French Revolution

French Revolution Revision

THE ANCIEN REGIME - In occurance under Louis XVI, often associated with absolutism. This refers to the political and social system of France before the French Revolution. Under the ancien regime, Frenchmen were subjects of the king -rather than citizens of France and simply members of estates, denoting their personal social status.

LOUIS XVI AS KING- He became king at the age of 20, and was not meant to be king. Both his father and elder brother were in front of him in line to be the king of France. He married Princess Marie Antoinette of Austria in 1770. This marriage had been part of negotiations made in an attempt to hold together the two former enemies. It was often said that Louis XVI was not cut out to be king. He lacked with grandfather’s charm and was weak willed and indecisive. He had little experience in politics.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT- Despite his absolute status, the King was expected to consult others on the formulation of policy.. > This was good as it meant that Louis did not become a dictator (That would’ve been bad anyways due to his personality). There were Royal Councils with a series of overlapping functions > Bad because it led to confusion and made the jobs of the councilors complicated.

Three royal councils met in the presence of the King

1. Conseil d’Etat - Foreign affairs

2. Conseil des Dépêches- Church affairs

3. Conseil Royal des Finances- Financial affairs

The quality of the government within a particular area was determined by the quality and the efficiency of the men running it.

THE INTENDANTS - Government in the provinces was also subject to the king’s control >…