The French people had long been under the rule of an absolute monarch, so it took a perfect climate of political unrest and the confluence of numerous factors to start the French Revolution. The French Revolution took place in the ideal political, economic, and intellectual climate for a revolution. Short-Term Causes Louis XVI had created a large amount of debt through poor tax collection practices and by financing the American Revolution. Bad fiscal practices included the non-taxation of nobles, which placed all of France's financial burden on the middle and lower classes. These classes were unable to support the high costs of running a nation as well as supporting a foreign war that brought no tangible benefit to France. To raise more money, Louis XVI decided to sell noble titles to some upper-middle class who could afford them. This provided the king with easy money, but reduced his overall tax base because he did not tax the nobility. The American Revolution was a major contributing factor to the French Revolution. The ideas of the American Revolution were returning to France, particularly the idea of ​​essential human rights and the validation of John Locke's theory that government should serve the people. The French working class suffered from bad harvests. The guild system did not allow farmers to row what they wanted. This caused increased economic pressure on the entire country, but due to Louis XVI's tax structure it placed particularly high pressure on the working and middle class. To address France's impending economic ruin, Louis XVI called all the nobles and those with significant wealth together and asked them to borrow money. Because there was no legal route to l...... middle of paper ......ral in the French army and for his actions he was given much recognition by the Directory. This created a very positive public image for him within the French population and gave him the political capital to stage a coup on the Directory. Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of France and managed to win numerous battles throughout Europe. Napoleon eventually lost his power and was removed from his position by the French people after a fierce defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. As Napoleon succeeded in conquering much of Europe, the European nations met in Vienna to redraw Europe's borders. This conference established many of the boundaries that are still in place today. Soon after Napoleon lost power, Louis XVII ascended the throne of France for the first time since his older brother Louis XVI had been beheaded. Thus marked the end of the French Revolution.