<P> France in 1787, although it faced some difficulties, was one of the most economically capable nations of Europe . The French population exceeded 28 million; of Europe's 178 to 188 millions, only Imperial Russia had a greater population (37 to 41 million). France was also among the most urbanized countries of Europe, the population of Paris was second only to that of London (approximately 500,000 vs. 800,000), and six of Europe's 35 larger cities were French . </P> <P> Other measures confirm France's inherent strength . France had 5.3 million of Europe's approximately 30 million male peasants . Its area under cultivation, productivity per unit area, level of industrialization, and gross national product (about 14% of the continental European product, excluding Russia, and 6% to 10% above the level elsewhere in Europe) all placed France near the very top of the scale . In short, while it may have lagged slightly behind the Low Countries, and possibly Switzerland, in per capita wealth, the sheer size of the French economy made it the premier economic power of continental Europe . </P> <P> Historian John Shovlin states, "It is a truism that the French Revolution was touched off by the near bankruptcy of the state ." It was the burden of the national debt that led this to the long - running financial crisis of the French government . Before the revolution, the French debt had risen from 8 billion to 12 billion livres . Extravagant expenditures on luxuries by Louis XVI, whose rule began in 1774, were compounded by debts that were run up during the reign of his even - more - profligate predecessor, Louis XV (who reigned from 1715 to 1774). Heavy expenditures to conduct losing the Seven Years' War (1756--1763), and France's backing of the Americans in their War of Independence, ran the tab up an even further 1.3 billion livres </P> <P> Louis XV and his ministers were deeply unhappy about Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War and, in the years following the Treaty of Paris, they began drawing up a long - term plan that would involve constructing a larger navy and building an anti-British coalition of allies . In theory, this would eventually lead to a war of revenge and see France regain its colonies from Britain . In practice, it resulted in a mountain of debts . </P>

What were the three major causes of the french revolution