Origins of the French Revolution

How it all went down…

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

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

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 Cobban History of Modern France (1957)

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

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

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

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

Causes of the Revolution?

• Class Struggle? (Marxist theory)• Economy?• Inefficient Government? • The Enlightenment?

elggurtS ssalCClass Struggle

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

Economy

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

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.

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

Tax Collection Was A Joke• Fr. did not have an efficient way to collect

taxes• Officiers who 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)

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.

The Monarchy

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

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