, most notably Louis XIV (the "Sun King"), centralized power to an extreme degree. By housing the nobility at the Palace of Versailles, the crown stripped them of regional power, turning them into courtiers dependent on royal favor. However, this centralization created a bottlenecked bureaucracy that was slow to react to national crises. The Catalyst for Collapse By the late 18th century, several factors converged
Comprising the Catholic Church, they owned roughly 10% of French land and were exempt from most taxes. They provided social services like education and healthcare but were often criticized for the vast wealth held by higher-ranking bishops. By the late 18th century