French Revolution - AOS 1 (Causes)

Louis XVI

becomes king in 1774

after his grandfather's death very young - inexperienced and untrained in certain areas of governance and ruling elected his own ministers to advise him

married Marie Antoinette - only 15 at the time

American War of Independence

1775-1783

sparked the development of enlightenment ideas of freedom and equality - brought back by Lafayette acted as inspiration for the revolution

exacerbated financial crisis - now owed 3.3 billion roubles - public began to lose trust in the monarchy

Enlightenment

Voltaire Montesquieu and Rousseau

undermined ideas and legitimacy of absolute monarchs

liberty, equality, accountability, representation came to public consciousness

inspired revolutionaries - political and social change

religious tolerance - catholic church to slowly lose power

Compte Rendu

written by Jaques Necker in 1781 (financial minister)

claimed France had a 10 million livre surplus and hid the actual crippling debt the state was facing BUT this made Necker popular when the true financial situation was revealed

public lost trust in Necker and the monarchy exposed inefficiency and corruption of the royal administration

highlighted inefficiency in the taxation system

attempted financial reform - Calonne

Calonne - finance minister after Necker dismissed

'useful splendour' to maintain relationships and trust with financial partners revenue - 377 million livre

expenditure - 411 million livres deficit of 112 million livre imposed direct tax on all landowners - no exemptions plans for provincial assemblies with elected leaders plans to abolish tax barriers

borrow money to implement reforms - more debt for the state

assembly of notables

Feb-May 1787

called upon to hear Calonne's tax reforms

attempted to fix financial crisis rejected reforms - undermined king's authority and sparked political tension

demanded call for the estate's general to represent the public will

rises of revolutionary sentiment - resistance of privileged classes to change demands for political reform exposure of monarchy weakness catalyst for estates general accelerated revolutionary momentum

royal session

19th November 1787

Louis XVI wanted to assert authority and propose reforms to the estates general ordered close of hall where national assembly was meeting - members defied led to more discontent among 3rd estate deepening rift between monarchy and 3rd estate marked the beginning of national assembly's struggle for political power

day of tiles - 1st Journee

7th June 1788 Louis'

order to arrest magistrates in Grenoble because of opposing his reforms further outrages the people as the parlement were currently acting as their representatives

riots broke out - members of 3rd estate climbed onto rooftops and hurled tiles at authorities

resulted in deaths and injuries local parlement reinstates demonstration of willingness to use violence and disobey authority

weakness of government/monarchy first use of violence in revolution.

Bankruptcy

August 1788 - declaration date

debts from 7 years war and American war of independence

developed from pending loans 

adding up interest loss of money through spending from Calonne inefficient tax systems

government unable to meet financial obligations

400,000 livres remained "enough for operation for one afternoon"

book of grievances - cahiers de dolances

Feb-April 1789 old tradition

old tradition,

happens whenever the estates general are called

political discontent - financial crisis, trust in monarchy and government declining

poor harvest formal platform to expose grievances revealed unanimous wished for fiscal and political reform -

constitutional monarchy mobilisation of 3rd estate -

unified third estate and encouraged advocation for their rights and establish a new social order riddled with enlightenment ideas - especially from nobility discontent furthered -

everyone got the idea that their reforms would all be granted - false - causing further resentment highlighted inequality in society precursor for human rights

harvest crisis

1788-1789

massive hailstorm killing peasants and destroying crops rise in bread prices -

people spending up to 88% of their income

nobility blamed for the economic crisis due to their alleged grain hoarding

anti-monarchical resentment nobility and clergy remained privileged

3rd estate bore burden - developed resentment toward privileged classes and discouraged privilege direct contribution to economic crisis famine

pamphlet wars

1788 - 1789 relaxation of censorship from Louis XVI

accelerant to existing process of public opinion

stimulated public debate open criticism of the privileged order - especially 1st and 2nd estates

galvanised the 3rd estate - 'what is the third estate' - argued the 3rd estate contributes the most to society but are seen as nothing in political view

adopted enlightenment ideas and from Montesquieu other pamphlets regarding voting sparked debate shift in public opinion open criticism of absolute monarchy

Sieyes - what is the third estate

January 1789 one of the pamphlets published in the pamphlet wars galvanised third estate towards revolution ideas of enlightenment further reinforced

outlines desires and frustrations of alienated class

empowered third estate open criticism of 1st and 2nd estates seismic shift in opinion - removal of absolutism

increased confidence in 3rd estate

rallying cry from 3rd estate as it brough grievances into action

reveillion riots

26th-29th April 1789

economic crisis - shut down of textile industry

reveillon argues to lower bread prices and was misinterpreted as demand for lower wages - harsh on workers barely making enough as it is

first started as market riots by workers and artisans

April 27th - destruction of his factory and home

ransackes 25-100 deaths as soldiers tried to stop destruction gunpower from Henriot who supported revellion consumed remaining wine supply - deaths

2nd act of violence by urban population revolutionary action for Parisian crowd

rehearsal for 14th July 3rd estate openly showing defiance agency fracturing in the 3rd estate movement developed into loss of control

opening of estates general

5th may 1789

everything happened prior public challenged against the monarchy all estates extremely separated by things like clothing -

3rd estate dressed in all black robes

rise of 3rd estate demanding representation and voting by head collapse of old order -

failure to resolve issues escalated tension on reform for voting representation accompanied by Louis XVi's indecisiveness led to creation of national assembly empowerment of the third estate

disputes over credentials

6th may 1789

3rd estate demanded voting by head rather than estate - demanded verification be conducted with all estates together formation of national assembly

inequality of traditional system exposed

deepened tensions between privileged orders and 3rd estate stalemate decision - some agreed some didnt - never became official beginning of 3rd estate's resistance to the king

declaration of national assembly

17th June 1789 direct challenge to authority of Louis XVI challenged old order concept of representative nation sovereignty power belonging to the people all coming to light 'conceptualised the idea of a nation'

'facilitated the momentous transfer of sovereignty from the king to the nation' - Adcock

tennis court oath

20th June 1789

closure of meeting room for national assembly interpreted as direct attack

oath to never separate was sworn

act of defiance - gained support of the clergy and nobility first formal act of disobedience against the monarchy

signed by members of the common who opposed to adopting the name national assembly

Royal session

23rd June 1789

3rd estate refused to comply with the NA decisions being null void and illegal

NA gained further legitimacy as members of the clergy and nobility joined them 47 liberal nobles joined

Louis made concessions to: equal taxation new taxes and the voluntary hand-over of privileged status

promise to: abolish censorship

extend system of provincial assemblies

royal authority failed - minister advised Louis to follow the course of the revolution

dismissal of Jaques Necker

11th July 1789 Lead up to the fall of the bastilles

he was part of the 3rd estate and may people liked him

Symbol of monarchy's resistance to reform - attempt to assert authority

Shift in power dynamics - growing power of people and slow shift into popular sovereignty

Galvanised public support for revolutionary ideals and united the 3rd estate

Accelerated the revolution - lead to the abolition of feudal privileges and adoption of Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Establishment of NA as a dominant political force

Fall of the Bastille

14th July 1789

hungry crowd angry crowd

determined urban population to create change intensified public power

98 deaths 78 wounded

Lunay dead his head paraded around on a pike

loss of military control for monarchy

guards slowly defecting and joining the movement - showed urban workers how to use cannons symbolic strategy

Louis XVI lost last form of authority king cannot dictate because he lost enforcement

Lafayette leader of NG

intensified breakdown of authority with peasants and urban workers

Lafayette - NG commander

NA sought a trusted leader to oversee the new guard

experienced from American Revolution - respected and recognised some control over the crowd but they were overall chaotic and he could not have full control over this crowd

played a key role in protecting public order for some time leadership symbolised a bridge between revolutionary ideals and moderate reform

night of patriotic delirium

4th august 1789 anarchy in the countryside

NA trying to reinstate order and gain power

alarming spread of resistance

noble deputies voluntarily gave up rights and abolished the feudal system

peasants stopped paying feudal dues and no one ever forced them to resume

patriotic drunkenness

would not have happened if the AoN had accepted Louis' reforms for universal tax

'cult of self-dispossession' - Schama

feudal institutions abolished citizens could hold any job dues on harvest remained high

the great fear

17th - 6th August 1789 peasants were hungry and angry

conspiracies of grain plots and hoarding - aristocrats and nobility wave of panic that peasants were going to be punished and people steal their food

massacres of bunnies - diminishing royal authorities forced seigneurs to release charters attacks on nobility

peasants demonstrate agency destruction of property angered bourgeoisie destruction of identity as peasant and landlord identity as nobles