Pre-Revolution from 1774 and the events of 1789 Flashcards
Did the Clergy or nobility pay any taxes?
The clergy were exempt from taxation but pay a voluntary annual grant of 16 million livres - 5% of the Church’s income.
The nobility were exempt from taxation. They paid newer income taxes but were often able to avoid paying the full sum.
What taxes were payed by the peasantry?
How did they feel about this and why?
They paid rent and taxes on their grain harvest to the lord of their manor.
They paid a land tax (taille) and a salt tax (gabelle)
They paid a tithe to the church.
They hated this burden of taxation as fluxuating bread prices made it difficult to survive.
Why was there such a large royal debt?
The War of Austrian Succession
The Seven Years War
The support of the American colonies against Britain
Most royal income came from taxation. Why was the system of taxation so inefficient?
The richest subjects - the nobles - paid no taxes
Tax collection was chaotic and incomplete because of regional differences across the generalities
Tax farming reduced the crown’s income with Farmers-General paying a sum to collect taxes and taking the excess for themselves
Louis attempted to reform to improve royal finances. This was the job of the Controller General. The role changed hands three times in 1774, 1777 and 1783. What were their names
1774 - Turgot
1777 - Necker
1783 - Calonne
What reforms did Turgot do/attempt and why was he removed?
He removed price controls
Abolished Guilds
Proposed a new property tax that would be paid by all estates.
His reforms would threaten the interests of the first and second estate as they would pay more tax, making him unpopular
What did Necker do/attempt?
Replaced independent financiers - private tax collectors - with salaried officials so the king got a greater share of the taxes
Secured loans for the American War of independence at a high interest rate
Wrote the first public report on royal finances. Very popular and showed the crown in a surplus of 10m livres while leaving out military spending
What did Calonne do/attempt
Restored the old financiers undoing Necker’s work
Borrowed even more heavily than Necker
Proposed a tax reform when no-one would give more loans: land tax paid by all estates - just Turgot’s idea!
Persuaded Louis to call the Assembly of Notables to pass the land tax
In what two ways did the American Revolution influence the French Revolution?
The American Revolution cost France 1.3 billion livres
The 8,000 French troops who returned after the war brought it’s ideas of liberty and democracy with the experience of overthrowing a political authority
The three most influence philosophes of the revolution were Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau. What did they believe that challenged the Ancien Regime?
Montesquieu - criticized royal absolutism and supported executive, legislative and judicial powers
Voltaire - criticized the Catholic Church and thus the divine right of kings
Rousseau - Argued that a despotic monarch could be overthrown by their people. Believed that sovereignty was in the people not the king.
