In reading David Mason’s A Concise History of Modern Europe, I have learned of various important people, events, and ideals during the time of the French Revolution and, more specifically, the Napoleonic Era. Similar to the Industrial Revolution in Britain, an increase in agricultural productivity and industrial production proved essential to the country’s rise in success. This however would not be able to save France from the wall of debt that had accumulated over the years due to inefficient tax collection, financial aid to American colonies, and inflation. In short, Louis XVI attempted to resolve this problem with an assembly of the three estates but backfired with one of the three separating themselves leading to the liberal French Revolution