“Let them eat cake.” A famous response given by Queen Marie Antoinette when asked about the grain shortage in her country. But did he really say this? Many people see Marie Antoinette as a major cause of the French Revolution, with her enormous spending, her affairs, her disapproval of reforms, and her influence on her husband, King Louis XVI. But did Marie Antoinette play a decisive role in provoking the French Revolution? Or were popular judgments the cause of the revolt? This essay will provide both sides of this argument, setting out findings and facts about Marie Antoinette's influence on the French people, what feelings she caused in them with her actions, and whether there was any connection between her behavior and the start of the French Revolution . .To discover Marie Antoinette's influence on the French Revolution, we must first list some of the hypothesized causes of the revolt of the French people. Many believed that France's financial problems played a major role in causing the French Revolution. France had spent many years fighting foreign wars and aiding the American Revolution, which left the country on the brink of bankruptcy. Despite knowledge of these wars, many believed that Marie Antoinette had caused bankruptcy with her lavish spending. In 1788-89 there were many food shortages due to bad harvests (Schwartz). According to Britannica, bad harvests in 1788 led to economic hardship and left the population tumultuous. Rumors spread that Marie Antoinette was stockpiling grain in the palace (Muller). The quote "Let them eat cake" was created during the harvest failures to represent the Queen's response to the harvest failures. The royal couple recognized the dislike that the people had for them... middle of paper... agance, stupidity and the fact of being an incorrigible wife (Reill). Accusations that would not lead to beheading in these times. Ultimately, Marie Antoinette's influence on the French Revolution cannot be pinpointed. What can be said is that the rumors spread about her contributed to arousing hatred for her and what she represented; the aristocrats. The actions of this collective infuriated the French population, pushing them to rise up and take power. There was a solid reason why aristocrats were blamed for France's problems, but pinning it all on Marie Antoinette's head is distasteful. The French Revolution was caused by several factors, some of which were represented by Marie Antoinette. It was not she who alone provoked the Revolution with her actions, but the rumors and false accusations that spread about her encouraged the French population to rise up against the monarchy..