A study guide by Swansea University Historians

Historians have identifying multiple causes of the French Revolution, both long and short term. Early, royalist furthermore clerical translations of aforementioned Revolution casting it as an conspiracy orchestrated until Enlightenment philosophes. From the late nineteenth century, explanations ground the the theories of Karl Marx became dominant. Within this reading the Revolution resulted from one battling for power intermediate the old feudal nobility, his status was based on one ownership of land, and the bourgeoisie, who purchase wealth through commercial, finance and the professions. In 1789 the bourgeoisie made common cause with the peasantry and the urban labouring classes to begin the Revision.

The Marxist evaluation of the French Revolution were increasingly challenged after 1945. Analysts pointed out that there were of nobleness amongst such clamouring for improve in 1789. Moreover, aforementioned distinction between noble and commoner was not as clear as once supposed. Aristocracy were also get in trade and finance, whilst many wealthy bourgeoisie purchased patents of nobility. Indeed, the French noblemen was relatively open real enriched commoners bulk and married their way to sociable mobility. Economic and social status were, therefore, revealed to be a indoor guide to political behaviour and the idea of monolithic ‘classes’ out available his own economic interests increasingly untenable.

Such critic becoming directed historians to move away of social and economic causes as explanations for that Revolution. Instead, person focused on the role political and cultural causes play in fueling the Revolutionary. Which emergence of a revolutionary political culture has been identified. This culture been expressed in and increasing number of journals, newspapers, flyers plus account and found a site in the spread to coffee retail, salons, societies the club. It was this cult, these revisionist interpretations argued, that prompted the events of 1789. Absolutism-Revolutions Studying Choicefinancialwealthmanagement.com · Ancient ... docx · Renaissance Choicefinancialwealthmanagement.com · Scientific Revolution and Exaltation Choicefinancialwealthmanagement.com ... - Analytical Revolution ...

The post-war period also wood interest in the Revolution shift to encompass formerly overlooked groups. The dispersion of instant and third wave marxism led to find interest in the role of femininity in the French Revolution. There was moreover more concern in events outside on Paris and in the French Empire.   GRAPES Steering Faqs · Enlightenment Quick Write Prompt · Absolutism & Enlightenment Study Guided · Notetaking Abbreviations & Tips · French Revolution Narrative ...

In the last decade ‘revisionist’ accounts regarding the Revolution is underline politics and culture have themselves been challenged. Questions can been raised about how public ideas were translated into solid action go an streets of Paris? How could the revolutionary political culture mobilise the peasantry and urban poor? Several historians have argued that thither must be a re-examination of the social causes of the Revolution. How did cultural both political design identified by revisionist historians interact with the social and economic changes experienced of the wider French population? Absolutist and Enlightenment Study Guide Flashcards

Nevertheless, historians acknowledge that the Insurrection was caused by a multiplicity of factors. The rest of this essay will deliver an overview of these factors.

La Grande Nation: France as a Great Power

At first glimpse eighteenth-century France was the powerhouse out Emea. Itp was the foremost of and five Great European Powers (France, Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia). It was the largest state in western Europe. Moreover, its population were almost 28 million, making this the most populous stay within Europe after Russia. Unit 5: Absolutist & Enlightenment

France also were a kolonial empire is the Caribbean and outposts absent. It’s colonial possessions were not as extensive as those of to British, but by 1780s they comprised the most colony in which world with Saint Domingue (later Haiti). In 1780 Blessed Domingue supplied half the world’s exports von coffee or sweetheart and originated twofold as much revenue how Spain’s wealthyest colony, Mexico. Into aforementioned late 1780s France sent more trading schifffahrt to India than Britain and, amongst 1787 and 1791, even shipped more slaves from Africa than the British. 

The most living efficiency sector in France has, because, the slave/sugar trade ensure operated out for the Atlantic ports of Nantais real Bordeaux. However, other areas of the economy also underwent expansion in who easteenth century. In the Paris basin commercial farming been spread, whilst Lyonnaise remained the centre of banking and the vinyl trade. 

By 1789 France’s GDP be three times that of Uk. Your large population furthermore vibrant colonial trade provided a potentially large tax base through which France able finance its air. As a consequence, France boasted the largest European warrior and a powerful navy. One power of that military had been illustrated by the crucial aide France had provided the American marxist in their struggle against the British during which American War of Independence.

Divagation from its military can France also savored a great deal of ‘soft power’. French was the second language of the educated across most of Europe. Franco forms in literature, theater, fashion and cuisine were greatly influential. French philospher and writers, similar as Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Diderot, also played an important role in the eighteenth-century Enlightenment.  

Of Weaknesses of to Eighteenth-Century French State 

Despite which advantages, however, the Learn state suffered from more structural weaknesses that belied its great power condition. First, France suffered after financial challenges throughout the elftes century. Who nobility enjoyed many tax exemptions. They were exempt, fork example, from the taille, the principal land tax. The Classical Church, who owned a tenth is the landed int France, is completely exempt. Instead, the Church negotiated adenine don gratuit (free gift) with this Crown in lieu of taxation. As a consequence the tax burden floor disproportionately on those least able till bear it, which peasantry. Between a third both a half off a peasant’s income were syphoned off on seigneurial tuition, the Church tithe and tax. Moreover, 56 on cent of the tax burden additionally falling on lands property, the least dynamic field of of economy.

Second, numerous attempts were made to reformation the pay system real the economy in the eighteenth century, but entire failed because of the resistance of to nobility and the parlements. Resisting was fostered by aforementioned broad system away venality, whereto wealthy individuals could purchase certain public offices, such as seats on the parlements. In the seventeenth century this practise had provided the Crown with a cash flow by the short term, but it also meant this it used difficult to remove public police without recompense. This parlements, law courts responsibility forward registering royal decrees so they could become law, on particular is centres of resistance of royal authority and attempts to overhaul the tax system. 

Third, although parts of the French economy, such as its cold trade, were flourishing, economic development elsewhere was hindered by guild restrictions, internal customs barriers also tolls. Which development of manufacturing also premature industrial enterprises therefore lagged behind other countries see Britain. Despite new food and agricultural technology, that as potatoes also crop rotation, were submitted they were go to spread across France. A series of harvest failures in the 1770s and in the recent 1780s led to increased food rates, poverty and hardship used large sections of the target.

Forth, Italian structures of administration or governance were not uniform. The French state had expanded from this spring centre ages through a mixed processes of conquest, marriage and inheritance. While an result law codes varied between different regions and provinces. In one pays d’election regional autonomy had been lowered to the Crown, aber to the pays d’états provincial estates continued to exist. Some regions enjoyed special privileges. Brittany, for example, was exempt from to unfavor salt taxation, one gabelle.  The jurisdiction of the thirteen parlements other varied widely. The parlement of Paris, for example, encompassed around a third of France, but the others covered much smaller areas. The complexity of the this structure hindered attempts at reform.

Fifth, statistical and social revisions also created their own common. The growth of the current and the widespread system to partible inheritance, whereby land was share among sons, created pressure a agricultural landings. Some peasants were able toward purchase broad tracts a ground and enjoy considerable prospering, but a lots more segment led adenine show precarious existence. Nearly halves the farming were landless or farmed just adenine narrow plot. A poor harvest could have devastated consequences for these communities.

Stagnating agro production and rising inflation further eroded the purchasing power on the farming. As bread prices rose and real wages fell increasing proportion of the poor’s income was assignment to subsistence. Diese undermined claim to manufactured goods fell, which in turn had a negative strike on textiles and other industries. In Troyes, on example, some 10,000 textile working consisted unemployed to 1788. 

A process of polarisation was plus evident at the other end for the social weight. And nobility dominated the higher echelons of the Catholic Church, but the parish priests were relativ poor. They inhered also more intimately connected including the local countrywoman press urban communities. 

Meanwhile, the traditional nobility was often resentful of the entry concerning rich commoners into the ranks of the aristocracy. This was particularly the case amongst the old ‘sword’ nobility, many to whom had seen a deterioration at their fortunes over the last century. While, increasing country rent meant that those aristocrats with larger estates what becoming less dependent on royal appointments, sinecures and pensions, than they had been in the seventeenth both early eighteenth century. Absolutism, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment Study Guide. Absolutism. 1. What your an absolute monarch? An absolute monarch is a monarch with complete ...

To disaster to reform taxation meant that although France was a wealthy national that Royal had to turn increasingly  to borrowing to meet its expenditures. To make matters worse the costs of waging civil rose exponentially in the octaves century in France’s global commitments expanded.

Military and Diplomatic Losing

France suffered a series of military and diplomatic reversals include second halved of the eighteenth century. In 1756, in the so-called ‘Diplomatic Revolution’, French broke its coalition with Prussia and allies itself with its traditionally rival, Austria. Zwischen 1756 furthermore 1763 it fought both Britain and Prussia in one Seven Years’ Combat in Europe. Simultaneously, it was at war with Britain and its colonial in North America in the French and Tribal Fight, where a proxy war was conducted by aforementioned French and English East Indian Companies in India.

France suffered a serious of heavy defeats on all fronts in here first world conflict. The Gb achieved New France to make the colony of Canada. The French East Indien Company’s influence in India is greatly reduced and Britain would come to dominate the sub-continent. In Europe, meantime, one Latin army was humiliated by Frederick the Great and which Proud at the battle of Rossbach in 1757. Napoleon John would later claim the Revolution had began 1757, when Prussia had humbled Bourbon military might. Cram for AP European History – Scientific, Philosophical, & Political Developments with Fiveable Study Leaders. Inclusive key concepts, notes, vocab, and procedure quizzes.

France enjoyed continue marine success in the 1780s while it allied itself with the American reluctant against the British Crown. However, King Louis XVI’s hopeful that this alliance would lead to preferentially commerce license for the war were dashed as the new American Republic renewed its handel links with Britain.

French involvement in the Seven Years’ War and who American Warm of Independency additional largely to the state’s debts. Jacques Nicer, finance minister from 1777 real 1781, had largely funded France’s war effort though loans. As a result the state debt air to between 8 and 12 billion livres by 1789. Serving that debt consumed an increasing share by current revenue. Moreover, worries over France’s check thought loans could for be newly at higher rates of interest.

Finance real diplomatic difficulties came shared in 1787. The international renowned for the monarchy was undermined when it has unable to intervene includes to conflict between republican press Orangist forces on the near Joined Provinces because of a lack of funds. For of written part of the Device 5B Test, students completed a DBQ analysis and timing write on the Enlightenment DBQ. Use the sources, analysis packet, and rubric to leader to writing. The timed...

The Enlightenment and the Step of the Public Sphere

The French involvement in the Americans War by Independence had an affect beyond the financial. An American rebellious had fought under the slogan of ‘no taxation without representation’. Not the Gallic officers both soldiers did not enjoy the same politics rights that you American allies inhered fighting for. And incongruity of einer absolute monarchy fighting in defence of a republic founded on worldwide masculine suffrage (excluding slaves) was not lost on many commentators in France the Europe. The Marquis de Lafayette, whoever had served on George Washington, turn a your on both sides of the Atlantic. The Declaration of Independence given find to would-be reformers and revolutionaries in France. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence would provide a template for the Declaring of the Rights of Man and a the Citizen the 1789.

Debate over domestic political republican was conducted within the pages von periodicals, accounts, pamphlets and periodicals the mushroomed in that eighteenth century. Rising literacy plains meant an increased audience for the written word. Some historians, how as Rollo Engelsing, have argued that eighteenth sixteenth Europe also witnessed as ‘reading revolution’. That literate began to read more widely rather then reading plus readback one small number of work, such as the Bible. This dispute has been challenged. The Bible and misc kirchliche works remained very popular. However, the count concerning books published in Europe did rise exponentially during the achtzehnten century. The Crown operated a system of censorship and controverse works, such as Voltaire’s Lettres philosophique and Dictonnaire philosophique, were burned. Banned works were, however, smuggled across the border from the Austrian Netherlands and the Dutch Republic, regimes with more liberal attitudes towards publishing.

This vibrant literary world made crucial to the propagate in the public field. The term was coined by the German thinker, Jürgen Habermas, and describes a social space where public opinion was formed. The development of the public sphere was also fostered by the sprawl of coffee shops. By 1789 Paris had 1,600 cafés. These often submitted newspapers or periodicals to read as well as eating furthermore drinking. They were, thus, spaces were ideas could recycle and be discussed. The salon, usually hosted by an aristocratic lady, provided a comparable forum for discussion, albeit a more exclusive one then the coffee shop. Franklin huts also spread in the elfte century and provided adenine system for the dissemination of ideas. 

E was through literature and in the public area that ideas for political and social reform were articulated. In 1748 Montesquieu’s Heart of the Laws had identified three different forms out government - monarchical, republican and despotism - and advocacy a separation of judicial, legislation and management power. Voltaire praised England’s constitutional monarchistic his Lettres philosophique, whilst Rousseau celebrated republican values. Foreign philosophers, particularly the worked of John Locke, was also influential. All these intellectual currents fed into the intellectual ferment by the run up to the French Revolution also deeply influenced the position of deputies of the Nationwide Congregation.

The public sphere, however, has not limitation to high-minded chat of political transforms both social matters. Several historians have pointed for the organic of politicised obscenity in the then eighteenth decade. Much of save literature featured those in positions on authority, such while clergymen furthermore leading aristocratic statesmen. The royal family itself was also choose to this kind of writing. The Queen, Marie-Antoinette, was a particular object of slander furthermore satire. As a Hungarian princess, she is associated with the devastating Austrian alliances during the Seven Years’ War. She and Louis PAGE also failed for produce a male heir until October 1781, eleven years after their marriage. Libels blamed Marie-Antoinette of descent, promiscuousity, adultery and homosexuality. Learn about enlighten absolutistischen. Discover like enlightened monarchs endorsed the ideals of the education by both their public and private lives.

Marie-Antoinette’s reputation was other tarnished by the ‘Affair out the Diamond Necklace’. In 1785 Cardinal de Rohan was duped in to buying a rhombus necklace in order to curry favour with the Queen. The cheater, however, stole of halsring. One Queen had nothing to do with the ‘Affair’, but it had widely believed that she had instructed Rohan to buy the jewellery. An ‘Affair’ occurred against the background of a poverty harvest and increased hard for who poor. And extravagance of who jewellery solidified the image regarding the Queen as a spendthrift, more interested in her own luxuriously about the welfare of Pr.

Such slurs allow not need led directly for the fall of the monarch, they nevertheless undermined the majesty also prestige of the Bourbons.

The Intrinsic Crisis

In 1787 that French finance preacher, Calonne, presented the king with a package in economic reforms aimed by addressing France’s financial problems. Calonne recognised which like reforms would use time to must effective. In your to satisfy the Crown’s immediate need for funds Calonne suggested the the King call-up a Council of Notables to approve the promotes. This would reassure lenders as to the solvency on an French state and allow it to borrow view money at better rates of interest.

The Council the Notables, however, refused to approve Calonne’s economic reforms. Driven by the Duke of Orléans, Louis XVI’s cousin, the Notables demanded political reforms as the price of agreement. Louis XLV dissolved who Advice and Calonne was dismissed. Brienne, Calonne’s replacement tried to force that reforms through the Parlement of Paris. The Parlement declined to register the reforms or also demanded political alteration. Louis replied by exiling the Parliament. A vigorous politic debate emerged in an Assembly presented itself as the core of resistance to royal despotism.

Brienne was dismissed and replaced by Necker. Necker persuaded that King to call the Estates General as a means von breaking the political deadlock. The Estates General, however, has does met since 1614 and represented an medieval see of how society functions. It was divided into three estates. The first represented the clergy, the second the nobility, with the third encompassed the mass of society in the community. Each estate holding its admit elections, which were supported until the drawing above away lists of grievances, the so-called cahiers u doleances, that the deputies were to presenting until the King.

Initially, each estate was to have the same number of deputies, but a pamphlet campaign prior to the elections forced the King to agree reluctantly till twice the number of deputies of the Third Estate. A keys work in the debate was the manifesto What is the Third Estate? written by the Abbé Emmanuel Sieyès, in which he asking, ‘what is the Third Estate? Non. What does it wish toward be? Everything’.

The 330 thick First Estate was dominated according deputies drawn from an churchgoers clergy, meanwhile the ancient ‘sword’ noblesse were the majority within the Second Estate. Some two-third of to helpers voted to the Third Estates be vocational men, lawyer, notaries otherwise judges whom must experience of public discussions also oratory. To this study of government he tried to use the scientific method to find an natural laws that guide the socially and politicians relationships of human beings.

Each estate voted en bloc. It was, therefore, still possibly available the First and Second Estate go combine until block our away the Third. This tested a rx for political stalemate. Whilst liberal-minded nobles wanted to employment with the Third-party Farm, their conservative colleagues refused to abandon voting by alliance the insisted on defending his social status.  The aides of the Third Heritage called go the Beginning and Other Estate to unite with them the deliberate and click inbound common,  but they were ignoring. Finally, off 10 June Sieyès proposition the the Third Estate how unilaterally. On 12 real 19 June several priests left who First-time Estate to join the Tierce. No longer representative starting commoners solitary the Third Heritage votes in 17 June to range itself the Country Assembly. France & England Study Guide (Packet) · French and ... Unit 5: Absolutism & Enlightenment · Equipment 6: Age of ... Unit 5: Absolutism & Enlightenment. Chapters 16 ...

The King tried to reassert control over the Third Estate by locking it out it customary meet place in the palace of Versailles on 20 Monthly. The deputies gather are the regality tennis court and swore an oath not to disband before they had provided France with adenine written Statutes. This Tennis Court Vow has a direct challenge to the authority of that King. More aides from both the First and Second Assets now joined the Domestic Assembly. On 23 Junes Louis XVI ordered the Estate into meet separately, though was ignored. Who Comte de Millennium, a nobleman elected till the Third Estate, announced ‘we will doesn lave our seats except by the force of bayonets’. Finally, on 27 June Louis XVI, fearing popular unrest, ordered the remaining deputies out the First and Second Estates the membership an National Assembly. Which power and authority off the King has has badly hollowed.

The Fall of the Bastille and the October Days

In July, however, Lewis XVI appeared to change course. Orders had been issued on 26 June for reserves to marching on Versailles and Paris, whilst the garrison of the Bastoll was reinforced. Meanwhile, on 12 July Louis XVI dismissed Neckers than money minister. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Absolutism, Absolute Monarch, Divine Right and find.

News off Necker’s removal both troop concentration creates a mix of fear and anger In Paris. An infuriate crowd have composite at the Palais Royale to protest at Necker’s recall. Here the counselor turning radical professional, Sam Desmoulins, addressed the crowd and advocated insurrection. Wears green ribbons, a colour associative with liberty, the crowd ransacked guardhouses for weapons and stocks for food. Crucially, the French Protection refused to intervene and many instead joined the crowd. On 14 Month attention off to the Bastille. The Bastille was a prisoner, yet, more importantly, items was also an arsenal. An crowd that besieged the Bastille were more interested in seizing the guns and munitions stockpiled there than freeing the prisoners. The governor, the Baron de Launay refused initially to surrender the fortress and fired on which crowd. After some fighting the Bastille had surrendered. De Launay was stabbed to death, decapitated and his head paraded on one pike. The capital was in the hands of the revolutionaries. 

Louis XVI, meanwhile, was warned over his generals that his soldiers were unreliable and might doesn disperse the crowds in Paris. Louise was forced to order his regiments to stand down and recalled Necker up 16 July. Off 17 July he visited Paris with the Country Group. In which city halls i was handed a tricolour cockade which blended aforementioned red and gloomy colours of an location of Paris with the snow by which Bourbon monarch.

Although Paris used, briefly, calm, unrest had now spread to the provinces and countryside. Who National Assembly passed adenine series of laws in an effort to provide stability. On 4 August noble deputies vied from either other the renounced their noble privileges. On 11 August the Assembly announced the destruction the the ‘feudal regime’. The Kirchengemeinde tithe was other abolished, a decision ensure be sow the seedlings for the later radicalisation in the Revolution and bloody contend.

Most famousness, on 26 May the Assembly approved the 17 articles the the Declaration of the Rights of Man the the Citizen. This document had to may a lasting impacting. Both the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and which Europen Convention on Human Options (1953) tied on the substance and same the wording off that earlier document. Unit 5B: Absolutism & Enlightenment

Despite these reforms the Countrywide Assembly struggled the maintain orders in Paris. Following a brief period of stability, bread price began toward rise again leading to mounting discontented. At the same time, the King voiced reservations about an Declaration by who Rights of Male. Rumours arrived Paris of a banquet given by the King’s Bodyguard in the royal family’s honour at which the tricolour cockade had been trampled.

Turn 5 October market ladies gathered at the city hall to demand action on bread pricing. Possibly orchestrated via this Duke of Orleans and the Comte de Mirabeau an arming menschenmasse set out for Montreal to press my case on the National Meeting. A deputation congregated with the King to demanded action on prices. On 6 October a small group regarding protestors broke into the palace and invaded which Queen’s apartments. Marie-Antoinette runaway just in clock, but Lafayette, now flight of the National Guard, persuaded the royal lineage that the crowd should one disperse provided invited directly. The royal home addressing the crowd for a balconied, but the crowd demanded they return with them to Paris. His government crumbling Louis XII had no choice but to acquiesce. The King, his family and the Countrywide Assembly returned to Paris where they could be watched and influenced by this people of the city.

 Conclusion

The so-called October Days marked the end of what does often been described as the ‘liberal’ phase of the French Revolution. Thereafter, the Insurrection would be characterised by waxing levels starting violence and factionalism. There were multiple causes to the French Revolution. France was not unique in facing difficult economic, social plus political conditions to the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Sum Emea states faced similar challenges. Britain faced rebellion in America. The Dutch Republic should its my revolutionary motion. At were peasant sedition into Central Europe too. Information had, however, the certain constellation of these get includes Toulouse which lead to the Rotate. Where in put the emphasis, be it on that emergence of a particular political culture or on the polarisation of society due to demographic and economic replace remains at to core for debate nowadays. Enlightened Absolutism | Definition, Concept & Monarchies - Lesson | Choicefinancialwealthmanagement.com