The Assembly of Notables and Political Developments Flashcards
When was the Assembly of Notables?
22nd February, 1787
What was the Assembly of Notables?
Group of high-ranking nobles and ecclesiastical - 144 in total.
When was the Assembly of Notables called by the King?
Convened on extraordinary occasions to consult on matters of state.
Why was the Assembly of Notables called in 1787?
Turgot, Necker and Calonne all believed tax reform was necessary to get France out of debt.
Why did repeated attempts to implement tax reform fail?
Due to lack of parlement support - they felt it would affect their own income.
Who proposed calling the Assembly of Notables?
Calonne
What five things did the Assembly of Notables recommend?
1/ Single value land tax
2/ Conversion of corvee into money tax
3/ Abolition of internal tariffs
4/ The creation of elected provincial assemblies
5/ Calling of estates general since 1614.
What radical changes did the Assembly propose?
Lowering the income qualifications for voting for proposed provincial assemblies.
What was the result of the Assembly?
1/ Assistance of the Estates General in creating provincial assemblies.
2/ Reestablished free trade in grain
3/ Converted the corvee into cash payment
4/ Generated short term loans.
What happened to Calonne?
Sacked on 8th April, 1787 having failed to control the Assembly of Notables.
Who dissolved the Assembly of Notables?
Calonne’s successor - Lomenie de Brienne at behest of the King.
When does the King try to pass edicts through parlement?
6th July, 1787
What new tax did Lomenie de Brienne present?
The ‘stamp act’ for registration in Paris Parlement.
Why did Parlement refuse it?
Saw it as an illegal act, demanding accounting statements which the King refused to give.
What did Louis declare?
Parlement was to assemble at the Kings palace on 6th August and in person register taxes.
What did Parlement declare on the 7th of August?
That the order was null and void and only the Estates General could register new taxes.
What did the King negotiate with Parlement?
On 15th August, 1787 - King withdrew Stamp Tax and modified taille to exclude lands of people of title in return for Parlement to accept more loans.
What did Louis propose in September?
A ‘Successive loan’ until 1792 which would give the King a blank cheque.
Philippe Egalite spoke out about this.
What was the Edict of Versailles?
On 7th November, 1787 - gave non-catholics the right to openly practice religion as well as legal and civil status.
How was the Edict of Versailles passed?
Through persuasion such as that of Turgot.
When did Paris Parlement refuse to go home?
2nd May, 1788 - Hearing of the edict they swore an oath not to be disbanded. King sent his guards to arrest them and they surrendered.
What new thing happened on 8th May, 1788?
A new government with registration of new edicts presented to regional parlements.
Who refused the new government?
All parlements following Paris and armed protest swept the Kingdom.
When was the Estates General called?
24th January 1789.
What did the letter state which summoned parliament?
‘The King promises to address the grievances of his people’.
How would the Estates General work?
Would meet in three assemblies with each collecting a cahier to be considered.
How did the King intend to control the authority of the Estates General?
By not changing its function since 175 years ago in 1614.
What did the press begin to demand?
That the commons should be allocated twice as many delegates.
What did the King accept?
He ‘doubled the Third’ - he was confident in his influence over the Nobility and Clergy.
How many delegates were elected?
1,200 - half of whom formed the Third Estate.
Who did the First Estate represent?
100,000 Catholic Clergy with 300 delegates.
How was the Second Estate represented?
Represented 400,000 and 282 delegates.
How was the Third Estate represented?
Doubled to 578 men representing 95% of the population.
How did the Estates General become militant?
Pamphlets by liberal nobles and clergy became widespread after the lifting of press censorship.
When did the Estates General open?
5th May, 1789
What did the Estates General open with?
Opened with a three-hour speech by Necker.
What were the Estates General told when it opened?
That they would be voting ‘by power’ not by ‘head’.
When did the Estates General become the National Assembly?
4th June to 9th July 1789.
What did they announce on the 13th June?
They declared themselves not as an Assembly of the Estates but of the ‘people’.
Invited others join to them but said they would do it with or without them.
When did the other two estates join?
17th June - Completing the process.
When was the Tennis Court Oath?
20th June, 1789
What did the King order resulting in the Tennis Court Oath?
Demanded closure of the assembly and its decrees annulled.
What did the third estate swear an oath to as a result of the Kings demands?
‘Not to separate and to reassemble wherever circumstances require’.
Why was Necker fired?
For publishing an inaccurate account of the debt to the public.
When was the National Constituent Assembly formed?
9th July, 1789
What and when was the National Constituent assembly succeeded by?
The legislative assembly in September 1791.
Who were the left and right wings of the Constituent Assembly?
Monarchists - allied with Necker, wanted to arrange France like Britain with House of Lords and Commons.
National Party - Represented middle class and was sympathetic to revolution and democracy.
When was the Storming of the Bastille?
14th July, 1789
What did the Parisians want?
Weapons to resist the mercenaries being assembled by the King, therefore attacking the Bastille.
When did the fortress fall?
It fell a few hours later
When did the fortress fall?
It fell a few hours later
Whose head was paraded around the city?
The Mayor of Paris despite ordering a ceasefire.
What did the Bastille symbolise?
A symbol of the negatives of the Ancien Regime - fortress had only held seven prisoners though.
What did Louis do on the 17th July?
Visit Paris and accept a tricolore cockade to cries of ‘long live the nation’ and ‘long live the King’
When was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?
26th August 1789
What did the Declaration remove?
Personal serfdom, exclusive hunting rights and the tithe.
What is one Article from the Declaration?
‘Men are born and remain free and equal in rights’.
