Origins of the French Revolution

1. Origins of the French Revolution How it all went down…

2. Ancien Regime • What existed before the Revolution in France before 1790 • Divine Right supported absolutism (Louis XVI all for it) • Nobility supported the crown to protect their privileges • Not really an absolute monarchy because nobility had to rely on the crown and the crown had to rely on the nobility

3. Ancien Regime • Customary law in the north • Roman law in the south • The “system” of govt. relied on intendants. • The intendants shared power with other groups or people which was confusing and took away power • Pays d’etat were autonomous • Governors would control their own local parliaments with military assistance and officers

4. Absolutism • Why was absolutism somewhat of a myth? • King claimed to be the source of earthly power through divine right, however Louis XVI could not control his own govt. and had to rely on the nobility • Alfred CobbanHistory of Modern France (1957)

5. Absolutism • Why was absolutism somewhat of a myth? • Could not control the whole govt. • Too large and depended on intendants • Laws differed (Customary law vs. Roman law) • Tax fraud or privileges being established by the church, tax collectors and nobility

6. Enlightenment • Montesquieu: • Defender of privilege, but still wanted checks and balances (crown would be checked by 2 houses of govt.) • Famous work that supported the above idea : De I’Esprit des Lois (Spirit of Laws) • Recognized that climate, religion, social practices and historical customs shape a “general spirit” of law

7. Enlightenment • Voltaire: • Main thought: That if a ruler was just and fare then there did not need to be a system of checks and balances • Against intolerance, privilege and abuse of the law • Greatly disliked the Catholic Church because they were so intolerant • Hypocrite: Was a feudal lord, tax exempt and courted the favor of other monarchs

8. Enlightenment • Rousseau: • The Social Contract: Written by Rousseau “Man is born free, but everywhere in chains.” • Everybody should be involved in govt. to have an ideal democracy • Civilization blamed for evils in society • Emile: The right education would help develop good morals and people • Rousseau’s work was used to justify the “Terror” in France

9. Causes of the Revolution? • Class Struggle? (Marxist theory) • Economy? • Inefficient Government? • The Enlightenment?

10. elggurtSssalC Class Struggle

11. How were the classes divided? • Estate General: An assembly called during an emergency which consisted of three Estates of France-clergy, nobility and bourgeoisie and peasants. Each class was represented. Decision taken by the Estate-General had legitimacy

12. 1st Estate • Consisted of the clergy • Practiced pluralism: Clergy holding more than one job • The church was incredibly rich owning a lot of land • Didn’t pay taxes (they would make a donation every 5 years) • Division about clergy’s salaries (upper and lower)

13. 2nd Estate • Small percentage of French population • Divided into 3 groups: • Noblesse d’epee ‘nobles of the sword’ • Noblesse de robe ‘robe nobles’ • Provincial nobility *Main concern of this group: protect their privileges (tax exemption, excluded from forced labor, special courts) *Viewed as snobs by the revolutionaries

14. I want to be a noble! How do I do it? • Nobility by birth: • Considered to be the purest form • Granted by the king: • Granted to someone that helped the king financially or militarily • Purchase nobility: • Buy a post in the government or in the law

15. 3rd Estate • 80% of France’s population • Paid the brunt of taxes in France (up to 40% of their income) • Feudal Rights still existed • Landlords could run their own courts and handout their own punishments • Heavy taxes could be place on tenants when the ownership of land changed

16. 3rd Estate • Bourgeoisie: Didn’t really fall into a particular class (They weren’t peasants, but they weren’t nobles either) • Lawyers, doctors, shopkeepers and other professionals • Began to move up in society making some nobles mad

17. 3rd Estate • Taxes paid by peasants: • Taille: the main direct tax • Gabelle: salt tax, collected by tax farmers who monopolized the right to tax people in a particular area • Tithes: portion of each year’s crop paid to the church (around 8%) • Corvee: forced labor on the roads

18. Economy Who’s got the milk to go with my “dough” $$$$$$

19. Could the French Go Bankrupt? • In 1786 Controlleur-General tells Louis XVI that France may go bankrupt • Debts had been rising since King Louis XVI had taken the throne • Before the depression hit in 1776, France enjoyed a growing population with increased production…that led to good times • Agriculture productions decreased b/c of poor agr. Practices. • Fr. factories could not compete with Br.

20. Attempt At A State Bank • French Bank would: • Issue notes, give credit, control the collection of taxation and distribution of investments • This all depended on the success of Fr. colonies • Investments in Louisiana didn’t go through • Bubble burst • Left suspicion again a national bank

21. Tax Collection Was A Joke • Fr. did not have an efficient way to collect taxes • Officierswho collected the taille always but away some of the taxes they had collected for the government. • The king’s own officials used the money for personal business • King would have to take short term loans from his own officials (the ones who were already stealing his taxes)

22. The wars were racking up the debt! • The War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748) • Seven Years War (1756-1763) • France jumps into help the American colonists during the American War of Independence • Taxes that were established as emergency taxes to help pay for warfare, never really went away.

23. The Monarchy

24. Who’s fault was it? • Look at the authors on page 60 in section 3.4 • Some view Louise XVI as: • Too easily swayed • Too lazy • Relied heavily on divine right monarchy • Lacked confidence • Up till 1789 people had blamed Louis XVI’s counsel, not him

25. Who’s fault was it? • Louise XVI’s wife Marie Antoinette was: • Meddled in state affairs quite often (especially when it came to her brother Joseph II of Austria) • Accumulated an expensive court and had high gambling debts “Madame Deficit” was her nickname