Write a comparative historical analysis essay examining the socio-economic precipitants of the French Revolution (1789) and the Russian Revolution (1917). Focus specifically on the role of the 'intellectual class,' the burden of taxation/debt, and the failure of existing political institutions to adapt. Avoid narrating the events of the revolutions; instead, focus on the structural conditions and systemic pressures that made these upheavals inevitable. Cite historical economic data and political theory to support your thesis.