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
What were Pays d’Etats?
Regions where representative assembly had right to negotiate on the rising of taxes with royal intendents
What was the role of provincial governors?
- Drawn from the nobility and responsible for historic provinces
- In 1779, 39 governors
- Theoretically king’s representatives but in some areas became provincial ‘dynasty’ in some families
What was Venality?
- Selling of administrative offices to augment royal income
- By 1700s, 70,000 venal offices
What were the Parlements?
- 13 in France
- ‘Sovereign’ courts; Paris Parlement most important as responsible for about 2/5 of France
- Heard civil and criminal cases, controlled guilds, corporations and markers as well as local government finances and law and order
- Often came into conflict with intendents
What other courts existed?
- Other supremes courts
- Seigneurial courts lowest level in hands of feudal landlords
- Church courts
What was a lit de justice?
King could call a royal session of the Paris Parlement for compulsory registration of royal edicts; could make the King look depsotic
How could parlements challenge King’s rule through dealing with royal edicts?
Could criticise and question edicts and so force the king to thing again by sending a remonstrance
What tensions pre-existed Louis XVI between monarchy and parlements?
From 1763, Paris Parlement blocked a series of royal reforms and in 1771, Louis XV tried to abolish the parlements altogether
What did Louis XVI do when he took the throne regarding parlements?
He restored the parlements to their previous status
Why did law vary geographically?
- Southern 1/3 was governed by clear and rigid written rules
- Rest of France operated on common law based on customary practice
French population by 1780s?
Largest in Europe - about 27m; about 21m in agriculture
Rough figures for each estate?
- 1st: 150,000
- 2nd: 200,000-400,000
- 3rd: the rest
Why was the 1st E seen as so important?
- Essential to nations’ wellbeing as 97% Catholic
- Controlled education, provided care for sick and elderly
- Pulpit used to convey royal messages and church authorities had extensive powers of censorship
Variety in members of 1st E?
- Cardinals, archbishops and bishops came from ranks of nobility
- Majority of clergy were far poorer than their own parishoners
Why was 1st E so rich?
- Large income from rents and dues paid for Church land (10% of land in France)
- Church taxes: tithe; everybody had to pay 10% income
- Clergy exempt from main French direct tax taille and instead paid a lump sum to king, Don Gratuit
Other than financial, what privileges did the 1st E enjoy?
- Could only be prosecuted through own courts
- Couldn’t be asked to perform military service or to provide money or housing for royal troops
How much land did 2nd E own?
Between 1/4 and 1/5 of all land in France; msotly lived off rents of their landed estates
Who were Noblesse d’epee?
Nobles of sword; hereditary
Who were Noblesse de court?
Those in residence at Versailles or in provincial areas; able to access royal patronage and served as ambassadors and councillors
Why did wealth of nobility vary?
Provincial hereditary nobility had become impoverished over the years but still clung to their status and privilege
Who were Noblesse de Robe?
- Carried out venal roles
- More offices sold so numbers grew considerably in 1700s
- By 1789, more than 70,000
- Generally looked down on business and trade
What privileges did the nobility have?
- Honorific privileges e.g. display a coat of arms
- Law e.g. right to beheaded rather than hanged
- Financial e.g. didn’t have to pay taille
- Managed to escape indirect tax or at wort paid a small proportion of their income
Who were the wealthiest members of 3rd E and how did they gain their wealth and status?
- Bourgeoisie who used ‘skills’ for income; tiny proportion of 3rd E
- Trade and commerce grew throughout 1700s
- Wealthiest enjoyed a lifestyle similar to some of nobility; prosperous merchant could earn more than an impoverished nobleman
- Where possible, tried to buy office
What were the other two members of 3rd E?
- Semi-skilled/unskilled urban workers
- Peasantry who lived and worked in countryside (rural workers)
What were the lives of the peasantry like?
- Worked the land under feudal/seigneurial arrangement with land-holding noble Lord/seigneur
- Most peasants were subsistence farmrers, legally bound to a seigneur
- Richer land-owning/renting peasants (small number) could become relatively prosperous by selling surpluses
What obligations did the 3rd E have?
- Paid direct taxes e.g. taille, vigntieme and capitation
- Indirect taxes such as gabelle (salt), aides (drink) and on tobacco; tithe to church
- Every male liable for military service
- Required to do unpaid labour service to maintain royal roads (corvee royale)
What feudal taxes/obligations did peasants have to pay?
- Seigneurial dues e.g. champart (paid in gran/produce), cens (paid in cash)
- Paid annual payments (banalities)
