Key Events: 1787-88

Question 1

Brienne

Answer 1

• 1787-1788

Question 2

Necker

Answer 2

1788-1789

Question 3

Causes of the Financial Crisis

Answer 3

• Unequal taxation system
• Overly burdensome taxes; gabelle, corvee, taille
• Excessive expenditure by monarchy
• Debt from wars and foreign loans
• Compte Rendu

Question 4

Financial Crisis

Answer 4

• Begins with Calonne’s recognition of the need for reform in 1786; France is going to bankruptcy
• Leads to calling of Assembly of Notables
• When Assembly of Notables fails; leads to Brienne calling parlement
• King and the lit de justice against remonstrance to parlement
• Lettres de cachet; despotic actions
• Need for Estates General
• Frustrations of living leading to violence; reveillon riots

Question 5

Food shortages/Harvest Crisis

Answer 5

• July 1788-1789
• July 1788; hail and severe weather destroys harvest, crops
• Summer 1788: severe drought
• This created a food crisis for 1788 and 1789
• Feb 1789; bread prices reach double from 1787 - half of one week’s wage for the average person
• Natural disaster led to economic disaster which led to political disaster

Question 6

Political Pamphlets

Answer 6

• Pamphlets were a popular method to spread ideas
• Discussed in salons and cafes by bourgeoisie and enlightened nobels
• 4000 pamphlets published between May 1788 and April 1789

Question 7

What is the Third Estate?

Answer 7

• Jan 1789
• Written by Abbe Sieyes
• Challenged the estate system and nation of privileges by highighting its flaws, showing potential strength of third estate
• ‘The most influential pamphlet of thousands published’ (Sewell)
• ‘What is the third estate? Everything, what had it been before in the political order? Nothing, what does it demand? To become something therein’

Question 8

Aristocratic Revolt

Answer 8

• 1787
• Agreed with some changes but didn’t want to give up tax privileges
• Argued that they needed to see records of the royal finances
• Louis refused to show finances and they reached a stalemate
• Louis dismisses Calonne and replaces him with Brienne
• Notables seen as defending 3rd E

Question 9

Parlement Revolt

Answer 9

• 1787-1788
• Parlement argues that reforms can only be passed through E.G.
• Louis attempts a lit de justice to force reforms, but PoP declares this invalid
• Louis exiles PoP (sparks uprising against the monarchy)
• Brienne modifies reforms, PoP recalled, reforms put through
• Brienne cals for loans and debate begins again
• King orders immediate registration of loans (Duc d’Orleans declared this illegal and Louis exiled him)
• Parlements déclare lettres de cachet illegal
• Louis suspends PoP and parlements and orders the arrest of magistrates

Question 10

Assembly of Notables

Answer 10

• 22 Feb 1787
• Didn’t like Calonne
• Aristocratic Revolt
• failed because Notables wouldn’t give up their privileges
• May 1787; Assembly of Notables dissolved

Question 11

The Day of Tiles

Answer 11

• 10 June 1788
• Soldiers on way to arrest members of the parlement in Grenoble
• Pelted with roof tile thrown by citizens defending the parlement
• Two killed by soldiers who fire guns
• ‘It signified the breakdown of royal authority’ (Schama)

Question 12

Formation of the Society of Thirty

Answer 12

• Nov 1788
• Society of 30 (grew to 60) included revolutionaries such as Lafayette, Mirabeau, Sieyes, etc
• Believed in three things; the parlements did not represent everyone, the welfare of people come above all else, France needed a written constitution
• They were ‘courtiers against the court, aristocrats against privilege’ (Schama)