Consitutional Monarchy: Reforming France 1789-92 Flashcards
What were the 6 key areas the reforms of 1789-92 focused on?
Local government Taxation and finance Economy Legal system Church Constitution
Under the reforms, how many departments, districts and communes was France divided into?
83, 547 and 43,360
How many sections was Paris divided into?
48
What was the minimum amount of tax you would have paid to be an active citizen
3 days of labour
How many Frenchmen were passive citizens in 1790?
4.3 million
How much tax did you have to pay to be able to stand for the National Assembly
54 days of Manual labour
What was the role of the councils in 1790? [5]
Assess and collect tax Maintain law and order Carry out public works Upkeep of Churchs Control the National Guard
Why were the councils in rural areas often inefficient?
There wasn’t enough literate men to fill the council so many couldn’t read or write
When was Church land nationalised?
2nd November 1789
What were the 3 main reasons for nationalising Church land?
- Provide money for the government
- Guarantee the success of the revolution as the landowners would have vested interests
- Ensure the support of the clergy
Of the 25% of Church land bought in 1799, what was the social breakdown?
52% peasants
48% bourgeois
What was the contribution fonciere?
A land tax from which there were no exemptions or special privileges?
What was the contribution mobiliere?
A tax on movable goods, such as grain, payable by active citizens
What was the patente?
A tax on commercial profits
When was the new financial system introduced?
January 1791
What was the difference in tax paid by citizens in Seine-et-Marne and citizens in Ariege
Those in Seine-et-Marne paid 5 times as much
Why did the new tax system benefit the poor?
The burden of taxation fell on producers rather than consumers
In terms of trade, what did the majority of Assembly deputies believe in?
Laissez-faire
Why did the people not like the laissez-fairs approach from the government?
They wanted the price and distribution of goods to be controllers, to avoid scarcity, high prices and potential starvation
When were guilds abolished?
1791
What did Le Chapeliers law state in June 1791
Bargaining and strikes were made illegal
Trade unions banned
The Church had been in charge of relief. Why did the Assembly not take up this role?
There was 2 million people that needed relief and so it would have cost too much money
When was the legal system changed?
16th August 1790
What 3 things did the Legal system reforms abolish?
- different types of law in the north and south
- different types of law court
- letters de cachet
What did the new legal system reforms introduce? [3]
- serious civil cases dealt in district courts
- criminal court in each department
- all judges elected and must have been a lawyer for 5 years
What was done to make the penal code more humane? [2]
Torture and mutilation abolished
Guilotine introduce in March 1792
What features did the Assembly want of the Church? [4]
Free from absenteeism
Free from foreign control
Linked closesy to the state to strengthen the revolution
Linked to the new local government system
When was the CCC approved?
12th April 1790
What were the key terms of the CCC? [5]
- Each department formed a single diocese
- Popes appointments not recognised unless approved by the Assembly
- All priests and bishops elected
- Priests paid by the state
- No absenteeism (15 days)
What did the Church ask for following the CCC and why was it rejected?
Reforms put to a national synod.
Rejected as it gave the Church back the power they had just taken away
Why was the Pope slow to give his verdict on the CCC?
Busy discussing the status of Avignon
When was the Oath of Loyalty issued and what proportion of the clergy took the oath?
27th November 1790. 55%
Following the Oath of Loyalty, what two churches were there?
Constitutional church - those who took the oath but not recognised by the Pope
Non-juries Church - refractory priests
What measures were taken against the refractory priests and when?
27th May 1792. If 20 people denounced them, they could be deported
How many members would the new legislative assembly have?
745
What were the constraints of the constitution on the King? [3]
- had the right to appoint his ministers
- suspensive veto on all things not financial for 4 years
- dependent on the Assembly for his foreign policy
What did you have to do to join the Jacobins? How many members were there by July 1790?
Pay a high entrance fee
1200
What was Jacobin ideology based on?
A combination of enlightenment thought and revolutionary practice
In 1792, what did the Jacobins favour and who became the leading man?
Increased centralisation to protect the republic
Robespierre
By the end of 1793, how many Jacobin clubs were there?
2000
When was the Cordelier’s founded?
April 1790
What 3 main things did the Cordelier’s stand for?
- direct democracy
- Against active and passive citizens
- The right to rebel
Who were the 4 most prominent leaders?
Brissot, Hebert, Danton and Desmoulins
Why was there disillusionment amongst the sans-culottes? [3]
They had been responsible for the Bastille and October days yet had no reward
They were passive citizens
Suffered from inflation
What happened to grain prices in 1791?
Rose by 50% due to a poor harvest
When and what was the Flight to Varennes?
Louis fleeing Paris to put himself in a stronger position to negotiate the Constitution
Fled on the 20th June 1791
Spotted and returned on night of 21-22nd June
Why was the flight to Varennes significant? [3]
- Showed that Louis didn’t understand the popularity of the reforms from 1789-92
- Undermined the credibility of the Constitution
- Support for a republic started to grow
What happened on 24th June
30,000 marched to the National Assembly to show a petition from the Cordelier’s for the Kings removal from office
What happened as a result of the Flight to Varennes?
On 16th July, the Assembly suspended him until the Constitution was complete. 290 abstained from the vote as they thought it was too far
Why did the Jacobins split?
Some wanted the removal of the King and were invited to join the petition for that by the Cordelier’s
The others left, including most deputies, to form the Feuillants
Robespierre led a radical group of the Jacobins
When was the Champ de Mars and why were so many people there?
17th July 1791. 50,000 people flocked to sign a republican petition
What happened at the Champ de Mars?
Commune declared Martial Law and Lafayettes national guard killed 50 people
Popular leaders went into hiding
When was the Consitution accepted by the King?
13th September 1791
Why had the mood of the deputies changed? [3]
- Kings reluctance to accept measures he disliked
- Suspicion surrounding the Flight to Varennes
- fear of Counter revolution
Why did Robespierre propose a self-denying ordinance?
To prevent his opponents dominating the next assembly like they had the previous one
How many deputies sat on the left and what were they made up of?
Jacobins and Girondins - 136
How many deputies sat on the right and what were they made up of?
264 Feuillants
How many independents were there in the Legislative assembly?
345
By early 1791, how many noble officers had emigrated?
12,000
By the end of 1791, what proportion of army officers had deserted?
60% (6000)
What two laws were passed in November relating to emigres?
All non-jurors were suspects
Those who did not return by 1st January 1792 would forfeit their property
What did the King do with regard to the laws proposed in November 1791 surrounded emigres?
He vetoed them, increasing his unpopularity, appearing to be undermining the revolution
