The causes of the French Revolution from 1774 and the events of 1789 key figures

How long did Louis XVI reign over France for?

1774 - 1792

Who did Louis appoint to control France's tax system?

Intendents - oversaw tax collection and created new taxes

What was the philosopher Voltaire's key ideas?

Huge respect for the English system of law and

government

At first argued for an enlightened monarchy but later

flirted with republicanism

What key texts did Voltaire create?

Letters Concerning the English Nation (1733) - praises

English tolerance and constitutional monarchy.

Treatise on Toleration (1763) - plea for religious tolerance

after the Calas affair.

What were philosopher Rousseau's key ideas?

- In his work, The Social Contract, he argued that

everyone had a collective right to choose the laws

under which they live and that everyone should have

equal rights, although citizens should have a

responsibility towards their rulers.

-Everyone has a right to freedom

- Republican

What key texts did Rousseau create?

- Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1755) - critique

of private property and social inequality.

- The Social Contract (1762) - political theory of

sovereignty and the "general will."

- Émile, or On Education (1762) - ideas about natural

education and human development.

What were philosopher Montesquieu's key ideas?

- He challenged the estates system of the

ancien régime, arguing for its abolition.

- Wanted a constitutional monarchy for

France on the British model

- Argued for the separation of powers in

government so that no one person held

legislative, executive and judicial powers.

What key texts did Montesquieu create?

- The Persian Letters (1721) - satirical

critique of French society and despotism.

- The Spirit of the Laws (1748) - his major

work on political theory and separation

of powers.

Who were the most prominent contributors to the Age of Enlightenment?

Isaac Newton, John Locke, David Hume, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Denis Diderot

What was English philosopher John Locke's key ideas and texts?

- opposed the hereditary principle of government in his two Treatises on Government (1690)

- argued that some form of neutral authority should be used to settle disputes between ruler and ruled and that some form of social contract should restrict a government

- helped to develop the idea of rule through consent

- Locke's ideas heavily influence those of the French enlightened thinker, Baron de Montesquieu, who argued for the separation of state powers

How long was Anne Robert Jacques

Turgot a controller-general for?

1774-1776

How long was Jacques Necker a controller-general for?

1777-1781

How long was Charles Alexandre de

Calonne a controller-general for?

1783-1787

Who was Marie Antoinette?

- Louis XVI's wife

- Queen of France

- Austrian archduchess

- daughter of Empress Maria Teresa

- nicknamed 'Madame Deficit'

How long was Marie Antoinette in power for?

1774-93

Who was Étienne Charles de Loménie de Brienne?

- Archbishop of Toulouse

- King appointed him as Chief of the Royal Council of Finance in May 1787 (also later named the King's Principal Minister)

Who was De Launey?

Bastille prison governor

Who was Louis-Philippe-Joseph?

- Duc d'orleans

- Louis XVI's cousin

- a bourbon prince who became a supporter of popular democracy during the 1789 Revolution.

- later changed his name to Phillipe Égalité

What was controller-general Turgot's key ideas?

- Physiocrat

- Economic liberal - big advocate of free trade; opposed state interference in trade and business

- Came from a wealthy bourgeois background

- Expert in economics

Arguments in favor of the finance minister Turgot

being responsible for the financial crisis:

- Turgot's grain reform attracted opposition from powerful groups in society, attempt to deregulate the grain trade was seen as an attack on the interests of the propertied classes

- Many individuals, nobles in particular, benefited from monopolies over the grain trade in particular areas in France - they often set custom duties or fixed prices in their own interests

- attempts in 1776 to ban the corvée and introduce a property tax payable by all three estates, resistance from the elites resulted in Louis feeling compelled to order Turgot to offer his resignation

- Ending of price controls led to widespread unrest and bread rioting, and lost support of the court including M. Antoinette. The Flour Wars

- a wave of massive bread and grain riots that shook the Kingdom of France from April to May 1775, Ending price controls caused grain and bread prices to spike instantly, threatening the poor with starvation

Arguments against the finance minister Turgot being responsible for the financial crisis - point to Louis' actions in these years, inherited problems or other factors

- argued w Louis' Foreign Minister, Vergennes who wanted Louis to support the revolution in America

- Turgot warned against this and said to focus on the French economy, Louis chose to ignore his advice

- Turgot had wanted to modernize, reduce privileges, abolish price controls, reduce restrictions on trade by guilds and promote enterprise

- Louis inherited vast debts, largely due to France's vast expenditure on the Seven Years War

- Once appointing someone like Turgot, Louis needed to stick with him, willingness to drop him within two years indicates that he had perhaps not fully done his homework on him/uderstood political context at time

What was controller-general Necker's key ideas?

- Protestant, Swiss banker

- Appointed Director of the Treasury, rather than Controller-General due to his Protestant faith, which meant he did not have a seat in the King's council

- Necker alrdy known as v successful businessman

- He was a director of the French East India Company

and one of the wealthiest men in France upon his appointment as Director of the Treasury

- Strongly connected in banking circles in Switzerland and Netherlands

- Some of the nobility hated Necker for his common, Protestant background but others were excited by his

appointment - seen as a banking wizard by many - represented a move away from Turgot's proposals of taxing the nobility

Arguments in favor of the finance minister Necker

being responsible for the financial crisis:

- borrowed 500 + million livres, heavy debt

- Abundance of loans were received partly due to high interest rates: 259 million in just debt interest

- 1786, spending = 633 million livres whereas income = 472 million livres

- Unreliable statistics overestimated a surplus whereas in reality royal income only increased slightly

- Compte rendu (1781) = royal accounts excluding American revolution, 'fixed the books', v inaccurate

- Attempted to balance the books and expected to gain more foreign investors, DEFICIT FURTHER WORSENED

Arguments against finance minister Necker

being responsible for the financial crisis - point to Louis' actions in these years, inherited problems or other factors:

- Was sacked due to pension and royal outcome spending (or lack of thereof), Vergenne resentful

- Protestant faith, rejected from kings inner circle (Unable to sit in council of state)

- Unable to control cost of American Revolution (1.3 million livres), took priority over financial crisis

- Working against royal family not by choice, Marie Antoinette nicknamed 'Madame Deficit' due to lavish parties, jewelry and gowns

What was controller-general Calonne's key ideas?

- Immediate concern is to tap into new sources of wealth

- Favorite of Vergennes, owed his position as Controller-General in 1783 to Vergennes' championing of him

- Member of the First Estate - previously held the title of Count of Hannonville

-Sinking fund = save money in attempts to prevent crisis

- Introduced new land tax

Arguments in favor of the finance minister Calonne being responsible for the financial crisis:

- Easily borrow 653 million livres and opposed previous generals

- Thought that lavish spending on 'useful splendor' was good for the crown's credit

- Objected by Parlement of Paris, went into extreme financial instability and ruin

- Inachievable lavish lifestyle

- Realizes method has negative repercussions and does a 'U-turn' on his economic policy

Arguments against finance minister Calonne being responsible for the financial crisis - point to Louis' actions in these years, inherited problems or other factors:

- Land tax included nobility, were unhappy

- humiliating

- Louis inconsistent approach to finances, lack of control and comprehension

Who was the compte de Vergennes?

- Charles Gravier

- foreign French minister

- helped convince Louis to enter American revolution in spite of GB

What did Denis Diderot write?

- elite encyclopedia, 'to change the way people think', huge range of topics from the meaning of 'reason' to engineering - 1713 - 1784

What was revolutionary Marquis de Lafayette's key ideas?

- French aristocrat, politician and French general/military officer

- Became a fugitive and fled France, to then become a political prisoner in Austria

- Volunteered in the Continental Army under George Washington (close relationship)

- Had liberalist views, believed in democracy and was very patriotic towards the United States

What did Lafayette become commander of in the 15th July 1789?

commander of the National Guard

What did philosopher Voltaire think about the church?

Advocated freedom of speech and was critical of the

power of the Catholic Church. Argued for the separation of Church and State.

What significant document did Lafayette write in 1789 and why was it important?

- Wrote 'the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen'

- Was seen as one of the main first steps toward a constitution for the Republic of France (initiating the French revolution itself)