Date Event
French Revolution Timeline 1781-1789
Significance
Evaluation of historians’ views and/or primary
sources.
1781 Necker’s
Compte
Rendu
The Compte Rendu was a significant document for
many reasons. One of the main reasons was that it
was the first report to be read closely by the
literate and better off public(upper 3 rd class and
first and second clases), this allowed the public to
be very informed as to how the monarchy was
dealing with the economic situation at the time as
those who could not afford the book often spoke
with people who could and the word was spread
orally as well. The Compte-Rendu showed that the
monarchy had spent over ten million livres on
supporting the American war of Independence.
However, Necker did believe that the credit posture
of the government was sound and that there was no
debt, but infact a surplus. This was important as it
gave the government an excuse to not push for
reforms which led to long term effects such as the
Assembly of Notables, the Aristocratic Revolt and
the calling of the Estate General. It was also an
important document because it highlighted Necker’s
ambition for change; he wanted to bring in the very
successful British method of public taxation
methods into France. Necker was unique for many
reasons, he came from a private banking
background rather than the usual magistrate class.
The purpose of the Compte- Rendu in 1781 was not
only to reveal the revenue and expenditures of the
government but also to explain to the king (louis
the XVI), the ministers and public the nescissary
reforms in fiscal policy that were in order. Callone
did attack this document stating that Necker was
seventy thousand livres over. He went as far to
bring this document before the Assembly of
Notables, but failed to present any valid
documentation or justification.1
Historian Peter Robert Campbell believes that
Compte-Rendu had an important short-term effect
towards the outbreak of the revolution. This
important document not only highlighted the
extreme over spending of the Monarchy towards
the American War of independence, it also
allowed the French people to become informed as
to what was going on around them fiscally2. This
can be compared to
Historian Peter McPhee’s views. Mcphee sees this
document as a vital catalyst for the outbreak of
the revolution. He says that the revolution was
inevitable as the French people were so angered
by their lives that change was bound to occur.
This document was a prime example of the
mistreatment of the Monarchy3. However,
historian Simon Schama sees the compte-rendu as
a prime piece of propaganda, and the first real
example of an event that started to unravel and
reveal the French monarchy to the people. This
document was also the start of Necker’s fall from
grace, according to Schama4.
1787 Assembly of
Notables
The Assembly of notables was an advisory body of
the Old Regime, also know as the Ancien Regime.
this included nearly one hundred and fifty nobles
and elected public officials of France. In 1787 Louis
XVI called the Assembly of Notables to approve a
reform that could have potentially saved France
from an imminent revolt, but surprisingly these
reforms were rejected as the upper classes did not
wish to give up their rights, and King Louis the XVI
was too weak and influence to push them through
by using the Lit De Justice . These ideas of reform
were led by Calonne the financial miister at the
time. The reforms centered around a new land tax
Historian Peter McPhee notes that the calling of
the Assembly of Notables in 1787 is not of
importance and has little to do with the outbreak
of the revolution.6 However, historian George
Rudé argues that the Assembly of Notables was an
extremely important factor in the outbreak of the
French revolution showing the determination of
the 2nd estate and the class confrontations that
resided in France during that time.
(which would not be exempt from second and first
estates) and provincial assemblies. Other reforms
included reduction of the taille, a money payment
replacing the corvée, a more equitable salt tax,
free internal trade in grain and removal of tariff
barriers within the national borders. leading to his
dismissal on the 7 of April 1787. This rejection
ultimately led to the monarchy calling for the
Estates General in 1789. 5
1788 Cahiers de
doleances
The Cahiers de doléances means copybooks of
complaints, grievances or troubles.7 The assemblies
that elected deputies to the Estates General drafted
them. They were used as an expression of concern
and a demand for reform. For the third estate the
cahiers were drafted by literate elites and lawyers
of the bourgeoisie, they comprehended and
interpreted the voices of the peasants, thus their
complaints were indirectly heard. For the second
estate, many of the nobility were present at the
assemblies which meant that their cahiers were
more of a direct representation of their complaints.
The first estate directly participated in these
assemblies so their voices were directly heard and
accounted for.8 The cahiers of 1789 all were
formed around a few central ideas: How the
assemblies should be constituted, who was to attend
them and what use would be made of their
cahiers.9 These cahiers were signifgant because it
allowed the people of France to have their opinions
heard for the first time, especially that of the third
estate. Louis XVI would finally have an idea of what
was really going on at the time and could push for
reforms.
1788 Publication of Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes was a vicar-general of the
What is the Cathedral at Chartres. Although he was a member
Third Estate? of the first estate, and a heavily religious man, he
was also very involved politically and believed
heavily in the importance of the third estate. His
pamphlet, What is the third estate?, was one of the
most influential pre-revolutionary pamphlets. This
pamphlet was so controversial at the time that
Sieyes was not allowed to be elected to any
assemblies of Estates-General because he alienated
his fellow clergymen in the pamphlet. This was not
to be a problem for Sieyes later in life, as he was
elected as a representative for the third estate.10
The pamphlet, What is the third estate?, argued
that there was no place in a properly constituted
nation for privileged groups of any sort. It asks us
to think about three questions: What is the third
Historian George Rudé views the Cahiers de
doleances as a document that was important for
the peasants as it gave them a voice. However, he
mainly views them as a useless document that
hardly committed to any reform through France
at the time. However historian Simon Schama
believes that the Cahiers de Doleance were
important because it finally allowed Louis to
observe how the third estate, which in fact was
the majority of France, really felt about what was
going on. Like Rudé Shama feels that the
document was an important piece of historical
evidence that allowed the peasants to have a say
however, he feels that the document was an
extremely important catalyst for the revolt as it
proved to the people that the king was weak for
not letting their reforms come through
parlement.
Historian William Doyle views the pamphlet, What
is the first estate, as the most eloquent and well
read pamphlet of the time. The significance of
this meant that the ideas illustrated would be
taken seriously and therefore be put into
practice. He also notes that the pamphlet is
responsible for the third estate setting up the
National Assembly. This view can be seen in
contrast to Simon Schama’s. He sees the pamphlet
as an extremely important document that
empowered the third estate. He states that the
document turned the idea of the third estate into
a “social reality”.
estate? – everything, What has it been until now in
the political order? – nothing and what is it asking?
– to be something. He saw the third estate as
everything and that the privileges that the nobility
and the first estate could use were unfair and not
accountable to common law. Sieyes refused to see
any good in the second estate. He suggested that
when the third estate were elected that hey should
set themselves up immediately as a national
assembly, and have no dealings with the other two
orders.11
1 R. D. Harris, “Compte-Rendu”, Samuel Scott and Barry Rothaus, Historical Dictionary of the
French Revolution, Vol.1, p.225 - 226
2 Robertcampbell, P, The Origans of the French Revolution, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, p. 22
3 Mcphee, P, The French Revolution 1789 – 1799, Oxford, 2002, p. 27
4 Schama, S, Citizens: a chronicle of the French Revolution, Penguin Books, 1989, p. 69
5 V. D. Gruder, “Assembly of Notables”, Samuel Scott and Barry Rothaus, Historical Dictionary of
the SFrench Revolution, Vol.1, p.225 - 226
6 Mcphee, P, The French Revolution 1789 – 1799, Oxford, 2002, p. 35
7 G.V Taylor, “Cahiers de doleances”, Samuel Scott and Barry Rothaus, Historical Dictionary of
the French Revolution, Vol.1, p.140 - 144
8 Hanson, P.R, ‘The Cahiers de doleances’, Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution,
Scarecrow Press, INC., USA, 2004, p.104
9 G.V Taylor, “Cahiers de doleances”, Samuel Scott and Barry Rothaus, Historical Dictionary of
the French Revolution, Vol.1, p.140 - 144
10 Hanson, P.R, “Sieys, Emmanuel-Joseph”, Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution,
Scarecrow Press, INC., USA, 2004, p. 296 - 297
11 Doyle, W, The Oxford History of the French Revolution, Oxford, New York, p. 94