Absolutism + The Structure Of The Ancien Regime

Question 1

When did Louis XVI become king + how

Answer 1

1774
His brother died

Question 2

When did Marie antoineet and Louis marry

Answer 2

1770

Question 3

When was the war with Austria + what

Answer 3

Austrian war of succession 1740-1748
French tried to prevent Marie’s mother from taking the Austrian throne

Question 4

What was Marie Antoinettes nickname

Answer 4

L’Autrichienne
The Austrian bitch

Question 5

What justified Louis powers + what (3)

Answer 5

Divine right justified the absolute powers of the monarch
He had the power to make laws, ensure they were carried out and incarcerated those who went against him

Question 6

What was the lettres de chachet (2)

Answer 6

Letter bearing the royal seal in which the king could order imprisonment
They were abused under Louis and provided already signed so others could use them

Question 7

What was French absolutism restrained by (3)

Answer 7

The customs of the land
The king needed support of his noble elites
Expected to maintain conventions and rule by law

Question 8

What was meant by ‘rule by law’ (2+)

Answer 8

Maintain Christian morality
Respecting the rights, privileges and customs of subjects and provinces and regions in his kingdom

Question 9

What were the specialised royal councils (3)

Answer 9

The conseil d’Etat
The conseil des dépêches
The conseil royal des finances

Question 10

What did the conseil d’Etat do (council of state)

Answer 10

Dealt with major issues of state and foreign affairs

Question 11

What did the conseil des dépêches do (2)

Answer 11

Received dispatches from the kings officials in the provinces
dealt with church affairs

Question 12

The conseil royal des finances (2)

Answer 12

Managed state finances + household costs
From 1787 it handles economic policy

Question 13

Why intendants (3)

Answer 13

Appointed as royal agents
Maintain his rule in the provinces
To feed back info to central gov = economic situation or other local problems

Question 14

What were the intendants responsible for (3)

Answer 14

Finance
Policing
Justice

Question 15

Intendants specific duties (3)

Answer 15

Ensuring taxes were paid
Ensuring the kings edicts were carried out
Raising troops

Question 16

What + how many généralités (3)

Answer 16

33 in 1789
Administrative division created in the 17th century
Normally one intendant for every génénalite

Question 17

Why - difficulties in administration

Answer 17

As kings of France absorbed new lands they made agreements to respect old customs and practices = slightly different practices, laws + tax arrangements in diff parts of France

Question 18

Intendant problems (3)

Answer 18

Provincial governors
Pays d’Etats
Land owning nobles (seigneurs)

Question 19

Provincial governors (4)

Answer 19

From the nobility
Responsible for maintaining order in their regions
1779 = 39 governors
In some areas posts became entrenched in certain families = provincial dynasty

Question 20

What were the pays d’Etat (2)

Answer 20

6 areas allowed the privilege of negotiating tax with the crown and then paying a lump sum to the king
To establish tax these areas had powerful assemblies = intendants forced to share power

Question 21

Seigneurs + intendants problem (3)

Answer 21

Exercised considerable influence
Ran their own courts
Those holding rank considered themselves superior to intendants

Question 22

What was venality (3)

Answer 22

The custom of selling administrative offices
By 18 century there were 700,000 venal offices
Entire judiciary, most of legal, officers in the army, etc

Question 23

How many parlements

Answer 23

13

Question 24

What was the Parlement responsible for - size

Answer 24

Two fifths of France

Question 25

What was the parlements job (3+)

Answer 25

To hear both civil and criminal cases that local courts couldn’t solve
They controlled guilds, corporations, and markets, local finances and law and order
Conflict with intendants

Question 26

Most important right of the parlemtns (3)

Answer 26

Registered each of the kings edicts to ensure its conformity with previous legislation and provincial codes
They could question + criticise decrees
They could force the king to rethink by sending a ‘remonstrance’

Question 27

By 1780s France population

Answer 27

Largest of any country in Europe
27 million people

Question 28

How many in the first estate (2)

Answer 28

Clergy
150,000 members

Question 29

How many second estate (2)

Answer 29

Nobility
200,000-400,000

Question 30

The third estate how many (2)

Answer 30

Commoners (and everyone else)
Made up of everyone else

Question 31

Why was the church considered important (3)

Answer 31

Administered mass, hearing confessions and performing christenings, marriages
Controlled education
Provided care for the sick and elderly

Question 32

Wealth of the clergy

Answer 32

Cardinals, archbishops, bishops = came from the ranks of nobility and lived a similar lifestyle
Majority = some far poorer than their own parishioners

Question 33

The church in France (2)

Answer 33

France = 97% catholic
Only catholics possessed full legal rights

Question 34

Church wealth (2)

Answer 34

Owned 10% of land of France
Tithe = payment of a tenth of income

Question 35

Church privileges (4+)

Answer 35

Not required to pay the taille
Offered a lump sum = don gratuit
Only be prosecuted in their own church courts
Couldn’t be asked to perform military service, or provide money for royal troops or billet (house) them

Question 36

Second estate role

Answer 36

Serve and advise the king

Question 37

Second estate land

Answer 37

Owned between a fifth and a quarter of French

Question 38

Types of nobles (2)

Answer 38

Noblesse d’épée
Noblesse de robe

Question 39

The noblesse d’épée (3)

Answer 39

Hereditary nobles
Residence at Versailles
Held titles from duc to baron

Question 40

The noblesse de robe (3)

Answer 40

Acquired noble status from a venal job
1789 = 70,000
Performed legal and administrative duties

Question 41

Nobles privileges (5)

Answer 41

Take precedence at public ceremonies
Right to display a coat of arms
Right to be beheaded rather than hung
Didn’t pay the taille
Exemptions or a lower rate for other direct taxes

Question 42

Who were the bourgeoisie (2)

Answer 42

Wealthiest of the commoners
Merchants, doctors, lawyers, financiers, teachers + artists etc

Question 43

Peasants? (2)

Answer 43

Worked the land under a feudal agreement with the seigneur
Most were subsistence farmers

Question 44

Third estate “privileges” (3+)

Answer 44

Had to pay taxes = taille, vingtième, capitation and indirect taxes
Every male liable for military service
Unpaid labour service for the king = road building = corvee royale

Question 45

Seigneurial dues (4+)

Answer 45

Champart = paid in grain or produce
Cens = paid in cash
Seigneurial could demand peasants form nearby use his facilities so they had to pay an annual payment known as banalités
Charge a breeding fee (pigs etc)

Question 46

Who was at the very bottom of the third estate (2)

Answer 46

Journaliers or day labourers
Prostitutes, vagabonds, tramps and beggars

Question 47

Strengths of ancien regime (3)

Answer 47

Provided for a highly centralised government by an absolute monarch
Gov functioned relatively well by standards of the day
King could take advantage of powerful noble network

Question 48

Weaknesses of the ancien regime

Answer 48

Operation limited by the many divisions that existed in France (geographical, historic and social)

Question 49

Summary (3)

Answer 49

France was an absolute monarchy however the kings power was limited
French society was divided into 3 estates
The system of gov and society was called the ancien regime as it collapsed in the wake of revolution in 1789