From Absolute Monarch to Absolute Change What caused of the French Revolution?

Quils mangent de la brioche Let them eat cake. Antoinette Marie

If there was ever a 'watershed' event that singularly altered the path of history, it could be argued that the French Revolution remains the leading candidate. After decades of abuse, the pioneering actions of the 'great washed' would be so groundbreaking that they will earn titles that read like C storylines! "#he $torming of the %astille", the "%read &arch of the 'omen", "the (reat Fear" or the ")eclaration of the Rights of &an". All of these represent the watchwords of the Revolutionary cry! "Fraternity, *+uality, ,iberty-" 'ithout a doubt, the ideas, philosophical +uestions and paradigm shifts that are born out of the Revolutionary .eal for change in /012 still echo through 'estern society today. #he inheritance, however, would not always be positive. Robespierre and the misnamed "Committee of 3ublic $afety" would impose the ideals of Republicanism by the 'glint of the guillotine', and the dictatorships of the 45th century will borrow heavily from the lessons learned by the modern 'estern world's first totalitarian regime. Regardless of the nature of the change, however, the legacy left behind remains the same! these were the true 'shots heard round the world'. #oday we will e6amine the background causes of the French Revolution and will attempt to 'light the fuse' for the fireworks that follow. Morning Notes I. 7ave you ever had a 8watershed moment9: 'here suddenly drastically changed you life: ;r where something became perfectly clear: 'as it a positive or negative e6perience: )id you reali.e at the time it was a 8watershed moment9: 7ave you ever felt passionate about change: 7ave you ever looked at something and said 8hey, that is not the way it should be9: 'hat did you do: 'ould you do it all over again if you had to:

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Preparation for Lecture I. II. <ideo! Pint Sized History, The French Revolution <ideo! Marie Antoinette Trailer

e! "erms I. II. III. I<. <. <I. constitutional monarchy tithes clergy lettres de cachet Aristocracy #hird *state

Focus #uestions I. $ome critics dismiss the French )eclaration for its failure to deal with economic concerns. #he call it a document favouring the interests of the middle class. 'hat do you think: 'hat is money: 'rite your own definition.

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Lecture Notes "he $rigins of the French Revolution i. ,ouis= heirs > )espite being the 8$un ?ing9, ,ouis had left France broke. 7e had been an inspiring leader but his reckless pursuit of e6pansion had done little to enhance the power of France. 7is heirs would lack his political acumen and skill@ when coupled with crippling debt it would be a receipt for disaster. ii. Anfortunately for France, his successor was incapable of stopping 'the flood'. ,ouis B< became frustrated at the financial state of France and turned to a life of wine, women and gambling instead. ,ouis B< prophetically stated 8aprCs moi l=deluge9 or 8after my indulgences9 D what will be ne6t: ,ouis B<I was literally in over his head, and as a result, he would lose it at the guillotine. #he problems facing France were numerous! /. /0EFD/0FG D France builds up enormous debt by participating in the $even Hears' 'ar. IJ! e6plain this > the French Indian 'ar and loss of all A holdings K revenue from the colonies that had supported ,ouis BI< and the impact it had on *ngland K debt it created L ta6ation on the coloniesM /00F > /01G D American Revolution > the American Revolution had an e6treme impact on the French. #hey aided the American colonists in rebelling against their imperial rival *ngland in hopes of gaining trade advantage within the colonies after the war. #he French also hoped to gain a measure of revenge for the defeat in the $even Hears 'ar. Although the Americans did achieve independence there was no measurable gain in trade for the French and the Americans actually defaulted on several wartime loans. #here was also an

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ideological impact as the absolutist state IFranceM had Nust supported the creation of a Republic IAmericaM. IJ! go into some detail on the ideological impact and the fact that the American system of government was totally opposite that of the French > huge factor. *conomically the Americans returned to trading with the *nglish > impact on *nglish Imperialism moving forwardM &arieDAntoinette D 'ife of ,ouis B<I, whose selfDindulgent tendencies became a symbol of royal e6cess as she appeared to be a symbol of everything that was wrong with France. IJ! discuss &arieDAntoinette > hated by the French, but was she really everything she was made out to be: Remember she was deeply connected to the Austrian throne Iforeign powerM and seen as unattached to the French people > fair Nudgment:M Charles de Calonne D Controller general of Finances appointed by ,ouis B<I in /01G@ recommended acrossDtheDboard ta6ation as the only way to salvage Frances financial situation. *fforts to reform the ta6 $ystem were critical for the monarchy but posed serious problems. #a6 reform had to be approved by the *states (eneral. #he high aristocracy, which saw payment as socially degrading, and the Church, which was ta6De6empt, resisted change. #he only option was ta6 increases on the peasantry, who were the only level of French society paying ta6es to begin with, but you cannot get 'blood from a stone' as the saying goes. IJ! #he ?ing was going to have to call a meeting of the three > Aristocracy, the Church and the peasantry > results would predictable when voting with three parties > who was going to suffer: 'hat do you think each group was going to ask for:M Famine D a series of crop failures caused a shortage of grain, this led to starvation. #he 'bread riot' influence led residents to move to the city looking for employment. Cities became overcrowded and filled with the hungry and disaffected. IJ! 'ho did the bread shortage most impact: ,east: ,et them eat cake-M

%tructure of the Ancien Regime & "hree 'states i. Ancien Regime divided society into three estates! First 'state (Clerg!) > #he Church made up the top level of the pyramid in France. #heir power was incredible and was not in proportion to their relatively small si.e nor to the contributions they made D or didn't make D to the coffers of /1th century France. 'ith only .EP of the population, they owned /5P of all the land and were able to control the education system, state censorship and the courts. #hey did not pay ta6es, but instead gave a 'gratuit' or gift to the crown.

%econd 'state (Nobilit!) > #he Aristocracy was disenchanted with monarchy's efforts to revise the ta6 codeDand with its own position in the state and society. #he economic base of the aristocracy was in relative decline, and tradition prevented it from tapping the new commercial sources of wealth. It resented the rise of wealthy merchant families, many of whom had purchased lands from the aristocrats. #he bourgeoisie both disdained and aped aristocratic pretensions. In order to maintain their economic power, the aristocrats reaffirmed the payment of old feudal dues K obligations that fallen into disuse. #he aristocrats renewed their demands for a monopoly of top positions in the military and bureaucracy. #hey called increasingly for the convening of the *statesD (eneral and the reestablishment of a dualistic state. %y the late eighteenth century, the aristocracy had become alienated from the %ourbon monarchy. IJ! )iscuss the concept of &erit vs. inheritance of position > discuss the 8American )ream9 > a nation France had Nust helpedM "hird 'state (Peasants) > this estate included everyone else in society. %ecause it was so large it is easier to break the #hird *state in to two groups that represented the different interests of the population. "he "hird 'state & "op Level #he fiveDfold increase in commerce created great fortunes, but upward mobility was increasingly difficult because the sale of offices and titles had slowed. #he middle strata were liable for ta6es, but the wealthiest avoided payment and sought ways to e6tract revenue from the peasants on estates, which they had bought. #heir political power did not match their economic strength, and the gap between them widened during the eighteenth century. #he educated middle strata were angered by the "feudal reaction," under which the nobility sought to reassert old traditional aristocratic rights and distinctions. "he "hird 'state & *ottom Level #he grievances of other groups paled in comparison to the woes of the peasantry. As Abbe $ieyes wrote in "'hat is the #hird *state:9 ''e are everything D but an everything oppressed.' Although the French peasantry was the most liberated in *urope, it remained under increasing economic and social pressure in the late eighteenth century. #he peasants owed a tithe to the Church and rents IduesM to manorial lords, some of who were aristocrats but others of whom were wealthy bourgeois. #his obligation was particularly resented. #he peasantry was angered by the persistence of aristocratic rights over such things as hunting and the appropriation of common lands. Increasing royal ta6es, especially the taille, or head ta6, also angered them. #hese problems were e6acerbated by population growth on the land. #he resulting subdivision of land reduced the si.e of individual holdings. Finally, the peasantry had no political voice. For the lower

middle classes, the latter half of the eighteenth century brought rising prices and a growing gap between them and the upper middle class. "he ing & was separate from the three estates and recogni.ed as the absolutely ruler of the country. ,ouis B<I agreed very reluctantly in /011 to convene the *states (eneral. %par+ of Revolution #he actual spark for the French Revolution came from several shortDrange factors. i. #he need to finance France's assistance to the American revolutionaries led in /010 to renewed efforts to revise the ta6 structure. After the parliaments balked, ,ouis B<I agreed very reluctantly in /011 to convene the *states (eneral. ii. #he aristocracy and clergy e6pected to dominate the proceedings of the *states (eneral. ,ouis B<I granted a very broad franchise for elections to the *states (eneral, hoping that the election of a radical #hird *state would make the aristocracy and clergy more tractable. iii. Radical lawyers and other professionals of low social rank dominated the #hird *state. 3roviding leadership and direction that had been absent in previous generations.