France Wins the Seven Years War

The idea of France being gutted is really hard to square with Napoleon and the French Revolution.

I think it was meant financially, by which they mean that the monarchy was bankrupt and heavily in debt in large part as a consequence of all these wars, which was a major contribution to the French Revolution. The French revolution also had the effect of solving the debt issue, because, IIRC, the revolutionaries canceled all of the monarchies debts.
 
I think it was meant financially, by which they mean that the monarchy was bankrupt and heavily in debt in large part as a consequence of all these wars, which was a major contribution to the French Revolution. The French revolution also had the effect of solving the debt issue, because, IIRC, the revolutionaries canceled all of the monarchies debts.

And also created a new currency while forming a new government in the middle of a civil war and foreign invasions.
 
I think it was meant financially, by which they mean that the monarchy was bankrupt ...

Yes, thou the Atlantic towns were another regard. If I recall properly the French Monarchy never got it's tax system properly organized. Contracts to collect taxes were sold out with the expectation of corruption, the nobility and clergy often managed to avoid taxation, most taxes were direct taxes that was hard to gauge, created resentment, and encouraged tax evasion. This was in comparison to the English method of indirect taxation that didn't create as much resentment and easier to enforce. So despite France's greater centralization than Britain, it was consistently unable to raise revenue than the British government and reform was blocked by the powerful vested interest of the nobility and clergy.

While this won't cripple France it doesn't help with the monarch's power, especially if he decides on expensive wars.
 
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