How Did The Seven Year War Affect France

In the quest for gloire, France took part in many wars whether it was to her advantage or not. France earned a powerful reputation through its dominance on the battlefield during wars, demonstrating that the nation was one not to be trifled (with?). France had always played a major role in various wars, each war had important implications on the European state system. The Seven Years War proved to be inconvenient to France as a great power. At the end of the war in 1763, the peace of Paris had resulted in diminutive gains for France. After the Seven Years War, France was financially weak, the navy was destroyed, and the loss of colonies in the west and the lack of power in the east declined French influence (253 scott mckay). In an effort

France saw meager harvests and harsh winters which resulted in a series of crop failures causing a shortage of grain, which consequently raised the price of bread. Bread was the main source of food for poor peasants, it generated discontent and disorder among the poor, increasing strife among the social classes. These problems were all compounded by a great scarcity of food. To millions bread was a staple diet, and in one’s daily life bread accounted for approximately fifty percent of their earnings. In the years of famine one would be obliged to spend sixty or even eighty percent of their earnings on bread and if one could not afford the bread, then they would starve. Such years witnessed violent outburst of rioting (654, the outbreak of French rev). The poor harvests during this period lowered tax revenues, further impacting the financial state of France. The mass urbanization in France coincided with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, as people moved into French cities seeking employment. The cities became overcrowded with the hungry, destitute, and disaffected, an ideal environment (CITE). The agrarian crisis created a discontented populace of over twenty million, wherein the majority were commoners who could barely afford to live. Many were relying on assistance from charity to survive, and were becoming increasingly motivated by their hunger. Their hunger

The French aristocracy rose to power, their power rivaled the Kings’ own as they were in control of parlements across France. Parlements were provincial legal courts under the Ancien Régime in France, they were not legislative bodies, but rather provincial high courts. They were the court of final appeal of the judicial system, and wielded much power over a wide range of subject matter, specifically taxation. The members were aristocrats who had bought or inherited their office, and were independent of the King(CITE). The members tended to their own interests, this was apparent when the government in an effort to construct royal reforms regarding the financial state of France, was met with resistance and virulent opposition from parlement (scott and mckay 256). The King could not accomplish much without their support or financial assistance. The reliance on a small number of privileged money-lenders did not provide security or predictability for government finances and confidence or investment in the economy (217, Lou to Nap). These parlements were detrimental to France as they consisted of corrupted individuals who were selfish and thought about their own gains. The struggle with the parlements and nobles to enact reformist measures displayed the extent of the disintegration of the Ancien Régime. It is clear that the