French Rev Flashcards
Louis XVI Strengths
- His power was limited as he sought advice from administrators on important decisions
- He was bound by the laws and customs of France
- He took an interest in improvements for his people and all affairs of state
Louis XVI Weaknesses
- He was too conscious of the importance of tradition and privilege to remove it, but too eager to be popular to rely on absolute authority and assert strong government
- At 15yo he married 14yo Marie Antoinette
- He was anxious and apprehensive, and oppressed by a sense of duty
- He was indecisive and uncommunicative, and did not command immediate respect
- He failed to solve problems
First Estate
The clergy: <0.5% of population, but the church owned 1/10th of French land!
- controlled most education, hospitals, and poor relief
Second Estate
The nobility: <1% of population = 120,000, but owned >1/4 of French land!
- noblesse d’eplee: wealthy advisers that lived in King’s palace at Versaille
- noblesse de robe: monarchy sold legal and administrative offices in return for a hereditary title. >70,000 in 1789
- Other nobles lived in country estates: many were not wealthy, dependent on their feudal rights, jealous of other nobles
Third Estate
The rest of society: nearly 28 million people!
- Bourgeoisie (middle class), lived in towns, growing in wealth and numbers by 1789, owned most industrial and commercial capital, 1/5th of private French wealth, and 1/4 of French land, ambition to join nobility, educated and prosperous and growing resentful
- peasants lived in countryside, 80% of population
- small property owners lived in towns, skilled and unskilled
Privileges and Burdens of each Estate
1st: + no taxes, instead church made voluntary annual grant of 5% total church income
2nd: + exempt from heaviest tax, taille (land tax), and corvees royales (labour service on roads. - paid some newer taxes on income + avoided paying full amount + exempt from military conscription but some volunteered anyway + higher posts in the army than the bourgeoise who were often richer than them
3rd: - peasants paid rents and taxes to lord of manor on their grain harvest, paid taille and salt tax to the state, labour service on roads, conscripted to military, paid tithe to church
Royal debt
- Monarchy in heavy debt due to the costs of foreign wars (War of Austrian Succession = 1 billion livres, Seven Years’ War = 1.8 billion livres).
- Short term borrowing from international banks led to long term unaffordable interest payments.
- Joining American colonies in war against Britain made finances worse.
- Most royal income came from the inefficient tax system.
Turgot
Controller General 1774-1776
- influenced by ideas of the physiocrats (wealth comes from agriculture, end regulations, tolls & price controls).
- removed price controls, abolished guilds, proposed new property tax.
- hostile response by those affected.
Necker
Controller General 1777-1781
- tried to cut venal offices, causing hostile reactions.
- Key mistake was advising Louis that France could afford to join American Independence War. Cost 1.3 million livres, increasing royal debt.
- issued first public report on royal finances to prove they were in good order. The minor details of extravagant royal expenditure were used by enemies against the monarchy. Necker lost support from the court and resigned.
Calonne
Controller General 1783-1789
- sold offices + lavish spending maintained confidence in monarchy so it could raise loans.
- unsuccessful in raising loans in 1785 and 1786, so told Louis that the gov was close to bankruptcy.
- by 1789, 126 million livre deficit, and 51% of total spending used on interest and debt, more than the 36% spent on defence.
Monarchy’s attempts at reform were blocked
New tax laws had to be registered with regional judicial bodies or parlements that were able to block them.
Impact of Enlightenment ideas
High impact on France. Explored ideas about freedom, liberty and equality.
Philosophes
Most influential:
- Montesquieu: criticised royal absolutism, but argued it was up to aristocracy to limit royal power, not the people.
- Voltaire: criticised Catholic Church and religious intolerance, but believed religion was necessary to preserve public morals. Also defended royal authority.
- Rousseau: Argued that a despotic monarch could be overthrown by their subjects and that sovereignty resided in the people, rather than in just the King.
Salons
New constitution
Thermidorians, 1795:
- designed to prevent a return to a monarchy or a dictatorship like that of The Committee of Public Safety, and to control by the common people, the sans-culottes.
- France to be ruled by a new governing committee of 5, called the Directory, who were to hold office for 5 years and were chosen by the Council of Ancients from list drawn up by the five Hundred.
The National Convention (Legislature) was replaced by which 2 Councils?
- Council of Five Hundred:
- Members had to be 30+
- initiated legislation
- Council of Ancients:
- all 250 members had to be 40+
- approved or rejected legislation
Weaknesses of new constitution
- yearly election led to instability
- no mechanism to resolve disputes between the Directos and the two councils, which led to stalemate and inaction.
