Economic and social inequalities in the Old Regime helped cause the French revolution. There were three factors that lead to the revolution. First, people in the French society were treated unequally. Second, France's economy was failing. Third, King Louis XVI was a weak and useless leader.
             Social inequalities are one of the main causes of the French Revolution. People of the third estate were not treated equally. The third estates are made up of three different groups. The bourgeoisie were rich merchant and artisans that lacked the privileges of the nobles. The second groups are the city workers, which included the cooks, servants, and others. They were poorly paid and often out of work. The last group is the peasants; they are the farmers that make up 80 percent of the French population. The people of the first and second estate were rich but they paid almost no taxes. The people of the third estate had to paid almost all the taxes and they were angry.
             France's economy was on a downfall. The French population was expanding rapidly, as were trade and production. However, there were high taxes that made it impossible to conduct business profitably. The cost of living rose for everyone. Also, there were bad weather that caused wide spread crop failures. As a result, there were a shortage of grain and the price of bread doubled. Many people faced starvation. During this time, France's government went into huge debt. Even though the government was in debt, Louis's wife continued to spend a lot of money and was often disliked.
             King Louis XVI was a weak, unconcerned leader. He was indecisive and allowed matters to drift. A strong leadership might have prevented the revolution. Louis paid little and almost no attention to his government advisors. He rather prefers to spend his time hunting and playing with locks rather then attending to the government. Louis's wife, Marie Antoinette...