Origins Flashcards
What’s the term called where officers buy the right for position?
Venality
What’s the tax on income called and how much was it?
Vingtieme- 5%. Tax imposed on the second estate
Who were the philosophes influenced by?
John Locke
What was Rousseau’s idea on sovereignty?
Nation becomes sovereign over itself
What was Montesquieu’s view on sovereignty?
Divided between central powers
What was Voltaire’s view on sovereignty?
Kept in the hands of the monarch
When was the seven years war?
1756-63
When was the war of Austrian succession?
1740-8
How much did war cost Frances and how was this money raised?
1066 million, Necker raised it through loans
What were the short term causes of the revolution?
Foreign policy, financial, political and economic crises
When did the assembly of notables meet and who were they called by?
February 1787 by Calonne
Why were there riots in 1787?
Parlement of Paris were exiled for refusing proposed reforms
When were the estates general summoned and by who?
May 1789 by Brienne
How much of a workers daily wage was spent on bread during bad harvests?
88% in the severe winter of 1788-9
Economic issues?
Price of bread rose, production and employment fell
What taxes did the third estate pay?
Taille, capitation, gabelle, tithe, feudal dues. Increased enormously between 1749 and 1783 to pay for the wars
Why did rent increase in the eighteenth century?
Population increase from 20 mill to 30 mill. Further burden on the peasantry
Church’s voluntary payment, how much was it?
don gratuit, under 5% of church’s income
which tax was the second estate exempt from?
taille (most onerous tax)
What percent of the population was the peasantry?
85%
Position of royal finances
at the beginning of August 1788 the treasury was empty
turning point of the political crisis
Louis exiled the Parlement of Paris 15 August 1787. Caused aristocratic revolt e.g. Rennes
Bad harvests
1778-9, 1781-2, 1785-6, 1787
First revolutionary actions
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
