Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Origins of the French Revolution (Why there was a Crisis in 1788-89 (The…
Origins of the French Revolution
Why there was a Crisis in 1788-89
debt
A piece of bread between August 1788 and March 1789 increased by 50%
First and second estate exempt from tax cost king lots of money
Harvest
Bad harvest- between 1788-79,1782,1785-86 and 1787
Particular bad one in 1788 long drought followed by terrible hail storm destroyed crop
Population growing starvation increased
Archbishop Brienne
Reforms- Internal free trade, Tried to introduce Universal Land tax
Was supported by Louis when tried to be dismissed
Brienne got Louis to expel parlement and published May Edicts in 1788
On 15th of August 1797 Louis did it on Brienne recognition exiled parlement to the town of Troyes over 160k from Paris
The Exiling of Parlement
It backfired because it was seen to be the nobility acting as a tyrant
Louis went further by trying to impose a rule reducing the legislative power of parlements
This caused revolts- Grenoble in June. Insisting that the May edicts were illegal. (Imprisonment without trial.)
Royal intendants attacked and royal authority was challenged by assembly of the clergy.
Louis suppressed the revolts but his reputation was seriously damaged
Trying to get support Louis recalled Paris parlement in August 1788
The predicted debt in 1788 was 240million even discounting the taxation crisis because the revolt and turmoil in France
Terrible hailstorm hit France ruining the harvest for the year led to France declaring themselves bankrupt
In May 1789 the Estates General brought back Necker but he refused to do anything till the estates Generals met
Taxes and Enlightenment (Spread of New Ideas)
Taxes and the Different types
Capitation-Poll tax. Everyone paid in theory
Salt tax indirect -third estate
Vingtieme- 5% income tax for third estate. (First estate payed don Gratuity)
Corvee- road tax
Taille-General Land tax. For third estate
Gabelle- Tax on salt third estate
2 types of taxes direct which tax is applied to individual person. Indirect taxes are applied in other ways, most commonly by being added onto goods purchased
tabac- tax on everyone for tobacco
All indirect taxes made up of 55% of state income
Collected by la ferme Générale
Abused position because not regulated
Only 1.6% of state revenue was generated from taxation
Enlightenment (Spread of New Ideas)
under the ancient Regime the publication of literature was strictly but not efficiently controlled
Printers had to be granted a Royal license to own printing presses
There were many illegal presses operating
Thriving black market of banned books
the Catholic church and French gov had a list of banned books
The Behind thinkers
Montesquie
believed in constitutional monarchy
Monarchy power kept in check by legislative assembly
Hates absolutism
He wants.-Limit monarchs power. and have a representation of the bourgeoise and nobles
Rousseau
Right to freedom
Challenges regime because not everyone is free, system of feudalism meant peasants could not escape poverty and the Regime had a right to take away peoples freedom
Voltaire
Anti church- undermines them and there privilege +challenges obediance
Freedom of Expression
Spread of Radical ideas
Pamphlets and books containing radical ideas were printed and circulated in urban areas
The Estates
First Estate
It was the Clergy
Carried important roles like Bishops and Archbishops
Where also the Curés who were poor parish priests
Clergy were wealth due to church owning 10% of land in France
Tithes- about 8% of the crop produced were paid to clergy
Cures were jealous of upper clergy, some Archbishops made 500 times what the cures made
Church gave large donations to king Don Gratue
Second Estate
These were nobles
They were 1% of the land and owned between 1/3 and 1/4 of the land.
Revolutionaries wanted to make nobility look like a single exclusive class
Nobility could be conferred through birth but there was also ennoblement.
Ennoblement-This was the right to purchase a noble status 50,00 recently ennobled in the 18th centuary
The Ségur ordinance- stopped those from becoming an army office who had been recently ennobled. Only a minimum of 4 generations
Third Estate
Bourgeiosie
They were the middle class, lawyers, doctors, shop owners.
There was some tension between nobility and Bourgeoisie
Venility- where titles could be purchased, it suited everyone because Bourgeoisie could aspire to higher positions and it filled the treasury
Office holders could not compete Offices were titles. Ennobling officers were suffering in declining profits
40,000 venal officers were suffering a decline in there value of there posts and profits
Peasants
80% of population
40% of income was taxes and dues
As the king ran up more debt peasants paid more
Renting of land was expensive
Feudal system- give peasants land and protection for the lord but in return they had to fight for them
Feudal rights- Landlord could run his own seigneurial court and exact punishments.
-Enforce dues.
-Harvest dues were payable and seigneur could exact heavy fines when ownership of land and houses changed
Millions of peasants did not have enough land to survive
Political Reason + Controller Generals
Turgot
Reforms
Free trade in grain
Banishing of Corvee
Property tax/land tax for all
was a physiocrat
Appointed in 1784 in an effort to avoid bankruptcy
There was a shortage in grain in 1774 leading to flour war (17 days and 180 towns)
Tried to increase the efficiency and administrations of the states finances
May 1776 Turgot offered resignation (Louis did not like his reforms
Didn't use nobles
Necker
Reform- Publish a record of state's finances when they were at piece first time ever
Raised 520million livres in borrowing at the interest of 6-10%
He was sacked due to not using the nobles (unpopular) with nobles
He was a protestant and a foreigner
American Civil War
Total cost was 1.3 billion
France supported America
King Louis XVI signed military alliance with America
revolution was 1776-fought till 83
The war came at a cost to France by 1788 the proportion of state expenditure on debt had staggeringly grown to over 50%
Doesn't tax anyone
Charles-Alexandre de Callone
Was aware of imminent bankruptcy
borrowed more money to make an illusion of stability
Revenue would be 475 million but expenditure was estimated at 587million 112million in debt
Reforms- Sell church land to increase income, Universal land tax payable by all estates, Free grain trade and reduce taille
Seeing strength in opposition made Louis dismiss Calonne