Stage 1/Liberal Phase 1789-91 Flashcards
National Debt Increase 1776
Louis XV raises taxes to pay off debt from the 7 Years war and the War of Austria Succession
Feudal Privilege
The wealthy and nobility were exempt from taxes while they could afford to pay them, so the commoners took the brunt of the debt collection
What are Estates?
3 social categories: clergy, nobility, everyone else
What was the 1st Estate like?
Collect tithe, run social services, hate Enlightenment bc its secular, exempt from taxes ( > 1% )
What was the 2nd Estate like?
Top government/military positions, don’t pay taxes ( > 2% )
What was the 3rd Estate like?
Bouge: resent nobles, lawyers, doctors, educated pro enlightenment, brains of revolution.
Peasants: muscle of revolution
Urban Poor:
(98%)
What drives the revolution?
- Public Opinion: taverns, salons, gossip magazines
- Enlightenment: people learn from Voltaire and Rousseau
What was the Estates General? May 1787
Legislative body made up of representatives from the 3 estates (1st - priests) (2nd - conservatives from provinces/liberals) (3rd - lawyers, doctors)
“What is the Third Estate?” by Abbe Sieyes
Nobility is tiny, overprivileged
National Assembly June 1789
3rd Estate refused to attend bc 1st&2nd kept outvoting them when they don’t make up a large % of the population
Made up of a few clergy & noblemen, mainly 3rd estate “true reps of people of France”
Tennis Court Oath
Barred from hall -
National Assembly pledged they wouldn’t disband until new constitution was created, gave themselves taxation over France
Bastille Day July 1789
Poor grain harvest & missing troops = people storm Bastille - get back liberty
Duke D’Alene
In charge of running Bastille royal prison
Delaune
In charge of running Bastille day revolution
The Great Fear 1789
3rd Estate revolted against nobility records and residences, gave strength to movement to end feudalism
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen August 1789
Made by National Assembly, guaranteed freedom of speech and thought, equality before the law, general will, natural rights, due process, hold public office, representative gov, abolished hereditary privileges of 1st&2nd estates, taxes imposed by consent of the governed (not enforced) (inspired by Declaration of Independence & Bill of Rights)
Civil Constitution of the Clergy 1790
Confiscated church lands, eliminated tithe, placed under authority of National Assembly, established national church w voted priests, no pope, salary, other religions can vote
October March on Versailles 1789
Markets shrank -> incited by Jean Paul Marat -> unemployment of market women, storm Versailles for bread & justice, made king accept declaration -> King fled to Tuillers
Constitutional Clergy
Followed new constitution
Refractory Clergy
Follow pope (Louis 16 follows) (most ppl liked), Napoleon reversed
“Reflections of the Revolutions in France” by Edmund Burke 1790
France would be destroyed by reform, people will start killing, defends hereditary privileges, doesn’t like unrepresentative parliament
Constitution of 1791
Established constitutional monarchy, king shares power w Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly
Full of members of the Jacobin Club, split France into 83 departments, declare war on Prussia and Austria, unicameral body that the king can veto as chief executive officer
Jacobin Club
Well educated radical republicans
Le Chapalier Law June 1791
Banned guilds and the right to strike, enrages sans-culottes
Flight to Varennes
Leopold (Marie brother, Austria) tries to get Marie Antoinette and Louis XV to flee to Austria, get caught by Parisian mob
Declaration of Pillnitz
Leopold, king of Austria threatened Austrian and Prussian military intervention in France
