Origins

Question 1

What’s the term called where officers buy the right for position?

Answer 1

Venality

Question 2

What’s the tax on income called and how much was it?

Answer 2

Vingtieme- 5%. Tax imposed on the second estate

Question 3

Who were the philosophes influenced by?

Answer 3

John Locke

Question 4

What was Rousseau’s idea on sovereignty?

Answer 4

Nation becomes sovereign over itself

Question 5

What was Montesquieu’s view on sovereignty?

Answer 5

Divided between central powers

Question 6

What was Voltaire’s view on sovereignty?

Answer 6

Kept in the hands of the monarch

Question 7

When was the seven years war?

Answer 7

1756-63

Question 8

When was the war of Austrian succession?

Answer 8

1740-8

Question 9

How much did war cost Frances and how was this money raised?

Answer 9

1066 million, Necker raised it through loans

Question 10

What were the short term causes of the revolution?

Answer 10

Foreign policy, financial, political and economic crises

Question 11

When did the assembly of notables meet and who were they called by?

Answer 11

February 1787 by Calonne

Question 12

Why were there riots in 1787?

Answer 12

Parlement of Paris were exiled for refusing proposed reforms

Question 13

When were the estates general summoned and by who?

Answer 13

May 1789 by Brienne

Question 14

How much of a workers daily wage was spent on bread during bad harvests?

Answer 14

88% in the severe winter of 1788-9

Question 15

Economic issues?

Answer 15

Price of bread rose, production and employment fell

Question 15

What taxes did the third estate pay?

Answer 15

Taille, capitation, gabelle, tithe, feudal dues. Increased enormously between 1749 and 1783 to pay for the wars

Question 16

Why did rent increase in the eighteenth century?

Answer 16

Population increase from 20 mill to 30 mill. Further burden on the peasantry

Question 17

Church’s voluntary payment, how much was it?

Answer 17

don gratuit, under 5% of church’s income

Question 18

which tax was the second estate exempt from?

Answer 18

taille (most onerous tax)

Question 19

What percent of the population was the peasantry?

Answer 19

85%

Question 20

Position of royal finances

Answer 20

at the beginning of August 1788 the treasury was empty

Question 21

turning point of the political crisis

Answer 21

Louis exiled the Parlement of Paris 15 August 1787. Caused aristocratic revolt e.g. Rennes

Question 22

Bad harvests

Answer 22

1778-9, 1781-2, 1785-6, 1787

Question 23

First revolutionary actions

Answer 23

peasants blamed landowners for economic crisis- food riots and disturbances as people attached grain stores. Worst in 1789 when grain prices were at their peak, before new harvests had been collected

Question 24

American war of independence

Answer 24

1776-83. Spread ideas to France