Economic problems by 1780s and Finance Ministers Flashcards
origins of revolution (31 cards)
population
27 million by 1780 vs GB 21.5 million
Caisse d’Escompte founded to help trade and loans in Paris
1776
Transport improving
1000 km between Paris and Tolouse (used to take 15 days in 1760 but by 1780 only 8 days)
Agricultural problems
15% of population lived in localities of more than 2000 inhabitants
difficulty to trade (measures)
Roughly 700 different measurements to weight crop yield in the country; made it difficult to trade
harvest problems
1788 hailstorms in Burgundy and Bordeaux so bad wine
existing Debt probelms
when Louis XIV died in 1715 - national debt to 2 million Livres
annual interest was 165 million livres (MORE THAN TAXES)
Seven year war costed 1.3 billion Livres - by 1764 - 2.3 Billion Livres in debt to 3.3
Turgot 1774-1776
physiocrat - more economic freedom and land is source of wealth like Quensay
6 edicts
- abolish corvee replace w a land tax - Paris Parlement published 2 remonstrance over this
- tried to establish free trade in 1774 of grain (abandoned after bad harvest - ‘flour wars in 1775’)
Got lit de justice in March 1776 but forced to resign in may
Necker 1777 - 1781
removed vingtieme on industry
employed salaried officials rather than corrupt venal corporations to run royal estates
reduced tax-farmers from 60 to 40
proposed plans for provincial assembly
Compte Rendu
budget statement in 1781 said France had a surplus of 10 million livres
Calonne 1783-1787
A general land tax
The establishment of provincial offices (to permit the new land tax)
The end of the corvee royale- to be replaced by tax on landowners
The removal of price control on grain
The removal of internal customs barriers to boost commerce
Louis was convinced to back the new reforms.
The king decided to gather the nobility together to explain to them why they would have to pay more taxes, and the best way he could do this was to call an Assembly of Notables. The 144 members of the Assembly of Notables met for the first time in February of 1787
Brienne - Archbishop of Tolouse who was against church tax
Calonne revelaed Compte Rendu was fake - Necker responded (who was loved and believed) Calonne called “ministerial despot”
Brienne
Changes affecting the army
The navy
The administration
The central government
He deregulated grain trade
Extended the provincial assemblies, giving local taxpayers the right to vote for these.
people called Brienne incompetent
“no taxation without representation” - calls for Estates - General by Paris Parlement in July 1787 - Louis banishes Paris Parlement in August 1787 to Troyes and then brings them back in August
Louis continued to use despotism in order to get his way in royal sessions. He used the lettre de cachet on his cousin, the Duc d’Orleans, and used the lit de justice to enforce more loans. However, Louis was ultimately forced to give way to the demand for the founding of the Estates-General.
The Parisian parlement then went a step further to release the ‘Laws of the Kingdom,’ in May 1788, which stated the importance of a founding of an Estates-General.
revolt of Nobles - parlements floodeed courts with remonstrace and Brienne demands large don - gratuit
Day of Tiles 7th June 1788
poor harvest in Grenoble - royal troops meant to restore order to riots against intendants
Brienne suspends treasury payments
August 1788 - France is bankrupt and Louis calls EG + Necker recalled on 25th of August
Voting by head or order
head - favoured 3rd estate who made up 85% of population (wanted 2/3 votes)
order - each estate had 1 vote
parlement on voting system: Septeber 1788 EG would use same procedure as last meeting 1614 so each estate had 1 vote
not thought through and against 3rd estate
Necker and King accept that 3rdv estate should have double representation but refuse to if voting would change - representation useless without voting rights increased
growing politicisation of 3rd esate
1. Abbe Sieyes “what is the 3rd estate” in Jan 1789
2. Society of thirty - noble liberal reformers Bishop of Autun and Lafayette who encouraged 3rd estate with pamphlets
3. poor economic situation SPRING OF 1789 PARISIAN WORKERS SPENDING 88% od wages on BREAD
TEXTILE PRODUCTION FELL BY 50%
Cahier des Doleances
The beginning of the elections saw the drawing up of lists of grievances (things estates wanted to change in France). 40,000 were given, most not radical. The Third Estate concentrated on taxation and a change in economic production.
Estates General opened
5th May 1789
Kings speech “first friend of the people” didn’t ackowledge what?
agenda of reform, how voting would take place caused delays
