ANCIEN REGIME Flashcards

Question

describe the assembly of notables in FEB 1787 and was it a success or failure

Answer 1

- louis was resistant to implementing this - the notables had not met since 1626 - the body only consisted of the upper 2 estates (ie 14 reps from church and parlement judges and 144 reps) - the body attacked the modernisation of these financial policies including taxing the church (because they were loyal supporters of necker) - the assembly accused calonne of incompetence and trying to ruin the french financial system - refusal to concede a FEUDAL MONOPOLY - amplified the call for the estates general - ASSEMBLY OF NOTABLES REFUSE TO ADOPT THE POLICIES OF CALONNE overall: FAILURE - displayed the resistance of upper estates to financial reform and to reforming deeply entrenched socio-economic expectations - resistance to eroding a estate system and the system of privilege - created distrust between lower and higher estates - the nobility and parlement were now accustomed to challenging the power and authority of the king

Answer 2

- in august 1788, bankruptcy is declared - on the 16th august treasury payments were suspended by Brienne, because france could not afford to pay interest - brienne resigned in 1788 - necker was recalled on the 25th of august 1788 - louis was FORCED to call the meeting of the estates general in may 1789

Answer 3

- brienne tried to force his taxation reform through using parlements - parlements refused to accept his reform to the land tax (overarching noble prejudice) - brienne tries to force through these proposals using a lit de justice + king's edicts - the parlement propose an estates general to be held in july 1787 - citizens support this and are supported by the duc d'orleans (louis' cousin who spoke out against him) - louis banishes parlements to troyes, which causes outrage and exemplifies the absolute government 1787 - the parlements are reinstalled in september 1787 - in november 1787, the king's royal session allows the duc d'orleans to be exiled - louis used the lettres de cachet in order to ask for more loans - from this interaction, louis is forced to call an estates general

Answer 4

- consisted of around 21 million people, and was 'everyone else' - those who lacked titles and social importance - normal commoners (ie peasants, who would work the land and were accountable to their local lord, in terms of farming his land - bourgeoisie (ie educated members of lower classes such as lawyers, who could buy land) - owned around 35% of land (lack of crop rotation + easy disease wipes out crops) burdens: - required to pay direct taxes - forced todo military service - forced unpaid labour as a direct obligation and service to the king - forced to pay grain and cash dues - forced to give grain or bread to nobles and those of upper classes if needed - would pay banalites, the peasants pay to use noble land for farming, give a share of the land later - the land lord / owner would ensure that nobody else in the area can produce these products, limiting competition and earning more money - borrowed equipment from upper estates, but were demanded more product in return

Answer 5

the caisse d'escompte - boosted french trade by offering cash for bills

Answer 6

- it questioned and eroded social traditions and conventions, paving the way for a new, modern state - it encouraged debates about freedom and eroded the social structure - despite only being limited to an educated elite, the enlightenment boosted salon culture and amplified discussion - criticised absolute government - eroded the fundamental government principles of france and encouraged a new government

Answer 7

the church and its leaders were extremely wealthy (ie archbishops and bishops), as they capitalised off church land and taxation - priests often were not content with their position, barely earning money and thus their lifestyle was not as extravagant

Answer 8

successful: - reduced corruption - countered ancien regime issues (ie disproportionate tax) unsuccessful: - constant debt and failure - constant change of ministers - lack of continuity (7 ministers in 13 years)

Answer 9

events: - inherited national debt - dismissive mindset of previous monarchs = $2 billion - intensive loans and their interest - accumulated to 165 million - imbalance in income and expenditure (630million vs 503 million) - war of austrian succession - seven years war - american war of independence debt: - $3.3 billion livres debt by 1783 - debt increased by 40 million from 1774 to 1786

Answer 10

- there were 3 councils who would meet with the king to discuss policy (king councils) - there were also private meetings between the king and wealthy / influential individuals (ie Sec of State for war, Controller-General (led french finances), Sec for foreign affairs, leader of the Navy etc) - the king would appoint intendants to be royal agents to maintain monarchist rule and feed back on local rule - intendants would need permission from the king's council to act and enforce their laws - the king was also reliant on the nobility

Answer 11

pay d'etats: the ability for locals to negotiate their taxation with the state and local assemblies don gratuit: a voluntary gift paid by the church every 5 years

Answer 12

- tithe - tax on church land - taille - the direct tax on property and income - tabac - tobacco tax - domaine - taxes on crown lands - vingtieme - income tax, 5% - capitation - gabelle - salt tax - aides - for food and drink - corvee royale - service to king / labour tax - funded infrastructure - poll tax (capitulation) *these taxation burdens lay heavily with the third estates, and accounting procedures often led to corruption due to tax farmers collected by royal officers, tax farmers

Answer 13

- lettres de cachet - power to 'deport' and remove people - lack of political opposition - fusion of power in government = all around influence (centralised powers) - asserted and reinforced through intendants - lit de justice - force through laws despite backlash - justified and given legitimacy through the concept of divine right - control of the military - patronage powers - pack the government full of loyalists in parlements and in councils - lacks opposition

Answer 14

1. consist of provincial governors would maintain order in these regions and could call the parlements (1779 = 39 governors) - many provincial governor positions were inherited - 'dynastical' - have 36 generalites 2. assemblies - had pays d'etats power to agree on taxation 3. officials were supervised by intendants - much of the time, these officials paid for their positions 4. land-owning nobles - run their own courts

Answer 15

- a philosophical movement which refused to accept unproven dogma and ideas - it promoted rational thought, scientific and secular ideas - it drew on concepts of how society should be governed, individual lifestyle, economic matters - it triggered the need for social progress and a revolution

Answer 16

- started in 1775, with france sending america forces over to help fight colonialists in the area and establish independence: impact: - through salon culture, the american war of independence promoted ideas of the enlightenment, a separation of powers and having the consent for those governed - heavy cost on france -- louis did not have the financial flexibility for this - the idea of a new constitution and limited government in the US influenced france, by promoting ideas of a limited government, going against the absolute monarchy in france - the war also upheld concepts of equality and liberty, which were sent back to france, and amplified (boosted enlightenment ideas)

Answer 17

- spread concepts of enlightenment - promoted ideas of a democratic government and electorate consent - the establishment of a new democratic government promoted a system of separation of powers - the war enhanced ideas of equality and liberty, which became guiding principles in the revolution - encouraged people to rebel against government - supports representation and republicanism (further adding to enlightenment) - critical of a entrenched power

Answer 18

laws which could be forced through by the King, which could order the imprisonment of an individual - evidence of the despotism of the king

Answer 19

1. council of state - would deal with issues of the state and its affairs 2. council of deputies - would deal with church affairs 3. council of royal finances - manage state finances, economic policy and local costs *members appointed by king, under pressure from marie antoinette

Answer 20

sword: inherited their position - would serve in local government as councillors - some were members of the royal family robe: were given their position based on credit and hard work - these ones would buy their position - 70,000 by 1789 - would therefore have influence in the legislature and executive *created a significant amount of internal division and polarization between political groups, because of the concept of inheritance and working for your position

Answer 21

1774-1776 1. imposed a universal land tax - progressive and undermined the estate system - block privilege of upper estates - believe in physiocratic ideas of eroding privilege to boost efficiency and have a more free economic system 2. reduced the number of government officials - officials must submit finances to a controller general 3. IDEAS OF A FREE MARKET ECON: - removed government imposed grain prices -- free market forces and ELASTIC ECONOMY 4. reduced trade guilds - would create more flexible trading options and less barriers on trading practices - free grain trade (ruined by 1775 flour wars) 5. 1776 - six edicts policy -- abolished privilege - forced through by a lit de justice pitfalls: - too radical and liberal - opposition from nobility - burden on upper estates = hostility

Answer 22

- maintain support for royal rule and obtain local opinion on the work of the government - act in interest of king - ensured all taxes were paid - was a tax-dependent nation - ensure the edicts of the king were enforced - co-ordinating the police force & raise and mobilise troops - maintain order in local courts / lead them

Answer 23

1. sums of money given by the king as a favour 2. a position with a salary, which requires minimal work 3. opportunities to undertake a project for recipients to make money 4. free gifts from the monarchy 5. appointments to offices and obtaining privileges

Answer 24

- the structure of feudalism meant that business and wealth was passed down between generations - kept wealth concentrated between and within families - lower self sufficiency - overpopulation in countryside - forces intense farming which lowers the yield, and production prices were too high - could not satisfy demand - the state imposed regulations on the domestic economy, which imposed economic barriers and limited trade diversity - high taxation of peasantry - difficult flow between estates - NOT PHYSIOCRATIC

Answer 25

- necker undid the decisions by louis in the may edicts regarding the parlements - temporary loans were raised

Answer 26

- less industrially developed - britain had 200 mills, france only had 8 - lower capacity for production - british competition limited french influence (france also lacked the infrastructure for transportation, making its economy relatively insular and indiverse = unemployment and local resentment) - a series of poor harvests and hailstorms limited crop capacity and crop rotation, limiting the variety of produce -- initiated unemployment - there were over 25,000 different units of measure - easy conditions for fraud - the population of france increased - meant that there was not only one economic system, which limited cohesion from 21 million in 1700 to 27 million by the 1780s -- this increased this burden and created a reliance on food and product -- difficult to satisfy demand (with product already being limited) - intense countryside economy - only 15% of the population lived in areas of more than 2000 people - lack of trade, isolated, lack business / commerce capitals - this meant these locations were limited by trade guilds - the french banking system was not advanced -- instead of metal currency exchange, paper money was relied on, which collapsed

Answer 27

- there were 3 tiers of legal courts, parlement courts being the highest - there were 13 parlement courts, which were the highest courts = 'sovereign courts' - parisian parlement = highest - the parlements system consisted of 12 magistrates (noble of the robe -- those who earn their position) - the parlements system would hear criminal and civil cases - the Paris parlement was the most important, it had the power to check that the laws passed by the king conformed to other legislation *clash with intendants because of their financial and legal powers -- tax setting and collecting power and maintaining order in local courts

Answer 28

may 1788 - plans by the king (forced through by a lit de justice) to REMOVE THE POWERS OF THE PARLEMENTS (reinforce idea of despotism) - the king creates new courts, of which all members are appointed by him, in which he now has the power to register laws - the king gave the court the right to protest - the king took away power from the parlements and designated it to lower courts - he reduced the number of judges in the parisian parlement *this causes the third estate to revolt

Answer 29

first estate: satisfied: - no taxation burden - only voluntary taxation every 5 years - majority control (ie over policy) - own land - control of all avenues of government not satisfied: - resentment from priests - corruption and large gap between priests and other members of the church (low wages etc) second estate: satisfied: - avenues in government for influence over legislation - patronage - low tax burdens (ie taille) / avoid tax - power to employ members of other estates - economic monopolies - owned 1/5 of land not satisfied: - the king would refuse to change ministers - polarization between different nobles, in terms of working for their position vs having inherited positions third estate: satisfied: - owned majority of the land (35%-40%) greater than other estates - 21/26 million people -- largest proportion of population (more amplified demands) not satisfied: - significant taxation burdens (reliance from upper estates on their taxation) - exploited and underpaid by upper estates - relied on for conscription etc - constantly accountable to upper estates (ie giving bread, producing more etc) - low education and literacy levels - lack of land (concentrated in one area) = lack of crop rotation, constant bad harvests

Answer 30

- the parlements flooded courts with remonstraces and demands - the second estate started publishing pamphlets which attacked brienne - this leads to a re-establishment of ideas regarding the rule of law etc - brienne demanded an enlarged don gratuit which was accepted in june 1788 - attacks and uprisings broke out across the country - royal officials were attacked

Answer 31

1777-1781 1. reduced corruption - reduced the number of tax farmers from 60-40 - introduced 12 salaried officials to enforce taxation - accountable to necker, not 48 officials - reduced the concept of venality and being able to pay for positions 2. borrowing policy - borrowed 520 million livres 3. compte rendu 1781 - claimed a surplus of 10 million livres, despite a defecit of 46 million pitfalls: - attempts to sideline the parlements - false confidence in french system - his popularity overshadowed need for change

Answer 32

november 1787 - after banishing them to troyes

Answer 33

8th august 1788 - just before bankruptcy is declared - estates begin drafting up cahiers de deloeances to advocate for wider representation

Answer 34

- louis assembles the parlements to force through the proposed changes by brienne - he forces these edicts through using a lit de justice - this causes outcry by the parlement, but louis dismisses them

Answer 35

- during the clash, this was a dispute between the aristocracy and the notables - there becomes a degree of paralysis and deadlock between the monarchy and nobles - which is difficult for the king, because louis is weak, and requires a strong relationship with the nobles to avoid this association that he is despotic - this erodes louis' image and tarnishes his credible reputation - because the nobility are viewed as the defenders of liberty against the king, the third estate cry out and support the 2nd estate

Answer 36

banishes the parlement to troyes

Answer 37

- they form a series of noble assemblies - these amplify the calling for the EG - these are formed after they are banished by the king

Answer 38

nobles - this is because they want to be presented as 'defenders of liberty' and want to be representative, so nobody threatens their position - they want reform to taxation only to have representation (bitter toward aristocracy) - they also know, that in the estates general, the procedure of voting by order will be maintained, which means that their privilege is maintained.

Answer 39

- november 1787 *was less formal

Answer 40

27th december 1788

ANCIEN REGIME Flashcards

up until 1789