Causes of the French Revolution (Description of the Old Regime)

Cause 1

Estates system

Estates system

First estate, Second estate, Third Estate

First Estate

Clergy, 100,000, upper (already noble) and lower clergy, owned between 5-10% of all wealth in the country, divided unequally, decreased in size since enlightenment

Second Estate

Nobility, 400,000, resurgence since Louis XIV’s death under Louis XV and XVI, important govt. positions, owned 10% of land, leased land to 3rd estate, collected taxes/ fees (feudal leftovers), increased/ renewed dues to keep up with inflation, tax examption

3rd Estate

included bourgeois, 24 million+, ranges from very rich to very poor, bourgeois have tax exemption, hate nobility because they don’t have the honor or title of nobles, lower class own property through eminent property, wages not keeping up with inflation

Cause 2

National Consciousness

National conciousness

growing notion of pride to be a citizen of France. Vive la nation! notion was otherwise lacking in most of Europe (HRE, Austria, Prussia, etc.)

Cause 3

Growing Public Opinion

Growing public opinion

caused by Enlightenment and Scandals, rumors, salons, and pamphlets

Enlightenment

Science, people thinking/talking about problems, political/social criticism, religion isn’t everything

Cause 4

The Financial Crisis

Debt

less money coming in that going out. War debt increased. Money also going to Versailles.

Who tried to fix taxing problems?

John Lan, Maupeou, Turgot, and Neck

Charles de Calonne

taxed all landowners, lighten indirect taxes, representative provincial assemblies, fired

Assembly of Notables 1787

avoid parlement of Paris, deadlock, Calonne fired/sacked

Loménie de Brienne

hired by Louis XVI, calls for reform, parlement rejects has to go to estates general, dismisses Parlements, nobility brings govt. to a standstill.

7.5.1788

Louis XVI agrees on Estates General Meeting

Direct estates

elect representatives and draw up grievances and proposals of organization