The calling and buildup of the Estates General Flashcards
a)When did Louis announce the estates General and B) when did he call it for?
a)8 August 1788
b) May 1789
What was the economic situation in France at this time?
-Very poor- 50% of a person’s daily wage went on Bread
What were the Cahiers de doleances?
-Documents containing the wishes and grievances of the people - all tax paying men over 21
-requested by Louis on 24 January 1789
How many cahiers were produced in the buildup to the EG?
-40,000
How did the cahiers add to high expectations?
-As people thought their grievances would be addressed by the EG
Why did the King request the cahiers?
-Seems enlightened
- makes Louis seem sympathetic to the people and gives the illusion that he is on their side to pacify the 3rd estate
What were the typical demands of the 1st Estate in the Cahiers?
-Lower clergy:
wanted a higher salary,
access to higher offices in the church
removaal abuses of power (e.g. Pluralism and absenteeism)
-clergy in general:
wanted greater control of education
a limit to religious toleration
EG to control taxation as a permanent body every 4 years
Wanted voting by estates at EG
What were the typical demands of the 2nd Estate in the Cahiers?
-Willing to give up financial privileges
-Showed desire for change: constitutional reform and more representative body
-EG to control taxation
-Abolish venality- promoting meritocracy which with limited education system would mark power the preserve of nobility and bourgeoisie
-Believed the nobility should take a leading part in reforming abuses
-Voting by estate at EG
What were the typical demands of the 3rd Estate in the Cahiers?
-Cahiers most radical for 3rd estate (especially Paris cahiers)
-Urban workers and middle classes wanted meritocratic system
-civil liberties
-Abolition of lettre de cachet
-Voting by head
-EG to meet annually (Paris wanted 3x annually)
-Equal taxation and abolition of indirect taxes
-Majority of peasants cahiers referred to unfair payments, taxes and dues
What was the significance of the cahiers and what were the differences between all 3 esattes ?
-General consensus on the wisdom of the King in calling the EG and deferential to him but all wanted a more permanent form of government– step towards constitutional monarchy
-1st and 2nd wanted power to be held by the few, whereas 3rd wanted it to rest with the whole nation
-Cahiers radicalised the third estate as for the first time they were involved in politics
-Cahiers blamed ministers for the financial crisis, not Louis and agreed new taxes needed
-Tone was NOT revolutionary; no calls for the ending of the monarchy, but there was an expectation for change
-no agreement on how voting in EG should work which led to 7 week impass
a)What was the name of Abbe Sieyes famous pamphlet and b) what did he call for?
a)What is the third estate? (published January 1789)
b)Wanted the third estate to rise up and have expectations for the EG as they are shackled and burdened by society, despite being the majority.
What was Abbe Sieyes later voted as?
-A deputy for the third estate despite being part of the 1st estate ( he used to be part of the third estate and was lower clergy originally)
a)What group also radicalised and agitated the 3rd estate and b) who did it contain and c) what did the do?
a)Society of Thirty
b)Bishop of Autun Talleyrand, Lafayette
c) told the third estate to fight for their rights
a)What percentage of worker’s daily wages went on bread in the spring of 1789 after the poor harvest in 1788? and b) what other measures of economic hardship were there?
a)88%
b)textile production reduced by 50% and unemployment rose
What were some issues with the procedure of the EG?
-Was supposed to follow the procedure of the last EG in 1614 which would be unfavourable to third estate as voting by estate and separate meetings for each estate and equal representation for each estate
a)When did Louis accept that the third estate would have double representation and b) was this significant?
a)December 1788
b) No as even if they had double representation, they were still outnumbered in terms of votes by first and second estate
