How Did The Pamphlet War Cause The French Revolution

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The Pamphlet War was a significant cause of the Revolution, as it undermined the king's authority and spread ideas that challenged the old order. The pamphlets also called upon the third estate to take action and seize their power. However France's bankruptcy was also vital in destroying the support and trust in the monarchy leading to Revolution The Pamphlet War intensified public debate and criticism about French society and the monarchy, leading to ideas of Revolution. The pamphlets were widely read by people from all parts of French society, and "the debate was everywhere" (Anderson, Kerr). There was an explosion of debate and expression of opinion with over 4000 pamphlets being published between May 1789 and April 1789, and by December …show more content…

Various pamphlets such as 'What is the Third Estate?' by Abbe Sieyes, which reminded the third estate of how the privileged order had treated them, as in his pamphlet he wrote that a life under "only the protection of the common law" was one "enduring contempt" (Sieyes). It argued that the third estate was a "complete nation" and without the privileged order would be "everything free and flourishing" (Sieyes). The pamphlets were a call to revolution as Sieyes' pamphlet encouraged the third estate to not vote with the clergy and nobility and to "form a National Assembly" (Sieyes), therefore sparking revolution. The pamphlets were a "hot bed of sedition and revolt" (Arthur Young 1788), and contained "principles that...would overturn the monarchy" (Arthur Young), such as that the third estate had the power to bring about change in French society and form their own assembly as mentioned in 'What is the Third Estate?", which was influenced by ideas from Rousseau. The pamphlets encouraged the third estate to take action if the aristocracy and monarchy failed to protect them, and encouraged a shift from favouring the monarchy to favouring popular sovereignty. This culminated in their decision to form the National Assembly as the third estate found their voice, therefore leading to