Ancien Regime Flashcards
1
Q
Louis XVI was an absolute monarch but what were the four factors that limited his power?
A
- he had been taught to take advice on important decisions
- his advisors/ministers were career administrators & courtiers
- he was bound by the laws and customs of france
- he needed consent of the noble elite
2
Q
Problems with the government system? (3)
A
- variation in laws across france, no single representative body to pass laws for whole country
- ministers and court factions worked against each other (didn’t meet to make decisions collectively)
- various sections: central gov, intendants, local gov, parlements
3
Q
Intendants (overly authoritarian)
A
royal official in charge of a generalites (36) - responsible for carrying out gov policy but hindered by local law court & parlements
4
Q
First Estate
A
- clergy = less than 0.5% population but owned 10% land
- controlled education, hospitals & poor relief
- paid no taxes but gave voluntary annual grant
5
Q
Second Estate
A
- nobles = less than 1 % but owned over 15% land
- noblesse de court = wealthy Versailles nobles with access to King
- noblesse de robe = acquired status from marriage or venality (lower class)
- many dependent on feudal right (not wealthy) & jealous of court nobles
- exempt from taille (land tax) & corvees royals (road labour service) & military conscription
6
Q
Third Estate
A
- rest of society = 28 million
- bourgeoisie were at top (owned 1/4 land)
- peasants = 80% mostly labourers
- some small property owners & skilled workers in towns
- paid most taxes taille (land tax) & gabelle (salt tax) & tithe (church tax) & had soldiers billeted on them
7
Q
Strengths & weaknesses of France (4)
A
- most powerful European country
- inefficient & unfair system but it worked
- however king couldn’t make radical changes so key weaknesses (gov & tax) couldn’t be reformed
- tensions in society
