Chapter 1 - Origins Of French Revolution 1774-1789 Flashcards

1
Q

What was Louis XVI’s character?

A

Shy, indecisive, not a proud figure of authority

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Who was Marie Antoinette?

A

4th daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What was Marie Antoinette’s personality like?

A

Attractive but naive, and had a reputation of spending a lot of money, had no sympathy for the revolution, had a play farm, had a reputation as a spendthrift

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

When did Louis become the king of France?

A

1774

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What age did Louis become King?

A

20

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

When were Louis and MA married?

A

1770

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Why were Louis and MA married?

A

To create diplomatic peace between the two former enemies France and Austria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How did the royal family live?

A

In Versailles, isolated from outside world, expensive lifestyles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Why was there gossip with Louis and MA?

A

It took them 8 years to produce a child

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What’s a Dauphin?

A

The title given to the heir to the french throne

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Why was Louis role seen so highly?

A

Partially aware his role was sacred, Gods representative (divine right) justified absolute powers of the monarch

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What was the ‘lettres de cachet’?

A

Letter with royal seal allowing king to order imprisonment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What structure was France in the ancien regime?

A

Absolute monarchy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Was Louis a ‘despot’?

A

Not as much, didn’t use the L de C as much as Louis XV, wasn’t decisive or have absolute power

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What was the ancien regime?

A

Out of date political and social system of France before revolution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What were the series of councils?

A

In theory they governed France, people specialised in certain affairs and were in the presence of the king as he had to consult others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How was France governed in reality?

A

It fell in the hands of a restricted number of influential people who acted independently

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Who chose the ministers?

A

Louis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Who influenced Louis decision of ministers?

A

Marie Antoinette

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What did Ministers do for their reputation?

A

They knew they might not hold the position for long so they protected their reputation and tried to maintain support

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Was the control centralised or decentralised?

A

Centralised

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What were Intendants?

A

Royal agents to maintain rule in the provinces and feed back information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What were the duties of the intendants?

A

Responsible for finance policing and justice

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What were the problems with governing through intendants?

A

Dependant on the king
Overworked
Few staff
Can’t make decisions for themselves and had to ask permission
Their role was challenged

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What are provinces?

A

Regions roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England, each with its own traditions and institutions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What are provincial officers?

A

Came from the nobility and were responsible for France’s historic provinces and maintaining order

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What was the ‘provincial dynasty’?

A

Families who were provincial govenors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What were the pays d’états?

A

Six areas of France that discussed with the king taxation in their area, then paid a large sum to him

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

How did the pats d’états agree taxes?

A

They had powerful assemblies where intendants were forced to share power

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Who were Local officers?

A

Like barons, bought their position through venality and served in the municipal administration and local bodies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What’s a municipal administrator?

A

Someone who oversees operations of all city departments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What are seigneurs?

A

Land owning nobles in rural areas who exercised influence and ran their own courts and thought they were superior to intendants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What were the different french courts called?

A

Prévôtés
Bailliage
Parlements
Seigneurial
Church

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What was the lowest level of courts?

A

Prévôtés

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

How many bailliage courts were there?

A

430

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What was the most important parlement?

A

The Paris parlement responsible for 2/5 of France

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What was the job of the Parlements?

A

To hear civil and criminal cases that the local courts couldn’t solve

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What other powers did the parlements have?

A

Controlled guilds
Corporations
Markets
Local government finances,law and order

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Who could the parlements come into conflict with?

A

The intendants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

What were seigneurial courts?

A

Descended at the lowest level in the villages by feudal landlords

41
Q

What were corporations?

A

People with mutual interests usually in business

42
Q

What were guilds?

A

Specifically for members of the same trade to maintain standards

43
Q

What was the most important right of the parlements?

A

To register edicts (laws passed by the king) to ensure conformity with previous legislation and provincial codes

44
Q

What’s a remonstrance?

A

A remonstrance is a document sent by a parlement to the monarch as a complaint of the decree

45
Q

What’s the lit de justice?

A

‘Bed of justice’
A royal session in the Paris parlements for the registration of royal edicts

46
Q

Who made up the membership of the parlements?

A

12 magistrates who bought their positions to become noblesse de robe
Intendants
Crown ministers

47
Q

When did the Paris parlements block a series of royal reforms and policies?

A

1763

48
Q

What happened in 1771?

A

Louis XV tried to abolish the parlements altogether

49
Q

Who restored the parlements to their previous status?

A

Louis XVI

50
Q

How was the French population divided into estates?

A

First
Second
Third

51
Q

What was the first estate?

A

The clergy

52
Q

How many people were in the first estate?

A

150,000

53
Q

What was the second estate?

A

The nobility

54
Q

How many people were in the second estate?

A

2-4 million

55
Q

What was the third estate?

A

Commoners

56
Q

How many people were in the third estate?

A

The rest of the country

57
Q

In the 1780’s who had the largest population in Europe?

A

France

58
Q

How many people live in France in 1780?

A

27 million

59
Q

How many people were engaged in agriculture?

A

21 million

60
Q

Who were the clergy?

A

Males who were essential to the nations wellbeing in the church

61
Q

What did male clercs do?

A

Religious routines
Mass
Confessions
Christenings
Marriage
Controlled education
Provided for the sick and elderly

62
Q

How did wealth vary in the first estate?

A

Church was wealthy
Cardinals, archbishops and bishops majority less flamboyant lifestyles and far poorer than their own parishioners

63
Q

Where did the church’s wealth come from?

A

Rents and dues paid from the land
Church taxes = tithe

64
Q

How much land did the church own?

A

10%

65
Q

What obligations did the clergy not have to meet?

A

Didn’t have to pay the taille
Could meet in their own assemblies
Decide own affairs
Only pay don gratuit
Only prosecuted in their own
Couldn’t be asked to perform military service or provide money or house royal troops

66
Q

What did the second estate do?

A

Advise the king

67
Q

How much land did the second estate own?

A

1/5 - 1/4

68
Q

What did the second estate live off?

A

Rents and landed estates
Pensions
Offices
Signeures
Unearned income

69
Q

What is unearned income?

A

Earnings from rents or investment

70
Q

Why didn’t the second estate do many commercial and manual activities?

A

Fear of losing noble status

71
Q

What were the noblesse d’eprée?

A

Nobles of the sword, traditionally the only group allowed to wear a sword

72
Q

What type of nobility were the noblesse d’épée?

A

Hereditary

73
Q

Who were the noblesse de court?

A

The nobles in residence at Versailles

74
Q

What did the noblesse de courts do?

A

Had patronage (privileges from the king)
Were ambassadors and councillors

75
Q

What did the other nobles do?

A

Lived in chateaux or manor houses on their country estates
Had titles
Included members of the kings family

76
Q

Were all the nobility wealthy?

A

Some hereditary nobility became impoverished it cling onto their status and privileges

77
Q

What was the impoverished nobility’s nickname?

A

‘Hobereaux’ = sparrow hawks by the upper nobility

78
Q

What did it mean to live away from Versailles as a noble?

A

Prevented them gaining state office
Attempts to maintain a noble lifestyle could easily send them into debt

79
Q

Who were the ‘noblesse de robe’?

A

Squired noble status because of their venal jobs

80
Q

How many noblesse de robes were there by 1789?

A

70,000

81
Q

What did the noblesse de robe do?

A

Legal and administrative duties

82
Q

What privileges did the nobility have?

A

Right to display a coat of arms
Take precedence at public ceremonies
Could be beheaded rather than hung

83
Q

What exemptions did the nobility have?

A

Didn’t pay the taille
Lower rate for other direct taxes
Some only paid a tiny part of their income

84
Q

How could people join the second estate?

A

Buy nobility
Purchase offices
Marry

85
Q

Who were the third estate?

A

Commoners
Amount they lived on varied

86
Q

Who were the bourgeoisie?

A

The wealthiest commoners
Relied on their skills

87
Q

What were the two types of bourgeoisie?

A

Haute + petite

88
Q

What jobs were in the haute bourgeoisie?

A

Doctors
Lawyers
Financiers

89
Q

What jobs were part of the petite bourgeoisie?

A

Small shopkeepers
Self employed artisans

90
Q

Was everyone in the third estate less privileged than the first two estates?

A

A prosperous merchant might have more income than an impoverished nobleman

91
Q

What was the rest of the population?

A

Peasants

92
Q

What did peasants do?

A

Worked the land with a seigneur

93
Q

What feudal obligations did the third estate have?

A

No privileges
Pay direct and indirect taxes
Military service
Unpaid labour
Seigneurial dues

94
Q

What were the direct taxes?

A

Taille
Vingtieme
Capitation

95
Q

What were the indirect taxes?

A

Gabelle (salt tax)
Aides on drinks
Taxes on tobacco
Tithe for the church

96
Q

What were the seigneurial dues?

A

Champart (paid in grain)
Cens (paid in cash)
Had to ground their grain in his mill then pay banalités

97
Q

Why were the feudal peasants better off than the bottom of the third estate?

A

Day labourers didn’t know when their next days work would come from
Others feared as ‘outsiders’

98
Q

What’s a ‘centralised government’?

A

Absolute monarchy
Major decisions made by the king

99
Q

Was France an absolute monarchy in the late 18th century?

A

Limitations to the kings rule
Many influences on rules
Collapsed wake of revolution 1789