France Pre Revolution 1774-89 Flashcards
1
Q
What powers did King Louis XVI (16th) have?
A
- sovereign power in France
- initiate legislation
- controlled military
- no representative body
- power of patronage (hire/fire)
- letter de cachet (arbitrary arrest)
- lit de justice (parlement approve edicts)
- levied all tax & decided how to spend
- Estates General present grievance list (last 1614)
- appointed intendants (petty tyrants) to govern 34 districts
2
Q
What limits were there to King Louis XVI (16th) power?
A
- Out of touch lifestyle
- The 13 Parlements publicised remonstrances
- Country with different custom/legal/tax systems (eg Pays detat)
- parlements of wealthy judges/lawyers can say no to laws
- Royal bankruptcy, Palace of Versailles construction & 1.3billion on US
- Royal debt 1774-88 40million livres to 126million livres
3
Q
What was the 1st Estate?
A
130,000 Censor press Control education Subject to church (not civil) law Owned 20% of land
4
Q
Who were the 2nd estate?
A
350,000
Owned 20% of land
Could buy way into nobility through venal offices (raised money but corrupt)
5
Q
Who were the third estate?
A
25,000,000
Payed all tax
40% destitute
Storms/ bad summers = food prices inc = rural pov
Bread 50% of people’s diets in urban areas
6
Q
How was France’s tax system injust?
A
- Nobility/clergy exemption
- Nobility charged high feudal dues (corvee, banalities)
- Overseas territory lost, tax within
- Collectors abused system, no central treasury to monitor
- church tithes (absente)
- gabelle salt tax
- taille land tax
7
Q
What was the impact of the American war of independence?
A
1775-83
No taxation without representation
1.3b
8
Q
How did the enlightenment challenge the acien regime?
A
- Knowledge based on reason/ rational thought
- freedom of individual & rights of man
- evident when Paris Parlement accused Louis of “ministerial despotism” in 1788
- Philosophes had secular thinking & claimed church as corrupt
9
Q
Who was Montesquieu?
A
- The Spirit of Laws 1748
- abolition of estates and feudal duelism
- favoured English gov & constitutional monarchy as power was retained by assembly
- democracy could lead to mob rule
- ruling elites benefit from understanding of how to govern
10
Q
Who was Voltaire?
A
- Philosophical Letters 1733
- eng law is more tolerant and liberal
- free expression
- in a republic equality can be achieved
- critic of church
11
Q
Who was Rossueau?
A
- Discourse on Inequality 1755
- The Social Contract 1762
- everyone should choose laws where they live
- duties should be equal
- monarchies served ruling classes
12
Q
How were enlightened ideas repressed?
A
- printers granted royal licenses, approval by royal censor
- in reality, printers operated illegally in a thriving black market
- church and french gov produced a list of banned books
13
Q
What were the financial reforms of Turgot?
A
- controversial & unsuccessful free trade of grain (nobility held monopolies) but bad weather spring 1774-5 bad harvests lead to grain £ inc- 180 towns Flour wars
- 1776 Turgot banned Corvee, proclaimed aim to abolish privilege and introduce property tax payable by all
- 1st/2nd/Parelements refused to sanction
- May 1776 resignation
14
Q
Who was Necker?
A
- publicly published record of states finances 1781 Compte Rendu. Surplus of 10million livres, concealing actual deficit of 46 million
- Seen as trying to inc transparency, made financiers more willing to loan, no tax needed
- Controversially attempted to streamline states financial administration by ensuring venal ministers were replaced by trained/ salaried officials. Meant that there was a reduction in sale of offices and less opportunities for wealthy to buy status
- 1781 forced to resign
15
Q
Who was Calonne?
A
- Financiers were less willing to lend to the crown, advocated free trade and reduction in gov spending
- Proposed selling church land, and a universal land tax payable by all estates
