Chapter 5 - The Revolution May-October 1789 Flashcards
When was the last great ceremony of the Ancien Regime?
4th May 1789
What date did the Estates General open?
5 May 1789
Define Cahiers
The list of grievances that the three estates were asked to draw up and present at the Estates General.
What did each estate request in the Cahiers?
FIRST = higher stipends, access to higher offices of Church, greater Church control of education and limits on Protestantism SECOND = divided over Third estate demands for tax reforms and a modern constitution THIRD = wanted tax reforms and to limit the powers of the King
What were the problems with the first meeting of the Estates general?
(3 points)
- Louis did not put forward a ‘reform’ package
- Louis did not put forward a procedure for the Estates General (no one knew how meetings/voting would take place)
- Louis did not address the new constitution
When was the National Assembly formed?
17 June 1789
When did the clergy join the National Assembly?
19th June 1789
What was the key reason for the creation of the National Assembly?
There was delay over the opening of the Estates general because the Third Estate refused to meet until it was confirmed representatives would meet as one body and vote per head.
Explain the order of events that led to the formation of the National Assembly?
(6 points)
- all elected deputies had to have their credentials verified
- The third estate this needed to happen as one body, not separately
- they also refused to carry out verification until voting by head had been agreed (first and second estates voted against this)
- 1 month of deadlock
- 10 June = 3rd estate voted to begin verification w/o clergy and nobles
- 17 June = became the National Assembly and claimed to represent French Nation
When did the Tennis Court Oath take place?
20 June 1789
The Seancé Royale
What did Louis do?
Louis closed the meeting room of the third estate without explanation.
The seance Royale
How did the National Assembly respond?
Angry at the despotic act (that they had been barred entry) the National Assembly had intended to march to Paris but bad weather led them to go to the nearest indoor space (Royal Tennis Courts)
The Seancé Royale
What did the National Assembly pass in response?
The Tennis Court Oath
What was the Tennis Court Oath
- an oath passed by the National Assembly that stated that they would not disperse until France had a constitution.
When was the difficult Royal session?
23rd June 1789
Why was the Royal session difficult?
- Louis consented to new taxation and fairer land tax
- Deputies angered by his refusal to accept the name ‘National Assembly’ and by his demand the estates should meet separately
- Members refuse to leave as an act of defiance
How did Louis respond to the decrees of the National Assembly?
Louis declared them unacceptable and therefore void.
He offered only concessions on taxes in the next royal session
How did the King respond to the developments in Paris in June 1789?
King was very wary of developments and conscious of dire financial state. He calls 4800 extra troops to Paris.
When are the orders of the Royal session finally recinded?
27th June 1789
What does the king finally recognise in June 1789?
King finally recognises National Assembly and finally permits voting by head.
How was the kings response and rescinding of orders of Royal session June 1789 received?
- Still LOTS of distrust for King by deputies (not helped by continual arrival of troops in Paris)
What rumours spread in response to the rescinding of orders of Royal session June 1789?
Rumours spread of:
- plots to arrest deputies
- plots to destroy National Assembly
- plots to cut off grain and starve Paris
When did the mass of troops ordered by the king arrive in Paris?
4 July 1789
How many troops arrived in Paris in July 1789?
30,000 troops were positioned in and around Paris
Who made up the troops ordered by the King in Paris in July 1789?
Many of the troops were foreign mercenaries as the King couldn’t rely on the trust/loyalty of French troops.
When was the storming of the Bastille?
14th July 1789
What action did the King take in July 1789 that concerned the Parisians and led to their actions at Bastille?
The king dismissed Jaquelinen Necker and replaced him with conservative Breteuil
What did the King’s dismissal of Necker show?
Confirmed people’s fears that the King was trying to prevent reform and caused increased distrust for the king.
When was Necker dismissed?
11 July 1789
What happened at Bastille?
Parisians needed weapons so 8000 descended on les Invalides.
Gunpowder for weapons was in the Bastille.
Governor of the Bastille wouldn’t surrender the fortress & didn’t act quick enough.
Some people forced their way into the courtyard and there was an exchange of fire (around 50 rebels were killed).
Governor was captured and decapitated.
What was the purpose of the National Guard?
The role of the National Guard is to protect the city and prevent property damage and theft.
What was the significance of the storming of the Bastille?
3 points
- it was the point of no return
- it was the first time blood was shed and weapons cultivated
- it was a trigger for further reform
What were the geographical causes of the storming of the Bastille?
Paris was 20km from Versailles.
The 1788 bad harvest had pushed up grain/bread prices
What were the economic causes of the storming of the Bastille?
The thriving printing industry (ideas could be spread)
The octrois on food supplies
Influx of migrants needing work
Rumour of corn dealers hoarding grain
What were the social causes of the storming of the Bastille?
High Parisian literacy rate Paris was large Skilled artisans lived around Bastille Rumours spread and rioting was common Great fears over wage reduction and unemployment
What were the cultural causes of the storming of the Bastille?
Parisians were reliant on regular jobs
Bad harvests in 1788 pushed up break prices
What were the political causes of the storming of the Bastille?
Palais-Royal = an opportunity to hear new ideas
Pamphlets and newspapers available in Cafés
Compilation of cahiers aroused political ideas
Troops surrounding Paris bred fear
What was the single most important factor in causing the storming of the Bastille?
The fears over wage reduction and unemployment because it showed the economic tension and anxiety in France
Who set up the National Guard?
Parisian electors/ the Paris Commune set up the National Guard to police the city.
The Great Fear?
What had held off the great fear?
What triggered the great fear?
What were the rumours?
What was the response?
- The calling of the Estates-General had kept violence in check
- News of the King’s surrender and the defeat of the nobility triggered the Great Fear.
- Rumours = bands of brigands hired by fleeing nobles to destroy the harvest.
- Peasants armed themselves and attacked hated symbols of feudal power (ie. chateaux and documents recording feudal obligations burned)
What were the political causes of the Great Fear?
Municipal town councils replaced by National Guard Units.
Falling of the Bastille and the government
Cahiers de dolances
Elections - added to general expectation of reform
Developments in Paris
Kings speech promising reform
What were the economic causes of the Great Fear?
Peasants refused to pay taxes (thought changes meant end of burdens)
1788 spring drought / poor harvest / bad winter
Stories of marauding brigands stealing grain and preparing to attack farming families
Grain merchants making ‘vast profits’ out of scarce grain
What were the social causes of the Great Fear?
Peasants attacked landlords’ chateaux Armed themselves / rang church bells warning of danger / burnt down hedges and fences Sought terriers (list of feudal rights) and titres de ventes et devoirs (record of sales) and tried to burn them to make them disappear
Abolition of feudalism
How did the National Assembly respond to the Great Fear?
National Assembly wanted to crush rural revolt but didn’t want to use royal troops incase used against them.
Instead tried to gain peasant support by giving them what they wanted = abolishing feudalism
When were the August decrees passed?
4th August 1789
August Decrees:
What were the main points?
4 points
- Feudal rights on people abolished
- Tithes, hunting rights, seigneurial courts abolished
- All citizens to be taxed equally
- All eligible for any office in the state, army or Church
When was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen passed?
26 August 1789
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
What was it?
- To begin process of drafting a new constitution, deputies created the declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen which declared all citizens equal and formally dismantled the Ancien Regime.
When was Louis’ suspensory Veto granted?
11 September 1789
Louis suspensory Veto
What did it allow?
- gave Louis power to delay laws for up to 4 years, but could not veto them completely
What 3 words made up the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen mantra.
Liberty
Fraternity
Equality
When was the Great Fear and the disturbance in the countryside?
Between July and August 1789
What had held off the great fear?
The calling of the estates general had kept violence in check
What triggered the Great Fear?
News of the King’s surrender and the defeat of the nobility triggered the great fear.
What were the rumours?
The rumours were that bands of brigands had been hired by fleeing nobles to destroy the harvest.
What was the response?
Peasants armed themselves and attacked hatred symbols of feudal power (ie. chateaux and documents recording feudal obligations burned)
