The Assembly of Notables and Political Developments

Question 1

When was the Assembly of Notables?

Answer 1

22nd February, 1787

Question 2

What was the Assembly of Notables?

Answer 2

Group of high-ranking nobles and ecclesiastical - 144 in total.

Question 3

When was the Assembly of Notables called by the King?

Answer 3

Convened on extraordinary occasions to consult on matters of state.

Question 4

Why was the Assembly of Notables called in 1787?

Answer 4

Turgot, Necker and Calonne all believed tax reform was necessary to get France out of debt.

Question 5

Why did repeated attempts to implement tax reform fail?

Answer 5

Due to lack of parlement support - they felt it would affect their own income.

Question 6

Who proposed calling the Assembly of Notables?

Answer 6

Calonne

Question 7

What five things did the Assembly of Notables recommend?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

What radical changes did the Assembly propose?

Answer 8

Lowering the income qualifications for voting for proposed provincial assemblies.

Question 9

What was the result of the Assembly?

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

What happened to Calonne?

Answer 10

Sacked on 8th April, 1787 having failed to control the Assembly of Notables.

Question 11

Who dissolved the Assembly of Notables?

Answer 11

Calonne’s successor - Lomenie de Brienne at behest of the King.

Question 12

When does the King try to pass edicts through parlement?

Answer 12

6th July, 1787

Question 13

What new tax did Lomenie de Brienne present?

Answer 13

The ‘stamp act’ for registration in Paris Parlement.

Question 14

Why did Parlement refuse it?

Answer 14

Saw it as an illegal act, demanding accounting statements which the King refused to give.

Question 15

What did Louis declare?

Answer 15

Parlement was to assemble at the Kings palace on 6th August and in person register taxes.

Question 16

What did Parlement declare on the 7th of August?

Answer 16

That the order was null and void and only the Estates General could register new taxes.

Question 17

What did the King negotiate with Parlement?

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

What did Louis propose in September?

Answer 18

A ‘Successive loan’ until 1792 which would give the King a blank cheque.
Philippe Egalite spoke out about this.

Question 19

What was the Edict of Versailles?

Answer 19

On 7th November, 1787 - gave non-catholics the right to openly practice religion as well as legal and civil status.

Question 20

How was the Edict of Versailles passed?

Answer 20

Through persuasion such as that of Turgot.

Question 21

When did Paris Parlement refuse to go home?

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

What new thing happened on 8th May, 1788?

Answer 22

A new government with registration of new edicts presented to regional parlements.

Question 23

Who refused the new government?

Answer 23

All parlements following Paris and armed protest swept the Kingdom.

Question 24

When was the Estates General called?

Answer 24

24th January 1789.

Question 25

What did the letter state which summoned parliament?

Answer 25

‘The King promises to address the grievances of his people’.

Question 26

How would the Estates General work?

Answer 26

Would meet in three assemblies with each collecting a cahier to be considered.

Question 27

How did the King intend to control the authority of the Estates General?

Answer 27

By not changing its function since 175 years ago in 1614.

Question 28

What did the press begin to demand?

Answer 28

That the commons should be allocated twice as many delegates.

Question 29

What did the King accept?

Answer 29

He ‘doubled the Third’ - he was confident in his influence over the Nobility and Clergy.

Question 30

How many delegates were elected?

Answer 30

1,200 - half of whom formed the Third Estate.

Question 31

Who did the First Estate represent?

Answer 31

100,000 Catholic Clergy with 300 delegates.

Question 32

How was the Second Estate represented?

Answer 32

Represented 400,000 and 282 delegates.

Question 33

How was the Third Estate represented?

Answer 33

Doubled to 578 men representing 95% of the population.

Question 34

How did the Estates General become militant?

Answer 34

Pamphlets by liberal nobles and clergy became widespread after the lifting of press censorship.

Question 35

When did the Estates General open?

Answer 35

5th May, 1789

Question 36

What did the Estates General open with?

Answer 36

Opened with a three-hour speech by Necker.

Question 37

What were the Estates General told when it opened?

Answer 37

That they would be voting ‘by power’ not by ‘head’.

Question 38

When did the Estates General become the National Assembly?

Answer 38

4th June to 9th July 1789.

Question 39

What did they announce on the 13th June?

Answer 39

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.

Question 40

When did the other two estates join?

Answer 40

17th June - Completing the process.

Question 41

When was the Tennis Court Oath?

Answer 41

20th June, 1789

Question 42

What did the King order resulting in the Tennis Court Oath?

Answer 42

Demanded closure of the assembly and its decrees annulled.

Question 43

What did the third estate swear an oath to as a result of the Kings demands?

Answer 43

‘Not to separate and to reassemble wherever circumstances require’.

Question 44

Why was Necker fired?

Answer 44

For publishing an inaccurate account of the debt to the public.

Question 45

When was the National Constituent Assembly formed?

Answer 45

9th July, 1789

Question 46

What and when was the National Constituent assembly succeeded by?

Answer 46

The legislative assembly in September 1791.

Question 47

Who were the left and right wings of the Constituent Assembly?

Answer 47

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.

Question 48

When was the Storming of the Bastille?

Answer 48

14th July, 1789

Question 49

What did the Parisians want?

Answer 49

Weapons to resist the mercenaries being assembled by the King, therefore attacking the Bastille.

Question 50

When did the fortress fall?

Answer 50

It fell a few hours later

Question 51

When did the fortress fall?

Answer 51

It fell a few hours later

Question 52

Whose head was paraded around the city?

Answer 52

The Mayor of Paris despite ordering a ceasefire.

Question 53

What did the Bastille symbolise?

Answer 53

A symbol of the negatives of the Ancien Regime - fortress had only held seven prisoners though.

Question 54

What did Louis do on the 17th July?

Answer 54

Visit Paris and accept a tricolore cockade to cries of ‘long live the nation’ and ‘long live the King’

Question 55

When was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?

Answer 55

26th August 1789

Question 56

What did the Declaration remove?

Answer 56

Personal serfdom, exclusive hunting rights and the tithe.

Question 57

What is one Article from the Declaration?

Answer 57

‘Men are born and remain free and equal in rights’.