the nature of absolutism, including the role of the church Flashcards
(20 cards)
1
Q
Louis
A
- King of France 10th May 1774 aged 20
- Married to Marie Antoinette in 16 - 17 May 1770
- fireworks to celebrate the wedding killed 132 people
- Lived at Versailles
- God representative on Earth / divine right
- Had the letters de cachet which he could use to imprison anyone
2
Q
was Louis an absolute monarch (yes - absolute monarchy)
A
- highest nobleman in the land
- head of government with no representation
- appointed his own ministers and consulted with them on an individual basis
- his decisions were final
- could imprison anyone through the letter de cachet
3
Q
was Louis an absolute monarch (yes - divine right)
A
- justified and explained his right to rule
- during his coronation he swore an oath to God and not the people showing that his power came from God and not the people
4
Q
was Louis an absolute monarch (no - limitations on his power)
A
- bound by laws and customs of the kingdom
- expected to consult his ministers and advisers
- laws had to be approved by the parlement
- could use the lit de justice but this caused resentment if used too frequently
5
Q
was Louis an absolute monarch (no - first estate)
A
- could not interfere with the rights and privileges of the church and church courts
- eg paid the don gratuit (16 million livres) instead of taxes, even though it was only 5% of their income
6
Q
was Louis an absolute monarch (no - second estate)
A
- took advice from advisers meaning they also had select powers
- bound to follow laws and customs previously established withing the system
- needed the consent of the nobles in order to rule
7
Q
was Louis an absolute monarch (judgement)
A
although in theory he was an absolute monarch and that was how he was described, he could not act without the approval of the notables who were in a position to challenge him
8
Q
government structure
A
- operated at the palace of Versailles
- Louis meet with ministers individually instead of in a cabinet style
9
Q
Central government
A
- Consiel s erat - dealt with major issues of state and foreign affairs
- Conseil des depeches - dealt with church affairs
- Conseil royal des finances - managed state finances and economic policy
- Ministers did not hold their positions for long and were more focused on protecting their reputations and maintaining support
10
Q
role of the Intendants
A
- Royal agents to main rule in Provence and feedback information
- Responsible for finances policing and justice
- Overworked and understaffed
- Could not make decisions by themselves and needed to obtain order form the king’s council
11
Q
problem with the order of government
A
- huge disparities and complexities existed in the laws and customs of France at the time
- establishment of 36 generalities by previous French monarchs which split the country into 36 sectors each run by an intendants
12
Q
Local government
A
- Provincial governments (nobility) were responsible for maintaining order in their regions
- Theoretically they were the kings representatives but some post had become entrenched in certain families
- pays d’etats negotiated directly with the crown and paid a lump sum of taxes
- Seigneurs had their own courts and power
13
Q
Law and the parlements
A
- 13 parlements which were sovereign courts
- Paris court most important
- Controlled guilds corporations and local governments finances and law and order
- Registered the kings edicts
- Could question and criticise decrease forcing the king to think about them again
- King could force them to accept the edicts via his lit le justice
- Louis had restored the parliament after it had been abolished in 1771
14
Q
First estate
A
- 150000 members - 0.5%
- The clergy
- Church seen as essential to the well being by providing mass, marriages, education, and care for the sick and elderly
- Church was a wealthy institution
- Income from the tithe and rents for use of church land (10% of French land)
- Archbishops and bishops came from the nobility and were well off
- But the majority of clergy were poor
15
Q
privileges of the 1st estate
A
- Not required to pay the taille (main direct tax) and instead would offer a don gratitude to the king
- 16 million livres but only equated to 5% of church income
- Could only be persecuted in the church courts
- Did not perform military service
16
Q
grievances of the 1st estate
A
- The tithe and ‘don gratuit’ caused resentment.
- Inequity within the 1st Estate.
- Promoted religious intolerance (against Protestants and French Jewry).
- Hostility towards corruption in the church (absenteeism)
- Wealth and privilege of the Catholic Church particularly attacked during the Enlightenment.
17
Q
Second estate
A
- 200000 members - 1%
- Nobility
- Serve and advise the king
- Owned ¼ of french land
- Noble of the sword were hereditary and include the princes of the blood
- Sent their sons into the military or the church
- Nobles of the robe acquired status via venality
- By 1789 there were 70,000
18
Q
privileges of the 2nd estate
A
- Nobles had the right to be beheaded rather than hung
- Did not pay the taille
- Avoided indirect taxes
- exempt from conscription
19
Q
Third estate
A
- rest of the population
- Had to earn their living
- Wealthiest were the bourgeoisie (4 - 10% of population)
- merchants , doctors and lawyers
- May be more wealthy than the nobility or clergy
- Skilled and unskilled workers in the town (4 million)
- Peasants in the countryside (20 million)
- Worked the land under a seigneur
20
Q
privileges of the 3rd estate
A
- Had no privileges
- Paid direct taxes such as the taille vingtime and capitation
- Indirect taxes like the gabelle (salt tax), aides on drinks, taxes on tobacco and tithe to the church
- Every male was liable for military service and corvee royal to maintain the roads
- Feudal peasants subject to seigneurial dues
