Course of the revolution May-Oct 1789

Question 1

The estates general

Answer 1

• 5th May 1789 in which there were long speeches

- No agenda was put froward, no clear indication of procedures to be adopted eg voting by head or voting by order

Question 2

Formation of the national assembly

Answer 2

• First issue was verifying the credentials of those elected, the 1st and 2nd wanted to do this separately but the 3rd thought all representatives should meet as one body thus creating issues eg 3rd estate demanded voting by head
• 17th June 1789 : The third estate voted themselves as the National Assembly and on the 19th, the clergy joined and some liberal nobles followed the next week

Question 3

Tennis court Oath

Answer 3

• Kings son died in early June so he was preoccupied
• Clear reform package (persuaded by Necker) was arranged for the 23rd June 1789
• Before the royal session could take place, alternations on the room were needed
• 20th June 1789 the deputies arrived and found the doors locked and feared the king would forcibly dissolve their assembly
• They were determined to meet so went to the Royal tennis court
• They swore the tennis court oath and swore not to disband until France had a new constitution

Question 4

The royal session and its aftermaths

Answer 4

• 23rd June 1789 : Louis accepted the principle of new taxation but continued to call the NA the estates general which resulted in members refusing to leave in defiance
• Constant meetings were held in the Palais-Royal
• 26th June : 4800 troops brought in
• 27th June : Louis rescinded the orders of the royal session (recognised the National Assembly and voting by head)
• 4th July : 30,000 troops found Paris which increased tensions

Question 5

Position of Parisians

Answer 5

• July : Necker was dismissed and replaced with a more conservative minister
• Fears LXVII would go back on his promises
• Bread prices were high (88% of wages by 1788), influx of migrants looking for work, Reveillon riots (April 1789) and pamphlets were widely available in cafes

Question 6

Storming of the Bastille

Answer 6

• 12/13th July saw a breakdown of order in Paris and mobs raided gun shops to arm themselves
• 40 custom barriers were destroyed as the city descended in to Anarchy
• The establishment of the national guard (restore order and protect from King)
• 14th July, 8000 descended to Les Invalides where 32,000 muskets were found and word got round that Bastille had gunpowder
• Parisians forced there way in to the courtyard and the governor was decapitated and 70 attackers were killed
• 17th July LXVII went to Paris and reinstated Necker and his acceptance of the commune, assembly and national guard

Question 7

The Great Fear

Answer 7

• 17th July - 3rd August 1789
• Fears over grain holding nobles, emigrees coming back and grain merchants making huge profits
• Few areas were left untouched
• 4th Aug : the assembly abolished feudal rights

Question 8

Developments in the country

Answer 8

• Peasants refused to pay taxes and attacked chateaux’s
• They destroyed the records of dues owed and naively assumed that their feudal obligations would also disappear
• Other troubles ie poor harvests

Question 9

The October days

Answer 9

• LXVII was offered a suspensory veto rather than an absolute one
• Women were struggling to feed their families and on the 5th oct 7000 people marched from Paris to Versailles and pressed LXVII for action
• LXVII promised more grain for Parisians and was forced to accept the August Decrees and the DOROMAC
• Also agreed to move back to Paris and was escorted to Tuileries Palace
• Two weeks later the assembly also moved to Paris