Attempts to Establish a Constitutional Monarchy

Question 1

When was the National Constituent Assembly formed? Why was this? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 1

The National Constituent Assembly was established on the 9th July 1789, affirming the Assembly’s role of providing France with a constitution.

Question 2

Why was the Church an obvious point of attack? Who supported this? (clerical and secular) - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 2

The Church had long been a centre of French privilege. Monks and nuns were seen as contributing little, whilst religious vows taken before adulthood were disapproved of.
Attacked by philosophes and members of the clergy such as Abbé Sieyes and Archbishop Talleyrand.

Question 3

What religious changes were agreed by the Assembly in the early months of the Revolution (August 1789-June 1790)? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 3

Pluralism was abolished, payment of annates was ended, payment of the tithe to the church was ended, the don gratuit was abolished, church land was nationalised, full citizenship was granted to all Protestants, all non-charitable religious orders were abolished.

Question 4

When was all Church land nationalised? What reason was there for this? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 4

Church land was nationalised on the 2nd November 1789. This would pay off the debts of the state.

Question 5

When was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy passed? What did this determine? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 5

The CCC was passed on the 12th July 1790, reorganising the administrative structure of the Church, making all clergy paid state officials within a salary structure, made all Bishops and Priests elected (giving citizens control over spiritual leaders).

Question 6

How many bishoprics were there under the new administration by the CCC? How many were there prior to this? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 6

The CCC stipulated that there would be 83 bishoprics in France, replacing the old 135.

Question 7

Why was the Pope unable to show opposition to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 7

The Pope was engaged in negotiations about his papal enclave at Avignon, which would surely be compromised if he were to display reservations about the Assembly’s reforms to the French Church.

Question 8

When was the Oath to the Civil Constitution decreed? What did this state? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 8

The Oath to the Civil Constitution was decreed on the 27th November 1790, determining that all clergy would swear allegiance to the nation, the law, the King and the Constitution.

Question 9

What happened to clergy who rejected the Oath to the Civil Constitution? How many bishops/clergy accepted it? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 9

Clergy who rejected the Oath to the Civil Constitution were deprived of their offices and salaries.
Only 7 of 160 Bishops swore the Oath and only 55% of the Clergy.

Question 10

What action did the Pope take against those who took the Oath? How did the Assembly respond to this? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 10

The Pope suspended any clergy who took the oath.
The Assembly retaliated by annexing Avignon and declaring that any refractory priests were counter-revolutionaries. They had their incomes stopped and were forbidden from using religious buildings.

Question 11

How did large numbers of the Clergy react to church reform? How did central and rural French Citizens react to the reforms respectively? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 11

Large numbers of clergy fled abroad from France.
Central, urban citizens were in favour of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, whereas rural peasants in the strongly Catholic areas believed that the Assembly was trying to change their faith.

Question 12

Which enlightenment philosophes’/countries’ ideas were used in the constitutional monarchy/in advocating for a constitutional monarchy? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 12

Montesquieu’s idea of the separation of powers was utilised, Locke’s government through rational principles, British and American Constitutions.

Question 13

How was power divided into 3 separate branches of government? Whose ideas did this reflect? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 13

Power was divided into a legislative elected by the people, an executive comprised of the King and his Royal Ministers and an independent judiciary. This reflected Montesquieu’s ideas.

Question 14

How many chambers did the legislative branch of government have? How often were national elections held? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 14

The Legislative Branch had one single chamber, the Legislative Assembly.
Elections for this chamber were held once every 2 years.

Question 15

What powers over legislation and government did the King have? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 15

The King was granted a suspension veto, allowing him to delay any legislation from becoming law for up to 4 years. He was also given the right to select and appoint ministers to form a cabinet.

Question 16

The King was still provided with financial support. How many livres was he granted/year? How much had this been reduced by? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 16

The King was still granted an income of 25 million livres, a reduction of 20 million livres on his previous income.

Question 17

What criteria did citizens have to fit to be considered active citizens? What rights did active citizens have? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 17

To be considered active citizens, citizens would have to be a male over the age of 25 who spoke French and paid direct taxes equal to 3 days’ labour. Active citizens were granted political rights AND civil rights.

Question 18

What rights were granted to passive citizens? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 18

Passive citizens were only granted civil rights and had no rights to vote.

Question 19

What requirements did active citizens have to adhere to to stand in a) local government office AND b) stand in the Legislative Assembly? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 19

a) To stand for local government, active citizens had to pay the equivalent of 10 days’ labour in tax.
b) To stand for the Legislative Assembly, active citizens had to pay the equivalent of 50 days’ labour in tax.

Question 20

What powers did the Legislative Assembly have? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 20

The Legislative Assembly had powers to make laws, collect taxes and decide on issues of war and peace.

Question 21

When were the old provinces abolished? What were they replaced by and how many of these? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 21

The old provinces were abolished in November 1789, replaced by 83 départements of roughly equal size.

Question 22

How was each département governed? What areas did départements have powers over? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 22

Each département elected a council of 36, who would then appoint a directorate of 8 to oversee administration. Councils were responsible for law and order, assessment and collection of taxes and construction of roads.

Question 23

Why was there such radical reform of local government? What enlightenment idea did this link to? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 23

Local government was so radically reformed to prevent any excessive power/despotism by a central government as had been seen under the Ancien Regime. This was part of the decentralisation plan.

Question 24

How was organisation of the judiciary changed? How was this fairer than the system of the Ancien Regime? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 24

Each département had a criminal court, with a dual jury system. One determined whether a case would go to trial, and one determined judgements. Meant that law was equally subjected to all citizens. JPs would oversee civil cases too.

Question 25

How did the employment of judges change under the reforms? What significance did this have? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 25

Judges were paid set salaries rather than by those they served, as well as being made state employees in order to eradicate the venal culture among the judiciary.

Question 26

How were legal rights specifically reformed under the reforms of 1789-91? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 26

Every accused person was before a judge within 24 hours, all accused would be assisted by a lawyer, torture/branding/hanging all abolished and replaced by the guillotine, sentences made fair and proportionate for all.

Question 27

What was the overall change made to the legal system under the reforms of 1789-91? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 27

Justice made cheaper and more accessible, fairer judgements were created by introducing jury trials.

Question 28

When were assignats first issued? What were assignats? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 28

Assignats were first issued in December 1789. These were government bonds issued to allow the purchase of church land by citizens, later used as paper money.

Question 29

How were assignats used? What was the flaw in the use of assignats? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 29

Assignats were issued as people loaned money to the state, with these Assignats (bonds) able to be exchanged for Church Lands. They later began to be used for normal business transactions, and their increased printing as a result of this led to inflation.

Question 30

When were the Gabelle (salt) and the Aides (drinks) tax respectively abolished? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 30

The Gabelle was abolished in March 1790

The Aides was abolished in 1791.

Question 31

What was expected to happen to taxes by the peasants and poor following the August Decrees? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 31

Following the August Decrees, it was expected by the poor that the burden of tax would fall upon the rich and wealthy immediately.

Question 32

What was the ‘Patriotic Contribution’ and why was it introduced? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 32

The patriotic contribution was a 25% tax paid over 2 years on all whose incomes exceeded 400 livres/year.

Question 33

When was the economic restructuring programme introduced? What did this propose? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 33

The economic restructuring programme, introduced in 1791, proposed a land tax, a property tax and a tax on commercial activities.

Question 34

When was trade in grain deregulated? What impacts did this have? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 34

The grain trade was deregulated in August 1789, with this leaving prices to the market rather than controls by the state.

Question 35

How did the new land-owning bourgeoisie aid agriculture? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 35

The bourgeoisie aided agriculture by farming more profitably and exploiting the resources of their estate.

Question 36

How were divisions created by the deregulation of food markets? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 36

The deregulation of controls on foods left prices to fluctuate based on markets, with merchants also maximising their profits and therefore food prices remaining high.

Question 37

What social divisions emerged following the abolition of venality and privilege in France? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 37

Following the abolition of feudalism and privilege, divisions of wealth and office replaced these, as well as of gender as men had more rights than women.

Question 38

What was Le Chapelier Law and when was it introduced? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 38

Le Chapelier Law was introduced in June 1791, which limited freedom of association, forbade workers from conducting strikes and forming trade unions to protect their rights.

Question 39

What title was used to refer to every French person following the abolition of feudalism? - Constitutional Monarchy/Reform

Answer 39

Following the abolition of feudalism, the term ‘citizen’ was used instead of other terms indicating a difference in social class.