How did the Enlightenment challenge the French monarchy leading up to the French Revolution?
It is a complicated question! However we can find two main “roots” which led to Revolution: 1)A deep financial crisis: French monarchy was not able to manage efficiently State’s economy; the administration of colonies and the maintenance of the navy (both problems related to the “race” against other european Powers) plus the expenses to maintain the royal court were literally bleeding the public finance; that forced the king to raise high taxes on the bourgeoisie (traders, merchants, all the not noble people) 2) The raise of a rich merchant class, which led (and financially helped) the protests of the crowds.
