It was the privilege of the aristocracy to be exempt from paying taxes, and to live in luxury. The aristocracy had become so accustomed to the privileges that they were completely against any type of reform. Ti was because of the aristocracy's privileges that the bourgeoisie started to take action wanting a reform. The French revolution was called a bourgeoisie revolution because they were the educated of the third estate and could see what was going on political wise.
However it was the philosophers of this time that influence the bourgeoisie. Philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau and Montesquie who wrote about revolutionary ideal, political ideals and revolutionary zeal. The philosophers wanted to liberate human kind from ignorance for they ware against corruption at government level. They helped the bourgeoisie to see what the privilege system was doing to their country.
During the American war of independence Louis XVI sent French peasants to help fight the British in 1778, France and Britain had been fighting from 1756 - 1763. Therefore, King Louis saw this opportunity to fight the British again. The American war of independence caused France's financial situation to worsen for he sent troops to America when France could not afford it. At the same time drought and famine was occurring in France. The famine was due to the lack of produce from the land. There was a lack of produce because King Louis sent all the working peasants to the war. Leaving no one in the country to look after stock and harvest crops, the land went to waste.
Louis lacked power, strength and personality. As for Marie Antoinette, she was very persuasive, strong willed and extravagant, therefore, she got what she wanted. Marie Antoinette spent one-twelfth of total revenue. This is a lot considering sixty million livre is collected on salt tax each year. She brought four pairs of shoes a week, and she had five thousand servants.