Financial problems and attempts of Turgot, Necker and Calonne to deal with them.

Question 1

What was the national debt in 1774?

Answer 1

235 million livre.

Question 2

How much did the seven year war cost?

Answer 2

1,300 million livres - 1756-1763

Question 3

What did the Queen spend government money on?

Answer 3

The Queens model village - The Hameau de la Raine in 1783.

Question 4

By 1786 what was the governments annual spending?

Answer 4

633 million livres when government income was only 472 million.

Question 5

How much was France indebted by 1789?

Answer 5

12 billion livre and was struggling to continue to borrow.

Question 6

What was the Taille?

Answer 6

Major source of royal income, clergy and nobles exempt and certain cities such as Paris.
A direct land tax.

Question 7

What was the taillon?

Answer 7

A tax for military purposes.

Question 8

What was the Gabelle?

Answer 8

Regional monopolies on salt leading to enormous price disparities between different provinces.
Led to smuggling.

Question 9

What tax did Louis XIV introduce regarding military?

Answer 9

The dixieme - a true tax on income and property value to support military.

Question 10

What did Louis XV introduce to reduce the royal deficit?

Answer 10

The vingtieme - continued through remaining years of Ancien Regime.

Question 11

What is the Traites?

Answer 11

Custom duties for the import or export of goods from one French province to another.

Question 12

What is the corvee?

Answer 12

Unpaid labour typically only for a few days each year.

Question 13

What is the dime?

Answer 13

A mandatory tax for the Church collected by local clergy.

Question 14

What is another way government made money?

Answer 14

Through charging fees for state positions and Farmers General.

Question 15

What was the Farmers General?

Answer 15

The collection of duties on behalf of the King and hefty bonus fees for themselves under a renewable six year contract.

Question 16

How did the Farmers General become so powerful?

Answer 16

In 1726 all farms were gathered together in single lease - 40 contractors became incredibly rich.

Question 17

When was the Farmers General reformed?

Answer 17

In 1769 when criticism led it to be collected under public organisations.

Question 18

What positive changes did Turgot make?

Answer 18

• Fast carriages for transporting mail
• Believed in fiscal discipline (no bankruptcy or increase in taxes)
• No interference in the food supply.

Question 19

What negative changes did Turgot make?

Answer 19

• Sacked in 1776, only finance minister for two years.
• Ending of price controls led to bread riots.

Question 20

What positive changes did Necker make?

Answer 20

• Pragmatist: opposed free market as it led to rioting.
• Wanted to cut down on farmers general
• Published royal accounts allowing greater transparency
• Wanted to recall Estates General

Question 21

What negative changes did Necker make?

Answer 21

• Increased national debt and borrowed 500 million livres.
• Published royal accounts
• Wanted to recall estates general

Question 22

What positive changes did Calonne make?

Answer 22

• Cut government spending
• Revival of free trade methods
• Authorise sale of Church property
• Equalised salt and tobacco taxes
• Establish universal land value tax

Question 23

What negative changed did Calonne make?

Answer 23

• Enraged nobility and clergy
• Chamfort (contemporary writer) - ‘Applauded when he lit the fire, and condemned when he sounded the alarm’.
• Continued system of venal financial administration (farmers general).