French Revolution- The Absolute Monarchy / Government

The Three pillars of French Absolutism

Tradition/History, public perception, religion

Tradition/History -Absolutism

Monarchs come from dynasties which have existed for centuries, the political system has been in place and worked for years

Public perception -Absolutism

Creating a sense of 'awe and reverence' with the public displays, the King as a paternalistic figure

Religion- Absolutism

The divine right of Kings, The 3rd Estate was strongly religious

In which year did Louis XVI come to the throne?

1774

How old was Louis XVI upon ascendancy?

19

How long did Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI take to produce a male heir?

11 years

What was the Petit Trianon?

A plot of land and castle given to Marie-Antoinette from Louis XVI

Marie-Antoinette's personal expenditure was on?

Building a personal theater, dresses, wigs, jewelry, refurbishing the Petit Trianon

How many Parlements were there and how many magistrates in each?

13, 12 magistrates

Examples of the councils under the King

Conseil d'etat, Conseil des Dépêches & Conseil Royal des Finances

What did intendants do?

Ensure that taxes are paid, raise troops, ensure edicts are being carried out

Why was the system of intendants flawed?

Their role overlapped with others (e.g tax farmers, seigneurs), few staff to support intendants

How many intendants were there?

33: not many

How long did LXVI discuss/debate before deciding to recall the parlements in 1774?

6 months-- indecisive

How were kings limited by their councils?

They had to abide by the majority view of their council even if they didn't agree themselves-- this was only in private though, so when the councils disagreed it made the king appear indecisive

What was the root of delay on decisions to recall the parlements?

LXVI's councillors disagreed

Until what year did LXVI keep Marie Antoinette out of politics?

Until 1787-- after the reject of the Assembly of Notables

Who made the decision to bring back Necker?

Actually Marie Antoinette behind the scenes

How did the intendents increase LXVI's power?

They acted as an extension of his authority in the provinces

How did France's local government work?

Noble provincial governors would maintain order in their generalite

How many governors were there in 1789?

39

In 1789 how many généralités were there?

33 (one intendent for each one)