The cause of the subsistence crisis in France was:
- The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million 1789. This led to a sudden increase in the demand for foodgrains.
- Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand. So, the price of bread which was the staple diet of the majority rose rapidly.
- Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops whose owner fixed their wages. However, their wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices.
- So, the gap between the poor and the rich widened.
- Things became worse whenever drought or hail reduced the harvest
- This led to a subsistence crisis, something that occured frequently in France during the Ancien Regime.
Hope you could get an idea from here.
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