France Revolution AOS1

King Louis XVI

• Came into power May 1774 when he was 19

• Devine-right monarchy

• Awkward, clumsy but had a good heart, not a great person to be a leader, disliked leading France

France population

• 28 million people

• 80% were peasants

• 3-5 million people were that poor they were beggin

Other France population things

• 1 in 40 people lived in Paris

• 90% of French towns had less then 10,000 people

• 9 cities had more than 50,000 people

• Inflation had risen 3 times more then wages

Peasants

• Made up 80% of population

• Owned 32% of the land

• Paid the most tax

Taxes

• First and second estate didn't pay taxes

• Taxation system was one of the biggest issues

• Tax farmers, when collecting tax, took some for themselves

• Indirect taxes

• Direct taxes

French Economy

• In 1780s France was held back by old fashion farming and transportation

• England was ahead in farming

• Weather was hard for farming

• Was still using handmade stuff while England was using factory's

• Seaports helped with money

First estate (Clergy (Church People))

• 170,000 ppl (0.6%)

• highest position in society

• upper clergy

• Lower clergy 

• Clergy people don't pay taxes (except Gst and that) 

• Owned 10-15% of the land

Second estate (Nobles)

• Nobles of the sword

• Nobles of the robe

• 0.4% of population

• Owned 20-30% of land

• Privileges – right to wear a sword, display coat of arms 

• Can see them from having a sword and being fancy dressed 

Third estate (everyone else)

• Over 25 million (99% of population)

• 80% peasants

• 22 million lived in countryside

• Included very wealthy as well very poor

• Bourgeois

• Merchants/Artisans 

Short term triggers of revolution

• Financial crisis

• Economic/fiscal crisis

• American war of independence

• Failure of reforms

• Political crisis

• Loss of faith in the king (and queen)

Financial crisis

• Caused by war

• People think France is ‘broke’

• Spent a lot of money in the 7 years' war (1756-1763)

• The American war of Independence (1776-1783), France provided large financial support

• High interest loans, excessive spending, inefficient tax system

Compte Rendu

• February 1781

• Omitted the costs of war

• Seemed as though there was a surplus of 10 million livres

Necker

• Swiss 

• Appointed 1776

• Tried to reform taxation system

• 1781 – Compte Rendu au Roi

• Popular with third estate

• Prices out of proportion to income = diminished consumer purchasing = decline in manufacturing = decline in urban employment

• Resigned in May 1781

Calonne

• Controller- General of finance (1783-1787)

• Royal debits increasing, especially interest

• Took out more loans

• 1784-1785 credit began to dry

• 1786- revenue would be 475 million livres, expenditure 587 livres

Calonne’s attempted reforms

• Didn't restrict court expenditure

• New loans

• Abolish internal tax barriers and tariffs

• Local assemblies in each province to collect taxes

• Government spending reduced

• Stamp duty on business transactions

Assembly of notables

• Hadn't been summoned since 1626 

• Met on 22^nd February 1787

• 144 representatives

• Were hesitant to support land tax

• Said no to reforms as issues keep getting worse (France gets more and more in debt)

American war of independence

• 227 million livres

• 147 on navy

• Total over 1 billion

• 91% from loans to USA

Brienne

• Took reforms to notables 

• Assembly of notables became more militant

• Supported the notion of “taxation with representation”

• Assembly of notables dismissed 25^th May 1787

Parliament of Paris

• July 1787 – took proposals to the Parlement of Paris for registration

• Brienna retained Colonne's land tax but reworked other reforms

Popular protest - day of tiles

• May-June 1788- protests across France

• Judges now seen as hero's

• An assembly of Clergy joined Parliament

Harvests

• Poor harvests 1788-1789

• In 1788 bad harvests

• Causes a rise in the cost of food

• 88% of wages spent on bread

Turgot 

• Controller – general of finance, 1775-1776 

• Improved accounting procedures 

• Tried to introduce free trade in grain and change land tax