Causes of the French Revolution

Role of Monarchy

• Enlightenment caused pressures on old regime
• Weak Monarch- bad decisions
• Marie Antionette
• Cost of warfare
• Privilege under attack meant nobles saw the crown failing in duties

May Eddicts

• Responsibility of new laws passed to plenary count- chosen by king
• Legal work of parlements transferred to lower courts- reduction of judges
• Passed on lit de justice- led to revolt of the nobles

Reaction to may eddicts and revolt of nobles

• Clergy disapproved of may eddicts
• Pamphlets and disturbances increased- nobles incited riots (uncoordinated)

Calling of Estates-General

• chance to gain voice
• Paris parlement very popular until decision to meet as in 1614 (separately)- seen as selfish defenders of privilege- 3rd estate became enemies
• December 1788- Necker granted doubling of third- still not voting by head
• Society of thirty- led campaign of 3rd- 60 (ish) nobles- attacked tyranny

Meeting of Estates-General (4th May 1789)

• Estates divided internally too- most clergy poor- sympthised with 3rd
• Met separately
• 17th June- 3rd Estate called itself "National Assembly"- others joined
• King called royal session

Tennis Court Oath (20th June 1789)

• locked out of royal session
• Oath to never dissolve another assembly until new constitution established.

French Economy by 1789

• 1780- Calonne reported imminent bankruptcy
• Population growing- until 1776 economy in boom- after 1776 depression
• Mainly agricultural, tax collectors motivated by self-gain 
• 1788- bred shortages- inflation etc

Government attempts to fix this

• 1774- Louis restored parlement
• Anne Turgot (74-6)- proposed general land tax- parlement objected- dismissed
• Necker (76-81)- resorted to borrowing with IR of 8-10%- paid wars. 1781- published compte rendu- showed peacetime figures. unpopular- dismissed.
• Calonne (83-87)- Borrowed for public works. "summary of a plan for the improvement of the finances"- general land tax etc- parlement rejected- Assembly of Notables- rejected- criticised nobles for selfish- sacked.

Loménie de Brienne (87-88)

• tried to adopt Calonne's plans- assembly of notables protested
• accounts showed how governement may have caused bad economy- nobles called for estates-general
• Assembly of notables disolved- took reforms to paris parlement- protested
• passed on lit de justice- parlement pushed for estates-general
• 1787- parlement exiled- return month later- land tax abandonned, increased borrowing, king agreed to call estates-general

Enlightenment

• Increased pamphlets by 18th c. e.g. Rousseau, Voltaire
• But- not organised, mostly aimed at gentiles, not in favour of abolishing king.

Problems with privilege

• Protested against equal tax and delayed financial reforms
• frequent disputes (88-9) between privileged and unprivileged
• Revolt of nobles (88) due to lack of government trust and power.

Problems with rigid social structure

• Many bouregoisie richer than 2nd estate and clergy but taxed more
• 3rd who tried to better themselves were disliked
• January 89- Abbé Sieyes- "What is the 3rd estate?" - no longer indifferent and demanded assemblies to reform financial and political disadvantages

A.Cobban (Rev.) - Blames Louis XVI

W.Doyle (Rev.) - Blames Louis XVI

J.Hardman - Louis is intelligent/ hardworking and not to blame for slow government

T.C.W.Blanning- Enlightenment was a movement of the educated elite

D.G.Wright- Conflict changed from between king and aristocracy to between privileged and unprivileged.

F.Furet (Rev.) - Conflict was over application of democratic ideas

G.Rudé (Marxist) - 3rd esate powerhouse of revoultion- revolution from below (bourgeoisie)