The French Revolution
Beginnings
Why did it happen?
Marxists
Proto-Capitalists destroyed feudalism
modern historians see this as flawed
It's complicated
The Three Estates
Clergy
Nobility
People
27 million people so way bigger than american or english revolutions
peasants
landless
price inflation was brutal to them
landed
small substance farmers
independant
mostly in the north
owned enough land to make profit and provide jobs
urban
mostly towns <2000
a few ~50,000
650,000 in paris
lots of unskilled workers
skilled workers
Guilds were still powerful
bourgeoisie
wanted to break into nobility
bought venal offices. both important bureaucratic jobs and symbolic titles to get ennobled.
120,000-400,000 || 1-2%
owned about 1/3 of all land
held feudal rights. ie control prices and other stuff.
used surrogates in 3rd estate to engage in trade and get around restrictions
best nobles dominated highest ranks of government
owned about 10% of land
king appointed
top positions filled with nobility
bottom positions were held by unhappy peasants
Everything is Fine TM
exempt from property tax (mostly)
exempt from property tax (mostly)
Attempted Reforms
Enlightenment thinkers mostly wanted powerful enlightened monarchs like Frederich the Great
BUT not Montesquieu who wanted balance of powers
The Parlement
powerful local nobles/magistrates who were the highest judicial power and often thwarted the king's plans
At one point was removed, but managed to make it back into power. Which left everyone a bit unhappy.
Presented themselves as defenders of liberty
Attempted to remove grain price fixing
happened right as a famine occurred which was a disaster so price fixing was reinstated
Necker
Genius banker protestant financial minister 1777-1781
believed he needed to take loans to grow the economy
convinced everyone that the finances were fine
followed by (random dude at first but after him) Calonne
Calonne knew he couldn't raise taxes. so he spent more money to impress lenders. this was not an effective long term solution.
Debts were bad
Like really really bad from 7 years and american war
.
In 1786, he tries reform
to force it through the parlement he calls the ancient Assembly of Notables to give the reform legitamecy
Unfortunately, he botched it and the Notables unexpectedly turned on him
Big Reform Attempt
The Plan
A universal land tax for an unspecified amount
Provincial assemblies would be made based purely on land not being noble or not to administrate
removal of internal trade customs and a unified border tax
The Notables complained to the King and Calonne got sacked being replaced by his opponent Brienne
The Royal Council of Finance
Scandal
A complicated scandal called the Necklace affair makes marie antoinette look really bad (not her fault) and makes the throne less popular
Foriegn affairs
Britsh
was becoming stronger since glorious revolution
rivals with france
Austrians/Hapsburgs
HUGE rivals
Loius 14 formed alliances against them but they were breaking down
Russia
new rising power. reduced french allies turks, polish, swedish
Prussia
very new power. Frederick the great is stupid good and their army is terrifying.
Parlements
Brienne (oponent of Calonne) put in charge and revives this old organization as a real force
notables are disbanded
wants to call the estates general which they believed they could control
provincial parlements don't want any changes to the tax system at all
Paris Parlement fights Brienne because they want to gain more power against the king
discussions in paris were public which let a liberal audience shift things in a radical direction
Estates General
eventually loses fight against parlement and has to comprimise
But the king gets pissed off and decides to fight parlement and fails so...
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