French Revolution Flashcards
Tithe
One tenth of ones annual income or produce from land
Bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie were france’s middle class. They invested in new business ventures which is why they were important
Louis XIV
was known as the ‘sun king’. He ruled France for 72 years. He built the palace of Versailles. Which was located in the southwest of Paris. His word was law.
Versailles
Located in the southwest of Paris. The palace of Versailles was built by Louis XIV. All important nobles lived there, Louis lived there. And many extra buildings were being added to it very often
Custom of Paris
Laws in the Paris region
Marie Antoinette
A member of the Austrian royal family. Married Louis in 1770. She had an idealized view of peasant life and even built a farm at Versailles to play at farming. She spent large sums of money on fine things such as jewels and that offended many people because most of them lived in poverty. She also fired people she despised even if they were doing a good job. She fired A.R Turgot because he was trying to economize and had proposed that nobles be taxed
The affair of the diamond necklace
A countess told the cardinal (someone marie dispised) that she could help him regain the queens favour. She engineered meetings between the cardinal and a fake Antoinette. He was duped into buying a diamond necklace for the queen on an instalment plan however when he could not pay he was put on trial and the situation became public. Historians suggested that Marie Antoinette engineered the whole affair to get the cardinal fired because she ‘did not like him’
The enlightenment
Philosophes were against any religion that they viewed as old fashioned or superstitious. Their ideas were as they called them ‘enlightened’. It meant that science and human intelligence were of the highest importance. And if a belief could not stand up to reason or if it could not be demonstrated by experiment than it had to be discarded
Rousseau
Believed that society needed a social contract. An unwritten agreement between rulers and governed. (We agree to obey as long as they are just/ fair rulers). He also believed in ‘natural law’ which means that people were good but made bad through bad government
Voltaire
Was against the church and was for freedom of thought. He wanted to keep the church and government separate. He believed that absolute monarchy was, for the most part, good for society
Montesquieu
Believed that the ruler had to work with elected parliaments. Wanted to divide royal power between lawmakers, executive, and judges. Wanted power between the 3 to be roughly equal
Philosophes
Women and men who met to discuss society and politics. New ideas about society we’re being published and discussed by these thinkers. They believed in science and scientific reasoning to explain the world. Most rejected the idea of absolute monarchy and favoured democracy
Estates general
A kind of parliament. They met only as a result of a royal command. It included representatives from the three estates of France. The first estate- clergy, second estate- aristocrats, and third estate- middle class. They met very seldom. Each estate voted as a group so it didn’t matter that the middle class was made up of more people because most of the votes ending in 2-1 because the first and second estates always voted the same way
A.R Turgot
Louis XVI’s controller general of finances. He tried to reform the economy but was forced out of office by Marie Antoinette
Count. Mirabeau
A brilliant speaker and leader. He led the third estate when it broke with the other estates and formed a new government called the National Assembly.
