Absolutism and the Structure of the AR Flashcards
How old was Louis XVI when he came to the throne?
20
Why was Louis’ throning was a suprise?
His father and older brother died unexpectedly
When was Louis betrothed to and marry Marie-Antoinette?
1768, 1770
Why was his marriage to MA controversial?
- Wars of the Austrian Succession (17401748)
- France lost and in 1756, alliance formed
- By 1768, alliance in danger of breaking up hence betrothal
Why is Louis considered lacking in qualities that make a goof king?
- Was weak-willed, indecisive; wasn’t charming
- He had little understanding of politics
- He was reluctant to take a lead and stubborn when faced with difficult change; usually conceded when he had no choice and it was too late
Why was MA a problematic Queen?
- Naïve
- Spent excessively; Madame Deficit
- Not at all sympathetic to revolution
Why was the Court of Versailles problematic in terms of ruling France?
- Life was expensive and different court factions constantly sought royal favours to maintain their lifestyles (e.g. pensions, contracts and gratuites)
- MA used her influence to advance her pr-Austrian clique; L’Autrichienne
What was Louis’ perspective on his ‘Divine Right’?
- Acutely aware it was a sacred one
- Justified ‘Absolute’ power of monarchy
- He alone had the power to make laws and ensure they were carried out
What was a lettre de cachet?
- The King could use to order imprisonment
How was French Absolutism supposed to avoid becoming a tyrrany?
- Customs of the land = in practice the king needed support of npble elites
- Uphold rule ‘by law’ = not despotic
- Uphold Christian morality
Which royal councils met in the presence of the king and what were their roles?
- Counseil d’etat = state and foreign affairs
- Counseil des Depeches = church affairs
- Counseil Royal des Finances = state finances and household costs; from 1787 also economic policy
How was the distribution of power flawed?
- Power tended to ultimately into the hands of a restricted number of influential individuals who acted independently
- For example, the Controller-General who was in charge of the king’s finances and had his own bureau of workers
Why did the system of Ministers serving Louis fail to operate effectively?
- Louis’ choice of ministers was dependent on the intrigues of court factions and pressure from external factors at least as much as it was on ministers’ abilities
- Ministers’ attention wad therefore focused upon protecting reputations and maintaining support at Court as much as the demands of their roles
Who did the king use as his key representatives in the provinces?
- Intendents kept as royal agents to keep the central government informed
How many intendents were there and what were their responsibilities?
- Usually one intendent for every generalite (administrative division created in 17th C); 33 by 1789
- Responsible for finance, policing and justice
What were some specific duties of intendents?
- Ensured taxes paid
- Ensuring king’s edicts implemented
- Presiding over local courts
- Co-ordinated activities of prevots (police force); could request lettres de caches against a private person
- Raising troops
Why were intendents’ roles difficult?
- Over-worked as too few staff were allocated
- Victims of France’s confused administrative system under which their roles often overlapped with other officials or were challenged by long-established institutions
Why was their regional variation as to how France was governed?
When kings of France absorbed new lands, they agreed to respect old customs and habits = different practices, laws and taxation arrangements
