Keywords Flashcards
Philosophes
The name given to the enlightenment philosophers
Constitutional monarchy
The rulers power is limited by the constitution (rules that the country is governed)
Coup d’etat
Illegal seizure of power, often violent
Parlement
High court of law which registered royal decrees
Royal session
When the king attended parlement
Legislative power
The right to make laws
Dauphin
The title given to the heir to the french throne
Factions
Political groups that competed with each other for advantage
Pensions
Regular sums of money granted by the king as a sign of favour
Sinecures
Incomes attached to offices that were either honorary or required little input from the recipient
Gratuities
Free gifts
Patronage
The provision of appointments to offices and the granting of priveledges
Despot
A ruler who ignores or abuses the law, behaving in arbitrary fashion
Provinces
Regions roughly equivalent to counties, each with its own traditions and institutions
Pays d’etat
Six regions where representative assemblies had retained the right to negotiate on the raising of taxes with the royal intendents
Remonstrance
A document sent by a parlement to the monarch protesting against a royal decree or details of that decree
Lit de justice
A royal session of the Paris parlement for the compulsory registration of royal edicts (bed of justice)
Direct taxes
Taxes taken directly from individuals, often according to wealth or possessions, in contrast indirect taxes are taxes on goods or services
Unearned income
Earnings from rents or investments
Dogma
Belief or principle that has been asserted as true without question
Salons
Gatherings of educated people at the home of a host, wealthy nobles
Don gratuit
A ‘voluntary gift’ paid by the church every five years, amounting to approximately 2 percent of church’s total revenue; the church had won the right to offer this in lieu of direct taxation
Royal domain
The lands and rights that belonged directly to the king
Livre
French currency , 40 livres = £3
Balance of payments
Difference between the income and expenditure of a country
Controller-general
Short for the French contrôleur général des finances- minister in charge of finances 1661-1791
Caisses
Where government funds were held
Veniality
When people can buy their titles to be part of the nobility/second estate. Usually bourgeoisie or wealthy third estate
Divine right
Idea that the king is chosen by God and only follows god
Lettre de cache
The king is able to arrest anyone without a trial - but has to be careful not to be deemed a despot
Tithe
Tax payed to the church had
Pluralism
Occurred in the church - when they had more than one job and therefore not doing either correctly
Sans-culottes
Urban workers in third estate, shop keepers, artisans
Seigneurs
Third estate ‘landlords’
Bourgeoisie
Wealthy merchants of third estate, still had limited power
Corveee Royale
Mandatory labour on roads
Hobyreux
‘Old bird’. Frans of the nobility. Had second estate privelidges but little land and money
Prévôtés
The lowest hierarchy or royal courts for laws
Bailliage
Highest hierarchy or royal courts. 430 in total
Taille
Largest tax - property and income tax of third estate.
Divided into taille personnelle (property, revenue,personal tax) and taille réelle (land and household)
Noblesse d’epee
Nobles of the sword, earned through military
Noblesse de court
Worked in Versailles, had to be close to the king. Advisors and ambassadors to the king
Noblesse de robe
Bought position through venality, wealthy
Lettre de justice
Kings ability to bypass government and pass any law
Generalities
France split up in 1700s 33-36 with different rules. The parliaments over lap these (13 of them). Makes the system very complicated
Counseil d’etat
Council of state, sorted major issues of state and foreign affairs
Counseil des depeches
Despatches, received official reports from generalities and dealt with church issues
Counseil Royal des finances
State finances, leader is controller generale
Intendants
King appointed one in each generalities. In charge of finance, law and order, taxes, troops. Overworked and overlapped with role of provinical govenors
Deists
People who accept god’s existence
Mercantilism
Strict state regulation of economy e.g tax
Laissez-faire
A system of government, removing restrictions, public with more responsibility
Freemasonary
Intelligent members, group, sworn brotherhood
Capitation
Poll tax. Payable by everyone but the clergy who paid don gratuit
Vingtième
Income tax. 5 percent of earnings from land, property, offices etc. clergy except because of pays d’etats
Gabelle
Salt tax, collected by ferme generale
Tobac
Tobacco tax, collected by ferme generale
Aides
Consumption tax on consumer goods (liquor, oil, textiles etc) collected by regie generale
Domaine
Taxes on royale domain, collected by regie generale, overseen by chamber des comptes
Traite
Customs duty. Regie generale
Timbre
Stamp tax, regie generale
Octrois
Local customs duties on goods brought into towns
Mercenaries
Professional soldiers from any country who will fight for payment - Louis used them as couldn’t trust french people
Estates-general
An assembly which could be called by the king as a last resort to discuss major issues.
Contained all three estates, hadn’t held since 1614
Fleur de lis
A symbol for the royal coat of arms, cubs logo
Madame deficit
Marie Antoinette nickname because she spent so much money
