Event Evidence Quote
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The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 Phase #1 – The Aristocratic Revolt (Assembly of Notables; Parlements) Phase #2 – The Bourgeoisie Revolt (The Estates General; call for the national Assembly) Phase #3 – The Urban Revolt (Revellion Riots; fall of the Bastille) Phase #4 – The Peasant Revolt (Great Fear; August Decrees; DORMAC) Event Evidence Quote The Old Regime - France Had a population of 30 million - “The evils of the [taxation] system one of the The First Estate - Clergy principal causes of social unrest.” – Hibbert o.6% of population Owned 1/10th of land “France was a land of mass poverty.” McPhee Exempt from taille Voluntary donation of 1% of income The Second Estate – The nobility o.4% of population Owned 30% of land Aristocratic The Third Estate – everyone else Artisans – merchants, lawyers, doctors etc – 2m Peasantry – 85% of the population Third Estate – 96% of the population Had to pay: tithe (to church); tailles (direct tax) and feudal dues The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 The Enlightenment (1740s - ) Montesquieu ‘Spirit of the Law’ (1748) “First bomb thrown at the old regime.” – Lanson Said the people could defend their rights against the American War of Independence monarchy “Undermined the ideological foundations of the Rousseau’s ‘The Social Contract’ (1762) established order.” Albert Soboul Said “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” Voltaire’s ‘Philosophical Letters.’ (1734) American War and Enlightenment: Diderot’s ‘Encyclopedia’ (1751) “…Offered a glimpse of society without the injustices and inequities of the old.” Financial Crisis (August 20 1786 August 20 – Calonne tells Louis France is bankrupt “France was a land of mass poverty” – McPhee – May 5 1789) Economic pressures Price of bread “[The fiscal crisis] made the regressive nature of Consumer demand fallen by 50% indirect taxes a political issue.” – Bossenga People made connections between their problems and the gov’t Taxation Crisis France waged four wars between 1733-1783 Total cost 4,000 livres American War of Independence; 2,000m livres Marie-Antoinette blamed; ‘Madam Deficit’ Annual deficit of 112 million livres Total deficit of 46,000,000 livres Financial crisis (realization of debt) Fiscal crisis (need for reform taxation system) Political crisis (process of approving new system of taxation) Fiscal Crisis Indirect tax on food and goods too high as it was Taille (direct tax) on third estate already too high The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 Phase #1 – the Aristocratic Revolt What Suggested France was in 10million livres “A grossly optimistic and complacent document.” Necker’s ‘Compte Rendu’ surplus – Hibbert (February 1781) In order to continue attracting foreign loans 30,000 copies were sold in a week (of pamphlet) Necker is succeeded by Charles Alexandre de Calonne Assembly of Notables called Calonne’s taxation reform; Wide ranging reforms: (February 1787) Economic and administrative reform “Were essential to save them from utter collapse” A new land tax to be imposed without regard for – Hibbert the status of the owners; a uniform tax The Assembly of Notables (a convention nominated by Uniform tax: the King) “…First step towards the extinction of their 144 members privileged positions.” – Hibbert Calonne announces deficit, proclaiming; “Only in the abolition of abuses lies the need to answer our Submission to the EG and Parlements was: need.” “… admitting government weakness.” – Simpson King unwilling to exercise his power; Notables and Jones declare themselves unable to pass reform; Calonne publishes pamphlets exposing the AoN: Notable’s selfishness and is dismissed “…Were the first Revolutionaries” – Schama Replaced by Brienne The Aristocratic Revolt: “[Resulted in] the paralysis of the monarchy that led to the revolution.” – Soboul The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 Parlements reinstated (July 1787) What [Submission to the EG and Parlements was]… Brienne’s tax reform mimics Calonne’s admitting government weakness.” – Simpson and King orders Parlements to pass them Jones The Parlements refuse; are exiled; revolt through issuing remonstrance’s (suspension of a reform) and refusing to pass laws The issue – they argued – needed to be taken to the Estates-General which implied power should be in the people’s hand Demonstrated King’s arbitrary and weak power; failure of leadership Brienne resigns (July) Necker reinstated (July 1789) Phase #2 – the Bourgeois Revolt What “Virtually unanimous in their condemnation of royal List of grievances and suggestion of reform absolutism.” – Hibbert Cahiers de Doléances (1788 – Each estate in each electoral region asked to 1789) submit one for the Estates General Almost unanimous in their desire for a constitution Wishing for an end to Lettres de Cachet – Arbitrary arrest Expectation of reform rose; deputies of the Third Estate now felt a sense of social value The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 Abbé Sieyès’ ‘What is the Third What Estate?’ (January 1789) An intellectual leader who stipulated that the Third Estate was everything Contributed to the expected reforms of the Estates General The Bourgeoisie Revolt Voting by head or by order? stemmed from argument over 300 deputies for the Third Estate, 600 for the first two representation in Estates- Necker suggests doubling the delegates in the General Third Estate; 600 = 600 By order; 1 + 2 > 3 #4 - Beginning of Urban Revolt – in What the midst of Bourgeoisie Revolt Begins over rumors that a bourgeois wallpaper- factory owner would increase wages The Revellion Riots (April 1789) 25 deaths The Estates General (May 5 1789) The issue of representation arises [Submission to the EG and Parlements was]… A stalemate was reached, and as a result the admitting government weakness.” – Simpson and National Assembly forms Jones The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 What The National Assembly (June 17 Bailly – major of Paris – as president “Made it impossible to arrest the course of the 1789) Approved by 491 votes to 89 revolution.” – Rude On June 19 the First Estate voted to join the 3rd “Marked the beginnings of the real revolution.” – Jill Fenwick and Anderson “…Largely a result of Louis XVI’s indecision.” – Jill Fenwick and Anderson The Tennis Court Oath (June 20 Background “Made it impossible to arrest the course of the 1789) Upon hearing about the establishment of the NA, revolution.” – Rude the King proclaimed it illegal and locked the doors of their hall “Marked the beginnings of the real revolution.” – Undeterred, the deputies went to a nearby tennis Jill Fenwick and Anderson court What “…Largely a result of Louis XVI’s indecision.” – Signed an oath ‘never to separate’ unless a Jill Fenwick and Anderson constitution was formed The Royal Session (June 23 – What “[Despite apparent abandonment of Bourbon June 27 1789) The King orders the NA to disband absolutism] there were so many reservations in the Upon refusal all states to merge in the National royal declaration that made it clear the acien régime Assembly was not to be dismantled.” – Hibbert King allows vote by head Abolition of lettres de cachet “The separateness of the orders and the existing social There were to be no new taxes ‘without the hierarchy were to be maintained.” – Hibbert consent of a nation’s representatives.’ “It was resistance that made the revolution become violent” – William Doyle The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 Necker dismissed (July 11 1789) In what context Louis calls 30,000 troops to surround Paris, fearing revolution The people infer that the King wishes to disband the NA by force And react Phase #3 – the Urban Revolt Economic crisis: the ‘why’ of the Urban and Peasant 1 – the Revellion Riots (April 1789) revolts 2 – The Fall of the bastille (July 14 Recession begins 1770’s 1789) By 1789, 88% of wages was spent on bread 1788 terrible harvest Dismissal of Necker on July 11 was the last straw The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 The Fall of the Bastille (July 14 What “…Was the climax of the popular movement.” – 1789) National Guard to defend Paris and protect William Doyle property 28,000 muskets and 20 cannons and 5/6 “…Won its victory over privilege and despotism.” – battalions had joined the storming George Rude 98 killed from Bastille guards National Guard led by Lafayette 250,000 were armed Sans-culotte participants Result The King lost control of Paris The NA could begin drawing up a constitution 20,000 nobles fled Power passed to the Commons The decapitation of De Launay could represent a split between ‘middle class legality’ and popular violence Phase #4 - The Peasant Revolt “…Ruled out any possibility of compromise between Why the feudal autocracy The Great Fear (July/August Desperate from poor harvests (1788) and feudal And 1789) dues “ … forced the bourgeoisie revolution onwards.” – What Soboul The peasants went rampant, attacking and looting noble’s castles This meant The King lost the countryside The NA mobilized to abolish feudal dues (DORMAC) to quell the peasantry The French Revolution: AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789 The August Decrees (5-11 August) Abolished feudal dues “…Were an improvised reaction to an emergency END AOS1 situation.” – Furet .