Chapter 6 - Attempt to establish a Constitutional Monarch

Question 1

What did the National Assembly aim to do between 1789 and 1791?

Answer 1

Establish a constitution that limited the power of the monarchy and provided equality and liberty for the people.

Question 2

What is a constitution?

Answer 2

A fundamental set of rules by which a country is run.

Question 3

Why did the National Assembly want to make changes to the Church?

Answer 3

It’s association with the first estate privileges, philosophes constant criticism of the Church’s power, influence and intolerance and opportunity to improve France’s dire financial situation.

Question 4

What were some of the religious changes that weakened the position of the Church?

Answer 4

Full citizenship granted to Protestants – December 1789
All religious orders were dissolved unless proved that they contributed to society and the community.
The tithe, Church tax and the clergy’s right to decide own taxation was abolished.
All Church property was nationalised – 2nd November 1789

Question 5

How were the new government of the National Assembly able to keep the economy afloat?

Answer 5

From June 1790, the State begun to sell off Church lands and possessions.

Question 6

When was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

Answer 6

12th July 1790

Question 7

What did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy demand?

Answer 7

The administrative structure of the Church had to follow the structure of the State – each département had to have its own bishop (135 reduced to 83).
Clergymen were to become state paid officials.
Bishops and priests were to be elected to give French citizens more control of their leaders.

Question 8

How did the Civil Constitution effect the relationship between Church and the State?

Answer 8

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy essentially made the Church sub-servient to the State.

Question 9

When did Louis XVI reluctantly accept the Civil Constitution?

Answer 9

December 1790

Question 10

How did the Pope react to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

Answer 10

The Pope showed no support to the Civil Constitution however was in no position to object due to his negotiations over French territory he was unwilling to lose.

Question 11

What was the Oath to the Civil Constitution?

Answer 11

The Assembly had concerns about the Church support for the Civil Constitution which led to the decree on 27th November 1790 that all clergy should swear to be “faithful to the nation, the law and the King and to maintain all their power the constitution decreed by the National Assembly”.

Question 12

What happened if clerics did not swear the Oath?

Answer 12

Unless clerics declared the Oath, they were dismissed or deprived from their offices and salaries.

Question 13

What were the stats to show the lack of support for the Civil Constitution?

Answer 13

7 / 160 bishops and around 55% of the clergy were prepared to swear the Oath.

Question 14

How did the Pope finally show his disproval of the Civil Constitution?

Answer 14

In the Papal Bull and suspended those who took the Oath in April 1791

Question 15

How did the Assembly respond to the Pope?

Answer 15

The Assembly responded by naming all those who did not take the Oath as ‘counter-revolutionaries’, stopping their income and forbidden from religious buildings in November 1791.

Question 16

What was the impact of the Church reforms?

Answer 16

Many priests fled abroad.
They led to the end of national unity and led to counter-revolution and civil wars.
Many Catholics feared that the Assembly aimed to change their faith.

Question 17

What did the system of government look like after the Assembly’s political reforms?

Answer 17

A system of democracy in which the elected government acted as the legislative. The King and ministers made up the executive body and the judiciary was made independent.

Question 18

What was the King’s title changed to and what did this represent?

Answer 18

King of France to King of the French to show that his power comes from the people, not from Devine right.

Question 19

What powers did the elected Assembly have under the political reforms?

Answer 19

Make laws, collect taxes and decided on affairs of peace and war.

Question 20

Who was given the right to vote under the political reforms of December 1789?

Answer 20

Active citizens were employed males over 25 who were given the right to vote and passive citizens received civil rights but not the right to vote.

Question 21

How often will elections be held under the political reforms?

Answer 21

Elections should be held once every two years.

Question 22

How many chambers were established by the reforms?

Answer 22

One chamber (the Assembly)

Question 23

When was the constitution accepted by Louis XVI?

Answer 23

September 1791

Question 24

What is local government?

Answer 24

The lower tiers of government within a particular area responsible for such as education, public health and environment.

Question 25

What is central government?

Answer 25

The political power to govern the entire nation responsible for choosing taxation etc.

Question 26

When were the provinces abolished?

Answer 26

November 1789

Question 27

How was the administrative government organised after the reforms?

Answer 27

Instead, the country would be into areas of rough equal sizes for local administration and over the next three months, 83 départements which were each divided into districts and then districts into communes.

Question 28

How was the judicial system organised after the judicial reforms?

Answer 28

A hierarchy of courts were created:

Most power
The tribunal de cassation – central high court of appeal.
Each département had their own court for criminal cases with a 12-jury system for judgement.
District court would deal with more severe civil cases.
Justices of the Peace (elected for 2-year periods) were to hear minor civil cases.

Least power

Question 29

What were some of the legal changes within the judicial reforms?

Answer 29

Every accused person to be brought before a judge within 24 hours.
Judgements open to the public.
Accused were to be assisted by a lawyer.
An accused person’s property cannot be seized.
Sentences were to be fair.

Question 30

What form of executions were abolished and what more ‘humane’ method replaced it?

Answer 30

Torture, hanging and branding were abolished (by 1792 only legal form of execution was guillotine).

Question 31

What were assignats as part of the fiscal reforms and were they successful?

Answer 31

A bill of currency / government bonds to exchange for the purchase of Church lands like paper money. However, the excessive use of these caused further inflation.

Question 32

What were the three key principles for the taxation system reforms?

Answer 32

A general land tax
A property tax
A limited tax on commercial activity

Question 33

Were the fiscal policies successful?

Answer 33

For many, taxes were not any lighter, however overall was a fairer system.

Question 34

What was the state of France’s economy during the reforms?

Answer 34

French trade and industry was freed from restrictions and boosted by new entrepreneurial activity.

Question 35

What were the economic policies of the reforms?

Answer 35

French trade and industry were free from restrictive controls and boosted by entrepreneurial activity.
1791 - all corporate bodies were abolished (trading companies, restrictive guilds etc.)
Devolution of power to local authorities and fiscal redistribution provided boost to bourgeoisie.
Emergence of new land-owning bourgeoisie helped agriculture.

Question 36

Who benefitted from these economic changes?

Answer 36

Emergence of new land-owning bourgeoisie helped agriculture.
Not all of the economic reforms were universally beneficial, peasants and townsfolk lost out whereas the bourgeoisie were thriving.

Question 37

What were the strengths of the social reforms in society?

Answer 37

Titles, venality and privileges were abolished within the August Decrees, however this did not mean that individuals lost influence or wealth.
‘Master’ and ‘Mistress’ were abolished when used to denote within trade according to class and replaced with ‘Citizen’, in theory everyone was equals.
Individual rights were protected by the law e.g. state charities provided for the poor, public education and more social mobility.
Less Church influence and more toleration allowed individuals more freedom and the court systems provided fairer justice.

Question 38

What were the limitations of the social reforms on society?

Answer 38

Men had greater rights than women under the new constitution, employers than employees and active citizens than passive.

Question 39

What was a ‘livret’?

Answer 39

A record of employment to be held by citizens to ensure greater rights etc

Question 40

What was the ‘Le Shapelier Law’ of June 1791?

Answer 40

A law that forbid workers from striking or promoting union trades to protect themselves.

Question 41

Who were the ‘Social Winners’ of the revolutionary changes?

Answer 41

Bourgeoisie whose interests were predominant in the Assembly with new opportunities of money, education, land and political influence.