Ancien Regime

Question 1

when did Louis XVI become king of France?

Answer 1

1774

Question 2

what was Marie Antoinette known as?

Answer 2

madame deficit because if her reputation as a spendthrift

Question 3

what was the divine right of kings?

Answer 3

the king was chosen by god and is his informant

Question 4

what was the king in council?

Answer 4

the king was expected to consult others on formulation of policy

Question 5

who were the intendants?

Answer 5

royal agents who would maintain the kings rule in provinces and feedback to him

Question 6

what were the intendants responsible for?

Answer 6

• ensuring taxes were paid
• ensuring kings edicts were carried out
• presiding over local courts
• raising troops

Question 7

what were provincial governors?

Answer 7

drawn from the nobility, responsible for provinces and were responsible for maintaining order. had the power to call provincial parlement

Question 8

what were the pays d’etats?

Answer 8

6 areas of France which were allowed to negotiate how much tax they paid and then paying it in a lump sum

Question 9

what was venality?

Answer 9

the custom of selling administrative offices

Question 10

how many venal offices were there by 1789?

Answer 10

70,000 by 1789

Question 11

what were the parlements?

Answer 11

sovereign courts the most important being the Paris parlement

Question 12

what powers did parlements have?

Answer 12

controlled guilds, corporations and markets

most importantly carrying gout kings edicts

Question 13

what is a remonstrance?

Answer 13

a document sent by parlement protesting a royal decree

Question 14

what was a lit de justice?

Answer 14

the process in which the king could overrule parlement and force acceptance of an edict

Question 15

how many made up the first estate?

Answer 15

comprised of clergy 150,000 members

Question 16

how many made up the second estate?

Answer 16

comprised of nobility 200,000-400,000 members

Question 17

how many made up the third estate?

Answer 17

the commoners or everyone else around 26.5 million

Question 18

how many people worked in agriculture?

Answer 18

around 21 million

Question 19

how much land did the church own?

Answer 19

around 10%

Question 20

what exemptions did the 1st estate have?

Answer 20

didn’t have to pay taille and allowed to meet in their own assemblies to decide fates

Question 21

what was the don gratuit?

Answer 21

a lump sum of money the church decided to pay to the crown

Question 22

what privileges did the 2nd estate have?

Answer 22

they could display a coat of arms, had the right to be beheaded rather than hanged. also didn’t pay taille

Question 23

who were the bourgeoisie?

Answer 23

the wealthiest commoners who had skilled jibs such as lawyers, doctors, teachers merchants. the would often invest in land

Question 24

what direct taxes were the 3rd estate required to pay?

Answer 24

taille, the vingtième, and capitation

Question 25

what indirect taxes were the 3rd estate required to pay?

Answer 25

gabelle, aides, tithe

Question 26

what was the Corvee Royale?

Answer 26

every male was required to do military service and also do unpaid labour to maintain the kings roads

Question 27

how many seigneurial courts were there?

Answer 27

100,000

Question 28

who were the philosophes?

Answer 28

French enlightenment thinkers who questioned the political and social structures and the power of the church

Question 29

what was the enlightenment thought on the church?

Answer 29

the church had control of the ignorant masses who live in fear of eternal damnation. the also criticised the divine right which questioned the absolute monarchy

Question 30

what was Montesquieu's idea of government?

Answer 30

the separation of powers to crate checks and balances

Question 31

what were salons?

Answer 31

a gathering of educated people at the home of a host to increase their knowledge. aced as a centre of social exchange

Question 32

when did the French support the American war of independence

Answer 32

in secret began in 1776 by sending supplies and Economic aid, and then began to send troops over including Lafayette

Question 33

how many livres in aid did france send to America?

Answer 33

5 million livres

Question 34

what were the economic problems of France in the 1770s and 1780s?

Answer 34

* economy was predominantly agricultural * yield from French farms very low and rural overpopulation * there were variations in weights and measures across the country which offered chance for fraud * French banking system was not advanced

Question 35

when were there a series of bad harvests?

Answer 35

1785 to 1789 and in July 1788 a hailstorm destroyed all of Frances crops

Question 36

what was French debt?

Answer 36

3.3 billion livres

Question 37

what were Turgots plans to reform the economy?

Answer 37

* cut royal expenses * removal or reduction of pensions and encourage Louis to spend less * some reforms to tax farming system * introduce a general land tax

Question 38

what were Turgots six edicts?

Answer 38

the desire to abolish privilege and to tax all and grant every man the right to work

Question 39

when were the six edicts passed?

Answer 39

in 1776 they were passed by lit de justice

Question 40

what happened to Turgot?

Answer 40

his edicts had offended a wide range of people including Marie Antoinette and in may 1776 was forced to resign

Question 41

what was Neckers policy?

Answer 41

he continued turgots cost cutting by reducing royal expenditure, appointing salaried officials to run estates and removed vingtieme on industry

Question 42

by how many did necker reduce tax farmers?

Answer 42

from 60 to 40

Question 43

what did neckers changes achieve?

Answer 43

reduced corruption and hit venality

Question 44

what happened to necker?

Answer 44

he was popular among common people but had made enemies in court including Marie Antoinette, he resigned in 1781

Question 45

when was calonne controller general?

Answer 45

1783-1787

Question 46

what was calonnes reform package?

Answer 46

* general land tax * extra indirect tax on legal documents (stamp duty) * end the Corvee Royale * remove controls on grain trade

Question 47

what was the assembly of notables?

Answer 47

consisted of 144 men and included 7 princes of the blood and representatives from the estates

Question 48

who was calonne replaced by?

Answer 48

Brienne

Question 49

when was the Paris parlement banished to Troyes?

Answer 49

august 1787

Question 50

when was the day of tiles? what was it?

Answer 50

June 1788- troops in grenoble were attacked with stones and roof slates

Question 51

when did sieyes publish "what is the third estate"?

Answer 51

January 1789- argues the third estate was everything and represented the nation

Question 52

what were the cahiers de dolences?

Answer 52

a list of grievances drawn up by each estate to be discussed at the estates general. around 40,000 produced

Question 53

when was the estates general held?

Answer 53

5 may 1789

Question 54

when was the National Assembly established?

Answer 54

17 June 1789- after being prompted by sieyes the 3rd estate split off ton represent the nation

Question 55

when did the clergy join the national assembly?

Answer 55

19 June 1789

Question 56

when was the tennis court oath?

Answer 56

20 June 1789- promised to Never disband until France had a new constitution

Question 57

when was the storming of the Bastille?

Answer 57

14 July 1789- around 70 attackers killed