Would France have been more or less powerful without the French Revolution?

Once they realised the Government was in crisis, I believe they blamed the monarchy hence the need to call the Estates General.
To reform the Monarchy and limit its power, after alll they (the nobles and clerics) were two thirds of the Estates, they couldn't lose.
 
The only way the french revolution can be avoided, rather than just delayed, is by political reforms, which give the rising bourgeoisie a part of the political power instead of locking it in the hands of nobility. There is many way to achieve that, but it is the one constant in a non-revolution France.

A possible way is the king discovering a backbone and disolving the parliaments so he can enforce the reforms by decrees.

Yes, that seems counterintuitive, but it was the various parliaments which blocked the necessary reforms in OTL (and it was Louis XVI who allowed them back after they had been disolved by Louis XV).
 
The only way the french revolution can be avoided, rather than just delayed, is by political reforms, which give the rising bourgeoisie a part of the political power instead of locking it in the hands of nobility. There is many way to achieve that, but it is the one constant in a non-revolution France.

A possible way is the king discovering a backbone and disolving the parliaments so he can enforce the reforms by decrees.

Yes, that seems counterintuitive, but it was the various parliaments which blocked the necessary reforms in OTL (and it was Louis XVI who allowed them back after they had been disolved by Louis XV).

Why? Plenty of countries went a long time without giving the middle class rights. The difference was that France's explosive situation was set off by the financial situation. Get the finances right and I reckon they could have had another 20 years or more. If no Estates get called, how is the revolution going to start?
 
Once they realised the Government was in crisis, I believe they blamed the monarchy hence the need to call the Estates General.
To reform the Monarchy and limit its power, after alll they (the nobles and clerics) were two thirds of the Estates, they couldn't lose.

Louis XV had broken the parlements. Had he forced through tax rises then, the nobility would have had no leverage.
 
Louis XV had broken the parlements. Had he forced through tax rises then, the nobility would have had no leverage.
I don't think Louis had broken the Parlements. From what I read the resistance was strong among the French nobility and the clergy, As a Monarch, a lot of the Kings support and power came from the Nobles. They also provided a lot of his officers civil and military If they opposed him and lined up with the common people, then he risked an expensive conflict that it wouldn't be certain that he'd win.
The French Nobility including some of the Princes of the Blood, didn't want an absolute Monarchy, and having a power struggle, might not have seemed like the most appropriate response to a budget crisis. Like other Monarchs after him ( Wilhelm II, Nicholas II) I think Louis was less powerful than he looked.
 
The only way the french revolution can be avoided, rather than just delayed, is by political reforms, which give the rising bourgeoisie a part of the political power instead of locking it in the hands of nobility. There is many way to achieve that, but it is the one constant in a non-revolution France.

A possible way is the king discovering a backbone and disolving the parliaments so he can enforce the reforms by decrees.

Yes, that seems counterintuitive, but it was the various parliaments which blocked the necessary reforms in OTL (and it was Louis XVI who allowed them back after they had been disolved by Louis XV).
I agreee with almost everything you are saying , except perhaps the idea of the King growing a pair. By the time the Estates were called the assembly of Notables was refusing to pass the advice that the Government wanted, and the Parlements were refusing to pass edicts.
That's just what they could do by way of non-cooperation, what was Louis going to do in response, Dismiss uncooperative officers and rule by way of the Army?
 
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