Origins of the French Revolution

Question 1

Absolute status of Louis

Answer 1

• Lettres de cachet - justified by ‘Divine Right’ - God’s representative
• Expected to ‘rule by law’ - upholding Christian morality and respecting rights of subjects
• ‘King in Council’ - Advised by specialised royal councils - Conseil d’Etat - issues of state and foreign affairs

Question 2

Intendants

Answer 2

• Royal agents responsible for maintaing rule in provinces
• Ensured taxes were paid
• Ensured King’s edicts carried out

Question 3

Pays d’etats

Answer 3

• Six areas of France
• Allowed privilege of negotiating directly with the Crown on taxation

Question 4

Venality

Answer 4

• Sale of administrative offices
• Almost all posts of public responsibility were venal offices
• By 18th century - 70,000 venal offices

Question 5

Parlements

Answer 5

• 13 sovereign courts
• Each managed by 12 magistrates - bought positions
• Could issue remonstances - Protesting against a royal decree
• King could force decrees through lit de justice - Though could be seen as despotic

Question 5

Weaknesses of absolute monarchy

Answer 5

• Lettres de cachet - Louis could rule despotically
• Venality - Almost all posts of public responsibility were sold - Offices underqualified
• Remonstrance - protest against royal decree - Futile if lit de justice was called

Question 6

First Estate

Answer 6

• 0.7% population - Owned 10% land
• Exempt from taille - property tax - paid don gratuit - voluntary gift every 5 years - 2% of church revenue
• Only prosecuted in Church courts
• Exempt from military service

Question 7

Second estate

Answer 7

• 1.4% population - 25% of land (C.)
• Exempt from taille (property tax) - paid lower rates on direct taxes - Capitation and Vingtieme
• Gained offices through venality - Offices retained by a family for >3 generations it became heriditary

Question 8

Third Estate

Answer 8

• Paid indirect taxes: taille (property tax) - Vingtieme (5% income tax)
• Paid direct taxes: gabelle (salt tax)
• Corvee royale - liable for military and unpaid labour (Wealthy Bourgeosie could buy way out)

Question 9

Enlightenment thought

Answer 9

• Criticised curruption in Church ‘divine right’
• Criticised priviliges of the clergy
• Emphasised importance of liberty

Question 10

Influence of philosophes

Answer 10

• Salons - Open lectures and debates - Allowed members to study writings of philisophes
• Limited as largely confined to educated - low literacy rates and books expensive

Question 11

Growth of Salons

Answer 11

1700 - 3 salons - 1785 - 80 salons

Question 12

American War of Independance

Answer 12

1783: 8000 troops returned from America - Brought ideas of liberty and democracy

Question 13

3 philosophes

Answer 13

• Rousseau - Despotic monarch could be overthrown - soveriegnty resided with people
• Voltaire - Criticised Catholic Church - But religion was necessary to preserve public morals
• Montesquieu - Criticised centralised power

Question 14

Diderot

Answer 14

1751 - Encylopaedia published to ‘change the way people think’