1.1 Flashcards
What was the Ancien Régime?
France’s pre-revolutionary social and political structure
What are the three Estates of the Ancien Régime?
- First Estate: Clergy (less than 1% of population, owned about 10% of land, exempt from tax)
- Second Estate: Nobility (about 2% of population, owned about 25% of land, held key positions, tax-exempt)
- Third Estate: Everyone else (about 97%, paid all taxes, no political rights)
What were the problems under Louis XVI?
- Indecisive and weak-willed leadership
- Heavy influence from Marie Antoinette
- Economic crisis from debt due to the American War of Independence
- Unequal tax system falling on the Third Estate
- Nobility and parlements blocking fiscal reforms
What role did the Parlements play in the Ancien Régime?
Regional law courts dominated by nobles that could refuse to register royal edicts
True or False: The Parlements styled themselves as defenders of the people.
True
What social pressures for change existed during the Ancien Régime?
- Resentment in the Third Estate
- Bourgeoisie demanded political rights and economic opportunities
- Peasantry resented feudal dues and tax burden
What economic pressures were present in France before the Revolution?
- Looming bankruptcy with debt exceeding 4 billion livres
- Inefficient and corrupt tax farming
- Food shortages and rising bread prices
What political pressures were challenging absolute monarchy?
- Enlightenment ideas
- Criticism of divine right and privilege
- Calls for constitutional monarchy or republic
Who was Voltaire and what did he advocate for?
Criticized church power and arbitrary government; advocated for freedom of speech and religious tolerance
What did Montesquieu propose?
Separation of powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches
What was the role of Diderot in the Enlightenment?
Editor of Encyclopédie, spreading scientific knowledge and anti-clerical views
What concept did Rousseau promote?
Popular sovereignty and the social contract
Fill in the blank: Quesnay was a leader of _______.
Physiocrats
What were the key policies of Finance Minister Turgot?
- Tried to cut spending
- Reform tax system
- Abolish guilds and corvée
What did Necker publish to show royal finances?
Compte Rendu (1781)
What major proposal did Calonne make?
Proposed land tax on all estates
What was the outcome of the Assembly of Notables in 1787?
Refusal to approve reforms proposed by Calonne
What significant event occurred in May 1789?
The calling of the Estates General
What did the Third Estate demand during the Estates General?
Double representation and voting by head
What were Cahiers de Doléances?
Lists of grievances submitted by all estates
What did the Tennis Court Oath signify?
The National Assembly vowed not to disband until they created a constitution
What triggered the Storming of the Bastille?
Fear of royal troops being used to dissolve the Assembly
What did the August Decrees achieve?
Abolition of feudal privileges, serfdom, tithes, and special privileges
What are the key principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen?
- All men are born free and equal
- Rights to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression
- Sovereignty resides in the nation, not the king
What triggered the Women’s March to Versailles?
Bread shortages and outrage at Marie Antoinette’s lavish lifestyle
What were the immediate outcomes of the Revolution from 1789-1790?
- End of absolute monarchy
- National Assembly as sovereign law-making body
- Abolition of feudal privileges
- Beginning of constitutional monarchy (on paper)
- Increasing radicalization
