AP EURO MIDTERM: French Revolution I

assignats

1789: Assembly authorized the issuance of assignats or government bonds. Their value was guaranteed by the revenue generated from the sale of church property. Ended in inflation

Flight to Varennes

1791: King attempts to flee. Looks as if King is the chief counter revolutionary and distrust was part of the political scene. ENDED hope for a const. monarchy

Declaration of Pillnitz

1791: Prussia and Austria declare that they are ready to intervene to protect French royal family and safe the monarchy. Leopold II of Austria issues this. GB was not ready, but France saw themselves surrounded by foes.

constitutional monarchy

1791: The National Assembly pursues a policy of constitutional monarchy. The political power was in the unicameral legislative assembly. They also decided war or peace. King had power to veto (only to halt legislation).

Abbé Siéyès

A priest from the Third Estate who made a comment that reflected the wish of the 3E to assert their role and power. They did not want the monarchy and nobles and clergy deciding the future of their nation.

Bastille

After giving into the National Assembly, Louis XVI wanted to reassert authority and gathered mercenaries in the Paris, Versailles: rumors spread that he wanted to disperse the National Assemble, esp. after he fired Necker (offensive against the national assembly). The population storms the symbol of the monarchy for weapons for their militia.

parlements

Aristocratic institutions. After the death of Louis XIV, they prevented new methods of taxation. Nobles allied with the common man against the despotic monarchy.

émigrés

Around 16,000 nobles fled France and formed a counter-revolution.

Olympe de Gouges

Composed Declaration of Rights of Women. She wanted women to own property and have equality and eduction.

active and passive citizens

Constitution provides for a system of indirect elections to thwart power of popular pressure on the government. Only the active citizens who pay annual taxes could vote. They chose electors who vote for members of the legislation. Power was in property and not in hereditary status

Great Fear

During the summer of 1789, the Great Fear swept the provinces and rural areas. Revolutionary fervor spread among peasants, The National Assembly to stop this ended the remnants of manorialism (corvee, privileges of the nobility).

American Revolution

French had supported the American revolution against the Brits. But, this made France even more in debt. This and the Seven Years War left France in debt. And by 1781, sources of revenues were unchanged by the debt was even larger.

Louis XVI

He was king of France from 1774-1792. He gave concessions to the parlements which he reinstated after Louis XV died. He rarely left Versailles. He was married to Marie Ant.

Assembly of Notables

In 1787, Calonne needed public support for his ideas. So he met with an Assembly of Nobles (they were nominated by the royal ministry from the upper ranks of nobles and church) to seek support. The Assembly of Notables REFUSED. They believed that the taxation system did have to be reformed, but they felt that was in the power of the Estates General. They wanted tax reforms by the nobles at the expense of the monarchy.

Calling of the Estates General

In 1788, Louis XVI called the Estates General to meet for new taxes. They hadn't been called since 1614. He had to call them for a number of reasons. #1: Parlement of Paris refused to ratify the land tax. #2: The Assembly of Clergy refused to approve a subsidy to gov. and even lowered the don gratuit. #3: Bankers refused to extend short-term credit to government.

August 4 Decrees (Abolition of Feudalism)

In 1789, in reaction of the Great Fears, the August 4 decrees were made. The National Assembly ended the remnants of manorialism (corvee, privileges of the nobility). Nobles renounce their feudal rights, dues, and tithes. Surrendered hunting and fishing rights, judicial authority, and legal exemptions. All frenchmen were equal under the same laws. Careers were open to all (not just on wealth or birth). Abolishment of the Old Regime.

Versailles

Louis XVI and his family lived in Versailles and did not mix with aristocrats. French monarch stood at disadvantage in his clash with parlements and later with nobles.

Absolutism

Monarch is the sole head of government. In France, it involved balance between monarchy and nobles. After the death of Louis XIV, nobility tried to assert their influence.

Necker and Calonne

Necker: The director of finances. He made a public report in 1781 stating that finances situation wasn't that bad. He said that the budget was in surplus and the debt of the American revolution was removed. The also said that royal expenditures went to pensions for nobles and court favorites. This angered the court aristocratic circles and soon, Necker left office. But his public report made it hard to government to raise taxes. Calonne: He was the minister of finances. Wanted a new land tax that would tax all landowners. Also then, there would be no indirect taxes. The gov. would not have to seek approval from nobles. He wanted to establish new local assemblies made up of landowners to approve the land taxes (power would depend on the amount of land). This would undermine the power of the French aristocracy.

metric system

Provide nation with a uniform weights and measurements: CENTRALIZATION

Marie Antoinette

She was the wife of Louis XVI. She was known for her sexual misconduct and personal extravagances. Made crown at a disadvantage with nobles and parlements.

The National Assembly

The 3E declared itself to be the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. This would be a new legislative body. The Second Estate voted to join them.

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy

The Assembly issued the civil Constitution of Clergy which made the church into a branch of the secular state. The Number of bishops decreased and the election of priests, they were payed by the stated. Dissolved religious orders. This was a major blunder because it embittered relations between the church and the state. Revolution and religion were now incompatible.

départements

The National Assembly abolished provinces. In its place, they put 83 administrative units or departments. Subdivided. All the old judicial courts abolished and instead uniformed, elected courts with simple and non-degrading punishments.

Tennis Court Oath

The National Assembly was locked out of the usual meeting place. So they met in a tennis court. They pledged that they would not disband until it had given France a const.

cockade and tricolor

The Paris militia (national guard) elected Lafayette to their leader. He gave them a new emblem or cockade. This became the tricolor flag of revolutionary France.

Chapelier Law

The new policies of economic freedom and uniformity disappointed both peasants and urban workers. On 1791, the Assembly crushed the attempts of urban workers to protect their wages by passing this law. FORBADE workers' associations. Now, peasants and workers were left to the freedom and mercy of the marketplace.

Seven Years' War

This lasted from 1756-1763. France emerged as a nation in debt. Monarchy attempted to devise new taxes but were prevented by the parliaments who were led by nobles and did not want to be taxed.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

This occurred in 1789. Statement of political principles. Main ideas were civic equality and popular sovereignty. Freedom of speech and press, assembly, the right to petition government, freedom of religion and freedom from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment. Tax would be based on capacity to pay.

cahiers de doléances

When the representatives came to the royal palace, they brought with a list of grievances, registered by the local electors to be presented to the King. Ideas: hate of government waste, indirect taxes, church taxes and corruption, hunting rights of nobles. They wanted periodic meeting of the EG., fair taxes,more local control of administration, unified weights and measures to make trade and commerce easy, free press. Equality of rights amount king's subjects.

Women's March to Versailles

Women were armed. They marched on Versailles due the bread shortages paired with Louis XVI not signing the Declaration of Rights of man and citizen into action. Due to the march, Louis XVI agrees to sign. Royal family returns to Paris to take up residence in the Tuileries Palace