Chapter 21
Part 1
Leading to the French Revolution
Louis XV 1715-1774
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Great-grandson of Louis XIV
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The Nobility gained influence during his reign

He allowed his ministers and mistresses to
influence him. They controlled the affairs of
state and were able to undermine the monarchy
Madame de Pompadour
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The most famous mistress of the 18th Century
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Influenced Louis XV regarding appointments
and foreign policy
The Parlement
(the High Court of Paris)

Was restored with the power to approve or
disapprove the king’s decrees

The judges had once been members of the
middle class (Louis XIV) who had worked their
way into the Nobility of the Robe…(bought
their offices) and by this time those families felt
no obligation to the king (the Paulette)
The Parlement Refused

To allow Louis XV to raise taxes to pay for the
War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven
Years’ War
th
18
Century French Kings

Will deal with similar issues that the early Stuart
kings in England did a century earlier: fighting
over control over taxes with
Parliament/Parlement)

The Paris Parlement ruled that the king could
not levy taxes without the consent of the
Parlement of Paris which acted as the
representative of the nation
The Paris Parlement
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Was hugely supported by the educated public
(Influence of Montesquieu)
1768 Louis XV
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Appointed Rene de Maupeou as his chancellor
and ordered him to subdue judicial opposition
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The Parlement of Paris was abolished and its
members were exiled to isolated areas of the
provinces

A new (royal-friendly) Parlement was created
The King began to tax privileged
groups

French Philosophes and educated public were
very critical of the new Parlement and Royal
authority
Louis XVI 1774-1792
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Grandson of Louis XV
dismissed Maupeou and repudiated his
rules/laws
Old Parlement of Paris was reinstated
The Public hoped for reforms leading to a more
representative government
But…another stalemate between king and
judicial opponents
France in 1789

In many ways France was the most advanced country
in Europe

The Largest in Population in the world: 25 Million
Wealthiest country in Europe (but not per capita)
Productive Economy (French exports to the
European continent larger than British)

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French Culture Dominated

French was the language of diplomacy and was
used in international courts

France was the center of the Enlightenment
French science led the world
Most powerful military in Europe

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The Three Estates

The First Estate: The Clergy

Less than 1% of the population but the Gallican
Church owned 20% of the land in France

Exempt from taxes

Local Parishes suffered as income was drained by
political appointees and high-ranking aristocrats
within the Church
BUT the Church in France

and its role in the French Revolution has been
exaggerated:

The French Church DID levy a tithe on agricultural
products…but so did the English Church
Bishops DID play a role in government affairs…but
the same for English Bishops


By 1789 the Church and monastic orders were in
decline due to the Enlightenment
The Second Estate: The Nobility

2-4% of the total population (Sword and Robe)

Exempt from taxes (but Paulette was a factor)
Owned 25% of the land
Big resurgence since the death of Louis XIV
Continued to enjoy some medieval manorial
rights that allowed them to tax peasants for their
own profit

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The Third Estate: everyone else

Bore the majority of the tax burden:

Taille: land tax
Tithe: Church Tax (10%)
Income tax
Poll Tax
Salt Tax
Corvee

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Peasants

Had to honor feudal obligations: hunting rights of
nobles, etc
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The Bourgeoisie demanded political power that would
reflect their economic power and contribution

Much resentment of the 1st and 2nd Estates who had
all the power and not much economic responsibility
The Bourgeoisie

Wanted tax relief for themselves and reduction
of privileges of the nobility
Lettre de cachet

Were universally hated

The government could imprison anyone without
charges or a trial
Causes of the French Revolution
1. Was influenced by the American Revolution

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Many French soldiers had served there
The French bourgeoisie and lower nobility were
intrigued with the American ideals of liberty
Massive French aid to America increased the
already-huge French debt
Causes of the French Revolution
2.
The Rising expectations of the Enlightenment = increased
criticism of the French Government

Theories of Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, etc. were
popular
Laissez-faire ideas of physiocrats were popular with middle
class who resented government interference
Government corruption and inefficiency
Legal system was chaotic, no uniform laws
Privilege of the Nobility
Divine Right Theory did not fit with Enlightenment ideals
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Causes of the French Revolution
3. The Three Estates did not reflect the realities of
wealth and ability in French Society
Historical view:

Class Conflict led to the Revolution

The Bourgeoisie was united by economics and
class interests and frustrated by feudal laws

Eventually rose up and led the 3rd Estate in
revolution and abolished feudalism and
established a capitalist order
The More Recent View

Class Conflict was exaggerated as a cause of the
French Revolution

Both groups were increasingly linked by wealth and
marriage
The wealthiest members of the Bourgeoisie moved
easily into the Nobility of the Robe
Many Nobles had liberal (Enlightened) ideas
Parlement judges (nobles) supported the Bourgeoisie
against the King’s attempt to increase taxes
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The Immediate Cause of the French
Revolution:
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Financial Mismanagement
By the reign of Louis XV France was nearly
bankrupt
By the 1780’s ½ of French national budget went
for payment of interest on growing debt
(BUT French debt was only ½ of British debt
and less than Dutch debt)
Financial Mismanagement

The Government could no longer declare
bankruptcy as it had in the past

Aristocrats and bourgeoisie would not longer
allow it

France had no central bank, no paper currency,
no means of creating credit
Financial Mismanagement

The only way for the government to get more
revenue was to increase taxes

The poorest classes were exploited

Also inefficiency and corruption of the tax
system
Financial Mismanagement

Inflation between 1730-80 caused higher prices but
wages did not increase at the same rate

Prices up 65%
Wages up 22%
Privileged classes refused to share the burden

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Louis XVI appointed Jacques Necker as director of
Finances
Jacques Necker
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Tried to tax the Nobility
But was blocked by the Paris Parliament
Was then dismissed
Louis XVI
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1787 The King summoned an Assembly of Notables
Louis XVI hoped That the Assembly would either
approve the King’s new tax system OR agree to
remove their own tax exemption
They Refused both
Then Assembly demanded that control of all
government spending be given over to Provincial
Assemblies (controlled by the nobility)
When Louis refused

Assembly maintained that sweeping tax changes
required the approval of the Estates General

The King dismissed the Assembly of Notables
and established new taxes by decree

The Parlemants blocked the king’s decrees and
tried to force him to share fiscal power with the
nobility
The Parlements

Asserted the existance of certain “Fundamental
Laws” against which no king could violate:

National consent to taxation
Freedom from arbitrary arrest and
imprisonment (Lettre de cachet)

The Royal Response

The king tried to exile judges but protests swept
through the country and investors refused to
advance more loans to the state

The King gave up
He reluctantly summoned the Estates General
to Versailles may, 1789
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