Who was to blame for tension overall by 1789?

Question 1

Why is the king to blame?

Answer 1

Opulent life style- Antoinette and her petit hameau
L’Austrienchienne
Her hamlet cost 50k livres
Diamond necklace affair (1786)
Angered noble de sword by venal offices
Louis exiled Parlement in Aug 1787 following their opposition to Brienne’s reform
Couldnt push tax reforms through- weakness AND THEN May edicts (1788)= despotic

Question 2

Economic problems to blame?

Answer 2

C. 22-89 wages increased by 22% v prices by 67%
Intendants overworked
Indirect taxes and farmer generals collecting taxes didnt rly work
Eden Treaty of 86- industrial production and textile employment fall by 50%
50% vs 88% income on bread by 89 due to 88 bad harvest

Question 3

Why are the finance ministers to blame?

Answer 3

Calonne and Brienne both pushed for uniform land tax- naive; privileges would be violently protected…AoN bound to fail
Necker lied in Compte de Rendu; rising debts- eg by 86 they were 112 m and 16 Aug 1788 declaration of bankrupcy- seems surprsing

Question 4

Why is war to blame?

Answer 4

1066m livres American War and no sugar colonies
Spread enlightenment ideas
Humiliating..esp following 7 Year War

Question 5

Why was enlightenment to blame?

Answer 5

Calling of EG is enlightened idea
Caused calls for change 
Empowered bourgeoise
May Edicts esp opposed by pamphlets
Nobels quoted philosophers like Montesquieu and Rosseau in Parlement when resisting the monarch's attempts to reform taxes

Question 6

Why were nobles to blame?

Answer 6

Aug 1887 exiled following AoN failure- AoN failed because of self-interest; this radicalises them and popular opinion
May ‘Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom’ called for EG (hadnt sat since 17th century…big deal)
Opposed Calonne and Brienne’s uniform land tax due to self-interest
Claimed to act in the interest of the people- got popular support