The : AOS1 August 20, 1786 – August 5, 1789

Phase #1 – The Aristocratic Revolt (Assembly of Notables; ) Phase #2 – The Bourgeoisie Revolt (The ; call for the ) 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)  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