France Flashcards

1
Q

The Ancien Regime details

A

= the monarchic, aristocratic, social and political system of France
3 Estates:
• Clergy, Nobility, Everyone else
- bourgeoisie
- workers
- peasants
Very restrictive structure - didn’t allow to increase power

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2
Q

Impact of the Ancien Regime

A

• Restrictive social structure did not allow to move up and increase power
- Bourgeoisie angry, had to pay 1/10th of income straight to church
• rents too high in towns => debt
• long working hours for peasants - unmotivated

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3
Q

Absolute Monarchy details

A
  • King had absolute power - liked to enforce
  • Louis XVI = fairly uneducated but controlled France
  • King could imprison anyone without trials
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4
Q

Impact of Absolute Monarchy

A
  • After 73 yr old advisor died, made bad decisions
  • no cabinet / PM -> nobody else to govern country
  • little knowledge of country/population -> bad decisions
  • difficult to control France
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5
Q

War & Debt details

A
• Seven Years' War -> debt
• Costs of maintaining monarchy -> debt
Eg. Marie Antoinette's excessive lifestyle
- Gambled millions of Livres
- Fashion figure
= "L'Autrichienne"
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6
Q

Impact of War & Debt

A

= food crisis - people are hungry so want change

• Appoints Calonne - leads to (ultimately) Assembly of Notables

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7
Q

The Enlightenment details

A

= time of philosophical, intellectual and cultural movement of 17th &18th Centuries
• Stressed reason, logic, criticism and freedom of thought over faith and superstition
• Argued that humans life could be better through education

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8
Q

Impact of The Enlightenment

A
  • during revolution, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was referred to by almost every revolutionary leader -> ideals = highly influential
  • thoughts = accessed by peasants who fought for ideals in revolution
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9
Q

Calonne

A

• 1783: King appoints Charles Calonne as Controller general to deal with debt
• 1786: France asks foreign banks for loans - refuse
• 1787: Calonne asks Louis XVI to call Assembly of Notables
- explained need for reforming tax system, didn’t agree
Sacked

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10
Q

Calonne’s reforms

A
  • simplify internal customs duties (corvée and gabelle)
  • revise land tax - all land owners pay 2.5-5% of holding value p.a.
  • new provincial assemblies created - administered new land tax
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11
Q

Brienne

A
  • Hired as Controlled General after Calonne
  • turned to Paris Parlement - unsuccessful
  • needed meeting of Estates General
  • Louis refused to call E-G, proposed ‘lit de justice’
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12
Q

Calling of the Estates-General

A

• 1787: Brienne wants +loans and to call EG by 1792
• 1788 Spring: rumour of King -> Parlement listed fundamental laws
-only EG to approve taxes
-arbitrary arrest = illegal
• protests all over France
• B announced meeting to be held on May 1st and resigned

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13
Q

Planning for the Meeting of the Estates-General

A
  • 1 vote per estate, so 3rd estate = outweighed

* Cahiers de Doleances drawn up by each estate

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14
Q

Context of the Meeting of the EG

A

Dreadful winter (88-89), poor harvest, +food prices (89% of Workers’ wageon bread), Revellion riots

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15
Q

Representatives assemble in Versailles…

A

• 4th May 1789
- 1st/2nd Estate ~ 300 delegates, 3rd ~ 500 delegates
• tense
• 3rd Estate refuse to register (voting issue)
• King didn’t mention social / political changes
• Abbé Sieyes - ‘What is the Third Estate?’

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16
Q

3rd June 1789

A

1st Estate invites other two to join in protest - some priests do

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17
Q

June 17th 1789

A

3rd Estate declares themselves

- offers last chance to join N.A

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18
Q

19th June 1789

A

1st Estate votes to join National Assembly

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19
Q

20th June 1789

A

• Royal Troops excluded 3rd Estate from meeting room
• go to King’s Tennis court and swear the ‘Tennis Court Oath’
- wouldn’t disperse until constitutional reform complete

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20
Q

23rd June 1789

A
  • Royal Session held - Louis refused to recognise N.A

* Louis offered to abolish Gabelle (salt tax) and Corvée (labour tax), promised land tax on value not social

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21
Q

27th June 1789

A

• King accepted legitimacy of National Assembly
- ordered nobility to join
BUT moving troops to Paris at the same time

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22
Q

Bourgeoisie Rebellion covers what timespan?

A

May - June 1789

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23
Q

Revolt of the Sans-Culottes covers what timespan?

A

June - July 1789

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24
Q

22nd June

A
  • Louis XVI ordered troops to be positioned around Paris & Versailles
  • —> late June: 4000 troops stationed around Paris
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25
Q

By 11th July

A

~ 25,000 troops in Paris-Versailles area - dismissed Necker
• fears of dismissal of NA caused large scale popular demonstrations against the King
• feared King was going to restore power by force
• Parisians to Palais Royal - speakers encouraged to take up arms
• Gardes Français deserted King

26
Q

13th July 1789

A

barricades set up to impede movement of Royal Troops

Seized ammunition from “Les Invalides”

27
Q

14th July 1789…

A

5/6 battalions of Les Gardes Français were deserted
deLaunay defending Bastille, killed 98 revolutionaries
Mob of Parisians storm Bastille Prison and confiscate weapons

28
Q

20th July 1789

A

Rural violence of the Great Fear breaks out

29
Q

The Great Fear

A

• bread prices rising uncontrollably
• rumours of seigneurs and grain dealers hoarding corn form peaking prices
• riots in markets across France
• rumours of hordes of brigands stealing grain, and attacking peasants
FEAR

30
Q

Long term causes of the French Revolution

A
  • Ancien Règime
  • Absolute Monarchy
  • War & Debt 1770s-1780s
  • The Enlightenment
31
Q

The August Decrees: Why/what?

A

4th August
• Members of the nobility were victims of assault and homes destroyed
• Some National Assembly member had large(ish) homes - feared
• Feared separation of nobility
• Issued August Decrees to nullify feudal obligations of peasants to landlords

32
Q

The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen

A

August 27th 1789 - N.A. issued DOROMAC
• established sovereignty amongst the French people
• every person is equal
• French people embraced - Nobles did not

33
Q

Reaction of the Monarchy to DOROMAC

A
  • King =
  • could not use force - army no longer reliable
  • refused to officially support DOROMAC
  • N.A gave king ‘suspension veto’ - could delay all () laws
  • legislative power still with N.A
34
Q

Voting restrictions of DOROMAC

A

• ‘active citizens’ could vote (males +25 paying 3 days labour in taxes)
• for office / vote in 2nd election stage - 10 days labour
• N.A. deputy - 50 days labour in taxes
=> 61% men = active citizens
=> 100 eligible deputies

35
Q

The October Days: what happened?

A

• Louis summons ‘Flanders’ regiment to Versailles
• 1st October 1789 - banquet to celebrate arrival
• anti-revolutionary demonstrations during banquet
- officers trampled tricolours
• reached Paris - demand brought back
• 5th Oct - (6-7000) Women at Hotel de Ville demand bread —> Versailles (5 hours)
• 20,000 National Guard
• King agreed to provide Paris with grain
• Royal family left Versailles

36
Q

Significance of the October Days

A
  • once in Paris, king = self proclaimed prisoner of mobs
  • Assembly = humiliated - mob achieved reduction of King’s powers not N.A
  • Louis = subordinate to law - subjects = citizens
37
Q

Immediate events leading to the Overthrow of the Monarchy

A

Revolutionary Clubs
Popular Discontent
Flight to Varennes
Champs de Mars Massacre

38
Q

Revolutionary Clubs

A

• Absence of political parties —> clubs established to support popular movement
• @ clubs gave speeches & debate issues of the day
- kept public informed on issues
- supported election of candidates
- acted as pressure groups to influence deputies
eg. Jacobins

39
Q

Popular discontent in the Countryside

A

Start of 1790: Peasants = disillusioned with revolution
Angry as feudal dies not abolished
Rural revolution (Brittany and Central France) until 1792
Peasants attacked chateaux, put pressure on Jacobin —> King

40
Q

When was feudalism abolished?

A

17th July 1793

41
Q

Popular discontent in towns

A
Sans-Culottes receive no reward for help
Passive citizens
Inflation after revolution
1791- falling wages -> strikes
Grain prices +50% after poor harvest in 1791
42
Q

Flight to Varennes

A

Louis regretted Civil Constitution of Clergy (=v. Religious)
1) 20th June 1791 - Left Paris
2) 21st June reached Varennes
3) recognised by postman - Brought back to Paris
Drawn up proclamation said the N.A wouldn’t be able to govern

43
Q

Significance of the flight to Varennes

A
• pre 1791 - moderates dominated N.A.
• clear opposition to revolution
• could Louis remain as head of state?
• 16th July: Assembly suspend king until constitution = complete
• rev. Clubs = louder
-> declaration of Pillnitz
44
Q

Declaration of Pillnitz

A

Prussia and Austria issued Aug 27th 1791
Warn France against harming King - monarchy should be restored/else
April 1792: war with Austria
July: LA promise Sans-Culottes more voting if fight

45
Q

Jacobins

A
  • set up after E-G meet
  • elite members
  • 900 national clubs by 1791
  • minority = radical republicans eg. Robespierre
46
Q

Cordeliers

A

• more radical than Jacobins
• objected to voting qualifications
• want direct democracy
Include: Danton, Marat, Desmoulins

47
Q

Champs de Mars massacre

A
  • 17th July 1791: 50,000 people sign petition for Republic
  • crowds drawn from poorer sections
  • Paris Commune, under pressure from assembly, impose martial law
  • National Guard sent to break up the crowd - kill 50
  • moderates retake control
48
Q

Constitution of 1791

A
  • legislative power to elected assembly
  • King appointed ministers, suspension veto
  • king = citizen
  • September 1791: King agreed
49
Q

When was constituent assembly replaced with a _____________ ______________

A

Legislative Assembly

September 1791

50
Q

The Convention

A

Mid August: elections for new voting body to replace LA
All men +21 could vote
20th Sept: Convention met
21st Sept: abolish monarchy
Girondins say no trial, Montagnards want trial

51
Q

September Massacres

A

September 1791
France losing war
Clergy and nobles rounded up on suspicion of plotting counter-revolution
Marat’s orders +1000 killed

52
Q

Trial of Louis XVI

A

Convention tried King for treason

361 votes for death penalty, 319 votes for arrest

53
Q

When was the King executed

A

21st Jan 1793

54
Q

Causes of the October Days

A

Poor harvest —> high bread prices + rising unemployment
Populist journalist kept public informed of events at Versailles
Trigger: drunken officers trampling on tricolour cockade, toasted Bourbons

55
Q

Reasons for reform after a constitution is established

A
  • enlightenment
  • loyalty to government
  • money
56
Q

Local government reforms

A

France divided in 547 districts

Each tier run by elected councils

57
Q

Finance reforms

A

1790-1: abolish indirect taxes
Money raised by selling off church lands (assignats); 52% bought by peasants
1791: land tax/property tax/customs duties introduced

58
Q

Economic reforms

A

Free trade introduced - got rid of price controls and internal tariffs
Decimal system applied to whole country
Collective bargaining and strikes = illegal
Poor relief = state (not church) responsibility

59
Q

Justice reforms

A

Uniform system of courts applied across whole country
Each canton would have Justice of the Peace
Changes to penal code - more humane (guillotine)

60
Q

Religious reforms

A

NA wanted to strengthen revolution by tying church to state (not Rome)

1789: tithe abolished; civil rights to Protestants
1790: CCC- swear oath to state not popes (55% did), fewer bishoprics
1791: civil rights to Jews