Origins- Finance ministers and surrounding events Flashcards
Main Finance Ministers c.74-89?
Turgot (75-76) Necker (77-81) Calonne (83-87) Brienne (88) Necker (88-89)
How to remember Finance Ministers?
Tomorrow Night Can Be N
Info about Turgot’s post?
75-76
Physiocrat
Wanted free trade and to abolish trade guilds- led to the Flour Wars in Northern France
He opposed the American War of Independence on economic and constitutional grounds
Wanted one single land tax- Parlement refused to raitfy and so he was dismissed
He did manage to negotiate low 4% interest loa with Dutch bankers though :)
Info about Necker’s first post?
77-81
Made cuts in royal court expenditure
Stricter methods of accounting- replaced ‘reciever-generals’ of direct taxes with 12 salaried offiicals
Borrowed 520m and claimed there was a surplus of 10m when acc a deficit of 46m
Published Compte Rendus (publication of Crown’s finances) in 1781
100k copies sold in first few weeks
Wanted to increase Dutch foreign investment
Resigned in 1781- looks bad for Louis, the public liked N
Info about Calonne’s post?
83-87 Wanted single land tax Wanted to end corvee Picked out Assembly of Notables After AoN failed he was dismissed in April 1787
What were the debts by 1786
112m.. Increasing parlements’ resistance
Why did AoN not work?
Calonne picked them out to ratify single land tax
144 members; all nobles, most of them Parlement members
Lasted betw Feb-May 1887
Clergy were anti taxing church and nobles weere not convinced the situation was bad enough
Frustrated Calonne accuses them of self-interest..Louis disisses him
Info about Brienne’s post?
88
Pursued Calonne’s single land tax and wanted to reform defence and education spending
Parlement were anti this and claimed only an Estates Generals could consent to these new taxes
What happened with Brienne and Louis v Parlement?
Parlement used enlightened ideas, claiming they had the right to speak for the people, to justify their insistence on calling EG
Louis tries to force through the land tax with a lit de justice
Parlement, with popular support resisted
When did Parlement get exiled? Why is this problematic for Louis?
Exiled to Troy 15 Aug 1787
Louis claims his actions are legal because he wishes- seems despotic
He brought them back by Sept
What happened in May 88?
Parlements issue ‘Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom’ saying these couldn’t be changed without popular support- claimed support of the EG was required for the changes Louis wanted
Louis publishes ‘May Edicts’
What were the May Edicts?
Louis trying to remove Parliamentary Power- depriving them of right to register and protest against royal decrees
Effect of May Edicts?
protest session of Parlement in Paris
Riots in Rennes and Grenoble (Day of Tiles in Grenoble= 4 dead; 30 injured)
Church gave a don gratuit of less than 1/4 of what the Crown asked for indicating the collapse in royal authority
What happened in Aug 1788?
16 Aug- Louis acknowledges France was bankrupt; suspended all payments from the treasury
Brienne resigns and recommends Necker’s recall..Necker returns wooooooo
Promise to summon the EG on 1 May
