VCE French Revolution AOS1

Involvement in American War of Independence

Cost the country 4,000,000 livres and large death toll. Gained nothing for France.

Noble Privileges

The right not to pay tax of any kind and the right to feudal dues.

Peasant Grievances

Feudal dues, harsh taxes, noble privileges.

The Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.

Critique on noble privilege

Enlightenment thinkers, including nobles, questioned the system as unfair, and many people disliked noble privileges.

Friction between monarchy and parlements

The Parlements considered that the King was dictating to them, and refused to obey the King.

Decisions made by Louis XVI

His lack of action, and refusal to allow the EG to vote by head. Dismissal of Necker.

Political Pamphlets

When censorship was relaxed (1788) the market was flooded with thousands of political pamphlets, the most influential being Abbé Sieyes' "What is the Third Estate?" (January 1789)

Attack on Ministerial Despotism

People-particularly the Parlements and the nobles- objected to the royal government ordering them around.

Economic Change

Beginning of Industrial Revolution?

Louis XVI of France

(1774-1792), reinstated old parlements, minister of finance attempted to impose a general tax on all landed property, attempted to dismiss the notables and establish new taxes by decree, calls a meeting of the Estates-General, forces the National Assembly to meet as a single body, forced to accept a constitutional monarchy, sentenced to death by the National Convention

Marie Antoinette

Queen of France (as wife of Louis XVI) who was unpopular her extravagance and opposition to reform contributed to the overthrow of the monarchy; she was guillotined along with her husband (1755-1793)

Turgot

Comptroller-General 1774-76, warned against French involvement in the US war of independence.

Necker

Comptroller-General 1776-81, 1788-89. borrowed heavily, avoided new taxes.

Calonne

Comptroller-General 1783-87. Tried to introduce a universal land tax. Called Assembly of Notables.

Brienne

Comptroller-General 1787-88. Also tried to get taxes through the AON. Failed.

February 1781

Compte Rendu au Roi

Harvest Crisis

1788-1789 Bad year for the harvests, many starved, caused the price of bread to skyrocket.

27 April 1789

Reveillon Riots, begun by a speech made by a factory owner. It was misinterpreted and the people burnt the factory down.

Cahiers de Doleances

statements of local grievances drafted throughout France during the elections to the Estates-General, generally advocating a regular constitutional government abolishing fiscal privileges of the church and nobility.

1787-88

Aristocratic Revolt- nobles resisted government's proposed new taxes.

January - 26 June 1789

Bourgeois Revolt

16 June-4 August 1789

Peasant Revolt

1-16 July 1789

Urban Revolt

March-June 1789

Estates-General

17 June 1789

Formation of the National Assembly

20 June 1789

Tennis Court Oath

11 July 1789

Dismissal of Necker, triggered riots in Paris

14 July 1789

Fall of the Bastille

20 July - 6 August 1789

The Great Fear: the panic and insecurity that struck French peasants after the fall of Bastille and led to their widespread destruction of manor houses and archives.

4 August 1789

Night of Patriotic Delirium

5-11 August 1789

August Decrees

26 August 1789

DORMAC

5-6 October 1789

October Days, the women of the Paris fish markets marched to Versailles with the aim of killing Marie-Antoinette. Brought the Royal Family back to the Tuileries in Paris.

Abbe Sieyes

Wrote an influential essay called "What is the third estate" Argued that lower classes were more important than the nobles and the government should be responsible to the people. Member of the first Estates-General.

Duc d'Orleans

Louis XVI's cousin; celebrated for his support of enlightened ideas.

Mirabeau

Leader of the early stages of the French Revolution. A noble, he was involved in numerous scandals before the start of the Revolution in 1789 that had left his reputation in ruins.

Attack on Feudalism/ Popular Sovereignty

Belief that sovereignty rested with the people.

Desmoulins

Addressed the crowds on the 11th July, contributing to the hysteria. Cofounded the Cordeliers with Danton.

Lafayette

Joined the NA, named the leader of the National Guard on the 15th July 1789.