By the end of the 18th century, France was the center of cultural sophistication. However, beneath the shiny surface, a storm was brewing. The absolute monarchy was broken; The majority of France was hungry and unhappy with the system of government. As the Enlightenment took hold and ideas about the right kind of government began to spread, tension only increased. By the late 1780s, France was in the midst of the French Revolution, thanks to weak leadership, the call for change within the French social classes, and radical thinkers willing to take a stand. As the late 1780s dawned, France's financial situation was already poor. dark. Louis XIV accumulated large debts thanks to his costly wars and the construction of the lavish Palace of Versailles. After his death, France continued to fight costly wars; the most recent being the American Revolution, where they provided 2.5 billion pounds to the American cause. At that time, France was divided into three estates: the clergy (1st estate), the nobles (2nd estate) and the peasants (3rd estate). The first and second estates had only 350,000 people combined but held between 30 and 43% of the land. However, both estates paid little or no taxes, meaning that the majority of France's debt was paid by the 22 million peasants who owned very little. France has had a constant revolving door of finance ministers, all of whom advocated for fiscal rigor (at this point, 50% of the French budget was devoted to paying interest) and a more egalitarian approach to paying taxes. taxes. Louis XIV immediately rejected these notions, hence their multiplication. When Louis XIV inherited the throne, he was ill-prepared to face the tumultuous situation. The monarchy was not as absolute...... middle of paper ......the Jacobins gained the support of the people. But it was when Louis tried to flee, in June 1791, that the Jacobins obtained most of their support. Louis' respect and authority disappears as he flees. Louis becomes the “first servant” of the people and no longer has political authority, leaving the door wide open for the Jacobins to take control of the government. France only continued to sink as the Jacobins gained power. They were supported by the Parisian masses, which finally allowed Robespierre to come to power in 1793. He, as a member of the Committee of Public Safety, saw thousands of "traitors" massacred for having denounced the radical turn taken by the revolution. It was the death of Robespierre in 1794 that finally ended the bloody revolution, although it left France in a bloody mess, leaving the way open for Napoleon to take control..