The Calling Of The Estates General Flashcards
Date of the Hail storm
13th July 1788
What was unique about the winter of 1788-89
It was the longest and coldest winter for the people’s living memory
What did Calonne do regarding trade that fucked things up in the future
He removed grain control which meant there were no surpluses of grain after 1787
After the hail storm what happened to grain prices
They peaked in Paris on 14th July 1789, a price that hadn’t been matched since Louis XIV’s reign
In normal times how much of wages did bread take up compared to after the storm
In normal times they absorbed anything between a third and a half of an urban worker’s wage
Doing 1789 this rose to two thirds for THE BEST OFF and as bad as 9/10 for the worst
What else to high bread prices impact
No money left to spare for consumer goods
Industry slumped
How much did production fall by and where in particular
In some areas production fell by up to 50% and there were widespread redundancies in textile towns like Rouen, Lyons and Nimes
How many people unemployed in Lyons 1789
Between 20,000-30,000 silk workers unemployed
Who did people blame for unemployment and poverty and hunger
Blamed technology for undercutting tradition BUT ALSO BLAMED CALONNE AND THE KING BY ASSOCIATION
Why did the people blame Calonne
1786 commercial treaty with Great Britain allowing Britain access to French markets
Would the 1786 commercial treaty actually make a difference
It didn’t do all the damage as attributed it wouldn’t have had time, but it made things worse and all that matters is that the French people believed it did all the damage
So the 2 bad things Calonne did
Free trade on grain 1787 no surpluses to aid starvation or lower price
1786 commercial treaty with Great Britain
Bcos of grain and unemployment and natural disaster how’d France feel
Everyone affected and monarchy failed majority
Changes seem as only way for improvement
What months did the first assembly of notables happen
February - May 1787
How many people in A of N
144
Was A of N what Calonne and King thought they’d be
No they thought they’d agree to everything but they didn’t they were super preachy n enlightened
What did the A of N have problems with
Clergy hostile to plans 2 tax church (c=brienne)
A not convinced situation was bad enough to warrant such dramatic change
Calonne rebelled compte rendu error and this made ass hate Calonne and see him a blame shifter
What did Calonne do after Assembly of Notables questioned him
Calonne got triggered and swept away legitimate criticisms and published articles accusing the Notables of allowing self-interest to stand in the way of change which was untrue and made things worse
Notables influenced by enlightenment and open to change and new fairer taxation system but they didn’t like Calonne
Saw him as an example of ‘ministerial despotism’
Did Louis want to support Calonne
Yes and he did for a bit until MA made him fire him in April 1787
When was Calonne dismisses d
April 1787
Who was Calonne replace with
Brienne
Brienne plans overshadowed by
Desperate need for money
Assembly became too used to what
Challenging the Kings representative
Notables wanted what two things
No taxation without representation
An estates general
Without assembly to endorse tax changes who did Brienne turn to
Parlaments
What did B ask of Paris P and what did they say
Asked them to register proposals for a land tax and higher stamp duties
Said they weren’t competent to endorse changes
After Paris P refused to endorse changes cos of enlightenment stuff what did provincial parlenents do
Copied them
Paris parliament and provincials believed in
Asserting it’s right to ‘speak for THE NATION’ and protect acitizens fundamental rights against despotism
What did Brienne do that made the people more fiercely conscious and angry abt despotism
Tried to use a lit de justice for his tax proposals
After lit de justice Brienne and his tax proposals what happens next
Paris P refused to accept and in July 1787 petitioned the King for an Estates- General
Where did ordinary Parisians gather in support of estates general
Palais-Royale
Palais-Royale home of
Cousin of Louis
Duc d’orlèans
Who spoke out vociferously against Louis at assembly of notables
People at Palau’s Royale led to Louis doing what
Bring despotic and proving people right
He banished the Paris Parlement to Troyes
Caused rioting on streets
Faced with what Louis let Paris P return when
September 1787
Financial probs more rioting
In November Louis held a royal session what happened
Duc d’orleans came and was so critical that Louis exiled him by lettres de cachet
And two other members imprisonmend for speaking out
With troops surrounding royal session what else did L do
Forced thru laws approving loans with lit de justice
In return for parlement agreement for Vingtieme,
Louis agreed to estates general by 1792
In May 1788 Paris Parlement did what
Issued the ‘Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom’
Paris P said what about the ‘Fundamental Laws of the Kingsom’
Could not be changed even by royal demand
Consent of an estates G needed for changes Louis wanted
How did Louis respond to ‘Fundamental Laws of the Kingsom’
Arrested Parlement members
On advice of Lamoignon after Assembly’s Fundamental Laws of the Kingsom Louis did what
Drew up plans to remove Parlement power with may edicts
May edicts 4 main points
New plenary of nobles, officers and magistrates appointee BY KING would take responsibility for the registration of laws
New ?? (Look at textbook) to remonstrate
Parelemtns legal work transferred to lower courts
Number of judges in Paris P reduced
How were may edicts pushed thru with
Lit de justice
Lit de justice for may Edicts provoked
All night protest session in Oaris P needed soldiers to break it up
Pamphlets against Brienne and Maoignon stressing
The general will
The rule of law
In June 1788
Brienne asked for what from the clergy and how did the clergy respond
An enlarged Don Gratuit
Clergy offered them a quarter of what they asked for
June 1788 what weird protest happened I
Day of tiles
When was France declared bankrupt
August 1788
Brienne resigned and who came back
Necker
When did Necker return
June 1788
Estates General decided to vote by head or Oder
Order
Estatales general voting by order based off
The last estates general which was in 1614
Who chose voting by order
The Paris parelemt
Paris Parlement mistake
Choosing to vote by order
Paris P choosing voting by order made people
See them as defenders or regime
What did the Kinf and Necker decide about the third estate BUT THEN DO NOTHIFN ABOUT
They decided in December 1788 that the third estate should have double representation but did not pronounce on voting procedures which meant this amounted to nothing
What happened with Mirabeau just before estates general
Mirabeau believed alliance between King and 3rd estate was only way to resist privilege and presence royal authority
He approached Kings Minister of Foreign affaires, Montmorin with suggestion but bcos he previously criticised Necker, Montmorin refused to see him
What happened with third estate leading up to EG
Politicisation
How was the third estate politicised before EG
Society of thirty : made pamphlets about 3rd E fight for their rights
Abbé Sieyès ‘what is the third estate?’ Pamphlet which said it was ‘everything’ and that they alone represented the country
Poor economic situation . By spring 1789 Paris workers spending up to 88% wages on bread
Cahiers se doleances
Year of estates general
1789
In April during election of Parisian deputies what paranoid thing happened
There was rioting when rumours spread that the wallpaper manufacturer Reveillon was considering cutting wage rates
His factory was attacked and after 2 days of disturbances troops had to be called In
