Week 11- Developments in Versailles, May–July 1789 Flashcards
When and what was the procession of the Estates-General?
4th May 1789
When 1200 representatives from all over France arrived for the Estates-General.
They all dressed according to the regulations laid down.
When was the first session of the Estates-General?
5th May 1789.
Who opened the Estates-General?
King Louis XVI.
He made a speech emphasising that he was a ‘friend of the people’
However, he did not address the Third Estate’s most pressing concerns.
What were the Third Estate’s most pressing concerns for the Estates-General?
No agenda had been put forward for a ‘reform package’ with positive proposals for discussion.
There was no clear decision of the procedures to be adopted. No one knew how meetings would proceed and how voting would take place.
What conflict occurred in the first weeks of the Estates-General?
Several weeks of delay and nothing being achieved.
The first and second Estates were willing to meet separately but the third wanted to meet as one body.
Therefore, they refused to carry out the verification procedure until voting by head was agreed upon.
What role did Abbé Sieyès play in the Estates-General?
He was one of the most influential leaders of the third Estate.
He continued his argument that the third estate was ‘the nation’ and had the right to act alone.
Some clerics joined the third estate in week 10 but no nobles.
When was the National Assembly formed?
17th June 1789,
The Third Estate voted 491 to 90 to call itself the ‘National Assembly’.
On 19th of June the clergy and some nobles joined.
What was the significance of the National Assembly?
The third estate was asserting its right to represent the nation and its intention to make its own decisions about France’s future.
Why was Louis XVI distracted from the Estates-Genral?
His eldest son, Louis-Joseph died on 4th June 1789.
However, he was persuaded by Necker to set out a clear reform programme to the deputies.
This was arranged for 23rd June.
When was the Tennis Court Oath?
20th June 1789
What events lead to the Tennis Court Oath?
When deputies arrived at the assembly room, they found it locked and guarded.
They feared that the King might be trying to forcibly dissolve their assembly.
Their elected president, Jean-Sylvain Bailly, lead them to the royal tennis court to meet.
What happened at the Royal Tennis Court?
The National Assembly swore the ‘Tennis Court Oath’ and promised never to disband until France had a new constitution.
What was the significance of the Tennis Court Oath?
It was seen as a direct challenge to the position of the King.
The formation of the National Assembly and their oath represented the first revolutionary actions.
What happened at the first royal session after the Tennis Court Oath?
It was on 23rd June 1789.
Louis accepted the idea of a new taxation system based on the value of land, not social status.
However, he refused to use the term ‘national assembly’ and demanded that the estates should continue to meet separately.
At the end of the meeting, members refused to leave in an act of defiance.
What did Louis do to diffuse the tension rising due to the lack of improvement in the financial situation?
On 26th June 1789, he brought 4800 extra troops to Paris.
