Developments February 1787 - May 1789

Question 1

Why were new taxes urgently needed in 1787?

Answer 1

Failure of financial reforms
High interest costs of royal debt

Question 2

Assembly of Notables

Answer 2

• February 1787
• 144 men - 7 Princes of the Blood - Important ‘notables’
• Clergy hostile to plans to tax Church
• Calonne revealed Necker’s errors of Compte Rendu - Notables distrusted them
• Idea of Estates-General raised

Question 3

Revolt of the Nobles and political breakdown

Answer 3

• May-August 1788
• Provincial parlements flooded royal court with remonstrances - cries to end lettres de cachet
• Royal authority & confidence in government collapsed - taxes unpaid

Question 4

What was the ‘Day of Tiles’

Answer 4

• June 1788
• During revolt of Nobles
• Royal troops sent to restore order in grenoble - pelted with roof slates

Question 5

3 main issues provoking the Estates-General debate

Answer 5

• Equal estate representation or should the 3rd estate have more deputies
• Seperate meetings or should three estates meet as single body
• 1 vote per estate or voting by head

Question 6

Which procedures did the Paris Parlement pronounce for the Estates General

Answer 6

• September 1788
• Equal representation for each estate
• Separate estate meetings
• 1 vote per estate

Question 7

Revellion riots

Answer 7

• April 1789
• Rumours spread that Paris wallpaper manufacturer was cutting wages
• Factory was attacked
• Troops called to restore order