Why did Britain lose the American War of Independence/Revolutionary War?
The British were not yet an unstoppable empireSome ice, some desert, and a small slice of India In 1776, the British were one of several Great Powers in Europe who were all roughly equal in power. These were them, France, Prussia, Austria, and Russia. Below them were a few middle powers including Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal. Out of these strong nations, the British were known for their naval prowess but had one of the weaker and smaller ground armies - France was the expert here. As a result, when the 13 Colonies declared independence, the British were forced to ship soldiers 3,000 miles away and feed and supply them - no mean feat back then - to fight in an environment they were not experts in, ground wars. So this explains why they had difficulty against just the colonists alone. Now let's look at the international situation. 13 years before the Revolution, Britain and Prussia defeated France, Russia and Austria (there were also smaller allies on both sides) in the 7 Years' War. In the aftermath, French colonies from North America to India were seized by the British, which upset the balance between the Great Powers, frightening much of Europe. The British also spent a huge pile of money, which started them on the path of taxing the colonies which started the war in the first place. As a result, when the 13 Colonies declared independence, France was eager for an opportunity to even the score with their rival. Soon after the war began, France was bankrolling the American bid for independence. In the first year, France supplied enough muskets and uniforms for 30,000 soldiers (Larger than the initial size of the Continental Army) and 10 pounds of gunpowder per soldier. Then, France joined in the war openly with a navy that was at the time, roughly equal to the British one. They were eventually joined by the Spanish and Netherlands who brought even more money and soldiers to the table.tl;dr The British Army was never that strongIt was half of Europe and the USA vs Britain
What made the French so angry with King Louis XVI that they demolished the Monarchy and guillotined their King and Queen during the French Revolution?
Louis XVI was persuaded to finance and provide troops for the American Revolution, which cost France a great amount of money it had to borrow. The success of the American Revolution decreased British power and prestige but hurt France and its finances and economy in the process. The American Revolution further legitimized republican government at the expense of monarchical rule.Louis XVI spent too much money, did not obtain taxes from the nobility as he was advised to do by previous ministers, failed to communicate with the common people or their representatives, did not change with the times and was indecisive and weak. Absolute monarchs are supposed to control finances, nobles and revolutionary tensions with timely reforms, but Louis XVI let the expenses, inequities and oppressions of the previous reigns build to the breaking point.The Queen became unpopular due to her spending, extravagance, elaborate hairstyles, affairs and initially her failure to have children (which was the fault of her husband). The clergy, court, ministers and army were top-heavy with expensive aristocrats, many of whom lost touch with the people. The rising middle class was deprived of an appropriate share of political, social and financial power.Instead of working honestly for a just settlement of grievances and inequities, the King entered into correspondence with foreign powers in an effort to regain his control over France. The Royal Family tried to escape from France in disguise, but they were detected near the border and brought back to Paris. When their correspondence was discovered, it became clear the King did not intend to cooperate with the Revolution and needed reforms, but instead sought to fight his own people for control of France. This disloyalty to his people justified a conviction for treason and execution by guillotine.