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The French Revolution

The French Revolution. Turning Point, Pointless Bloodbath, Model for Change, Radical Litmus Test?. Importance and Interpretations. France was cultural center and home of Enlightenment Most populous nation in Europe The revolution was a surprise A complex interaction of causes

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The French Revolution

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  1. The French Revolution Turning Point, Pointless Bloodbath, Model for Change, Radical Litmus Test?

  2. Importance and Interpretations • France was cultural center and home of Enlightenment • Most populous nation in Europe • The revolution was a surprise • A complex interaction of causes • Long-term structural problems combined with immediate crises

  3. Clergy 135,000 (.5% of pop.) Nobility 400,000 (1.5% of pop.) Third Estate (25M or 98%) Bourgeoisie 1 M Nonagric. workers 2 M Landowning/tenant farmers 5M Sharecroppers 11M Day Laborers 5M Serfs 1M The deepest and most persistent cause Interpretation of Marxist school (Georges Lefebvre) Unequal class system based on privileges and exemptions France—an untapped giant with skilled and productive labor force Social Causes

  4. First Estate—The Clergy (Upper and Lower) • Church had tax exemption but made annual “contributions” • Owned 10% of land & ran most schools • Division between high clergy and curés • Collected tithe that amounted to 3-6% of peasant income

  5. Second Estate—Aristocracy (the Privileged Few) • Tax exemptions, legal privileges (hunting, courts, laws, etc.) • 40% of nobles gained titles in 17th/18th c. • Middle-class aped nobles, left business when titled • Lived in high style—Paris and Versailles, revived feudal dues • Invested in commerce & industry, searched for sinecures

  6. Third Estate—the Burdened Many • Very diverse—hid social reality • Industrialists, merchants, lawyers, professionals • Bourgeoisie owned 20-25% of land • Could become nobles • Growth of urban poor and bread riots—1770s/80s • Remnants of feudalism • Squeezed by land shortage and economic changes

  7. Aides—excise tax on wine, cards, soaps Capitation—poll or head tax Cens—fixed land rent Champart—land rent, 1/8 of crop Fees for dovecotes Banalites—use of mill, bakery, winepress Gabelle—salt tax Lods et ventes—tax when land changed hands Taille—basic tax based on income Tithe—annual sum paid to Church Tolls on manorial roads Traites et douanes—customs duties when crossing provincial borders Vingtieme—income tax, set at 5% Allow lord to hunt on land Corvee—work on roads, lord’s land, lend tools for military Typical Peasant Obligations

  8. Economic Problems • France undergoing rapid commercial expansion, some industry • Burden of heavy but inefficient taxes (Farmers-General—150 families) • Rising bread prices (up to 80% of peasant income) • French society WAS changing but government not responsive

  9. Political Conflict—King v. Nobility • Absolutist tradition required strong monarch • Rising nobility after Louis XIV • Louis XIV had tamed parlements but feudal system remained • Weak reign of Louis XV (1715-74)—mistresses and hunting • Major losses in wars • Conflict with Parlement of Paris (1771)—dismissal and exile of others • Parlements—18 provincial courts, register decrees, remonstrance, king could force them—lit de justice

  10. Louis XVI—well-meaning wimp? • Early view of Louis and Marie Antionette • Kindly but weak-willed, interest in locks & hunting • Marie—reputation as vivacious, extravagant, promiscuous, underground literature • Diamond Necklace Affair—church official gave 2500 carat diamond to imposter of queen • Called parlements back in 1774 to appease nobles • TRIED reforms but lack willpower, skill to follow through

  11. Intellectual Causes—Enlightenment Blueprint for Change • Ideas of philosophes • natural law • inalienable rights • Spirit of Laws (balanced govt.) • Rousseau (Social Contract) • Voltaire • Protests, grievances would be expressed in language of the Enlightenment • American Revolution • Enlightenment ideals could be implemented (U.S. Constitution) • Many nobles fought in Amer. Rev. and returned • Major debt from French involvement

  12. Financial Woes—the “Spark” • Massive debt from wars—1/2 of budget for interest • Bankruptcy in 1785 • Turgot (1774-76) • Ambitious Physiocrat program • Convert corvee • Eliminate guilds, tariffs • Dismissed in 1776 b/c of noble opposition • Jacques Necker (1776-83) • Popular French banker • Comte Rendu—itemized budget • cost-cutting alienated officeholder • Calonne (1783-87) • Tried to tax nobles, called… • Assembly of Notables—hand-picked but still opposed taxes • Calonne hated, flees to London • Archbishop Brienne (1787-89) • Last chance • Committee of 30 calls for Estates-General • King banishes Parlement of Paris but national protests

  13. “The Moment”—Estates-General Meets • Hadn’t met since 1614 (175 years) • King calls for cahier de doleance –politicization • Popular election filtered through 2 layers • Liberal leaders—Mirabeau, Lafayette (“Hero of Two Worlds”), Sieyes • What is the Third Estate?—”everything—the assembled will of the nation” • Big Issues • Doubling (agreed—578 reps. for 3rd Estate, 300 each for 1st/2nd) • Voting by head or order (1st and 2nd can outvote 3rd) • Agreement impossible—leads to revolution • Note: nobles began revolution by refusal to be taxed • “No, Sire, it is a revolution!”

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