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TO WHAT EXTENT WERE KING LOUIS XVI AND HIS COURT RESPONCIBLE FOR THE ONSET…
TO WHAT EXTENT WERE KING LOUIS XVI AND HIS COURT RESPONCIBLE FOR THE ONSET OF REVOLUTION?
Louis’ character
Not being first in line to the throne, Louis received no formal training to be king
This meant that he was indecisive but easily persuaded by his advisors and those close to him
Though he was very intelligent, teaching himself English and being very proficient in maths and oceanography
Attitudes Towards Marie Antoinette
She lost popularity in court as she lacked familiarity with, and disliked the system of etiquette at Versailles
It was also rumored that he was influenced too easily by Marie. Her outlandish spending earned her the nickname ‘Madame Deficit’, which was only worsened by a necklace that cost 1.6
There was a lot of distrust of Marie Antoinette due to her Austrian roots
This led to her (and Louis) becoming targets of propaganda
The Financial Reforms of Turgot
'flour wars’ in 1775 where peasants would raid bakeries and warehouses, as merchants the nobility were accused of hoarding grain
Louis initially supported Turgot, but in 1776 when he proposed banning the corvee and abolishing privilege the parlements refused to sanction such reforms
Appointed in 1774, Turgot implemented the free trade of grain, which essentially backfired with the poor harvests, making prices soar
In May 1776 Louis XVI ordered Turgot to resign
The Reforms of Necker
With this he was able to take out loans to fund the state and its support of the revolutionary war
But without raising taxation, the deficit only rose
In 1781 Necker publishes the state’s finances, claiming a surplus of 10 million livres, hiding the deficit of 46 million
Necker then proposed the replacing of venal ministers with trained officials, this was too much and Louis again was forced by popular demand to ask for Necker to resign in 1781
Callone, the Assembly of Notables and the Revolt of the Aristocracy
Fleury did little about the deficit and just continued to borrow
Callone also proposed the free trade of grain, but he also proposed the sale of Church land and the imposition of a universal land tax
Necker’s successor, Joly de Fleury, only lasted 2 years before being forced to resign and be replaced by Callone in 1783
To approve such a change Louis and Callone called the Assembly of Notables in February 1787.But the assembly didn’t believe Callone’s assessment of the French economy due to Necker’s false report in 1781
So the refused to sanction such reforms, and once gain the controller-general was forced to resign
Opposition in the Paris Parlement
When he tried to reduce the power of the parlements, a series of aristocratic revolts broke out In June 1788 when the parlement of Grenoble refused to be dissolved, Louis sent soldiers to do so by force
Callone’s successor, Archbishop Brienne, had slight success in securing the internal free trade of grain.But when the Paris Parlement refused to sanction again another universal land tax in July 1787, Louis took action and exiled the Parlement to Troyes on 15th August 1787