Causes of French revolution

Deep rooted problems that were affecting the success of the

government (Long term causes of French Revolution)
o Taxation system
o Divided structure of society
o Spread of ideas which challenged this structure
Structure of Royal government
o Before 1789, absolute monarchy ruled by Bourbons.
o So authority of French crown not limited by any representative
body such as an elective parliament.
o King responsible only to God and answerable to no one on
earth.
o This system of government known as absolutism. In this
system the personality of the character is very important (it
sets the tone for the style of Gov.)
o However, although their power was absolute, they were bound
by the laws and customs of the kingdom e.g. independent
bodies such as Assembly of the Clergy which had rights and
privileges guaranteed by law. The King couldnt interfere with
these.
o King also had to consult his council of ministers and advisers
to make laws. So considerable amount of power also lay with
them Controller-General in charge of royal finances-all met
individually with the king and so didnt form part of a cabinet
system.
o Intendants- Official appointed by and answerable only to the
Crown. Responsible for the police, justice and finance. Also
responsible for public works, communications, commerce and
industry.
o Generalites-34 areas into which France was divided for the
purpose of collecting taxes and other administrative functions,
and under the control of an intendant.
o In the provinces, the Kings government was carried out by
the intendants who had far-reaching powers in the gnralits.
Louis XVI acceded to the throne.
o In an absolutist system it is important that the king is a strong
figure with a dominant personality. Louis was weak and
indecisive. He also never came to terms with the states
financial problems.
The taxation system
o Good Gov. always benefits from an efficient taxation system
that provides it with an adequate income. Taxation system in
France was both chaotic and inefficient.
o Direct taxes- Main direct taxes before revolution was the
TAILLE (land tax). In theory this was payable by anyone who
didnt belong to the 2 privileged estates- Church and the

nobility and so burden fell mainly of the peasantry.

CAPITATION (tax on people- Poll tax) and the VINGTIEME (5%
levy on all incomes). However, not everyone was taxed
equally and this caused resentment. The church didnt pay
them at all and the nobles were exempt from the TAILLE.
o Indirect taxes- levied on goods. Proved to be a considerable
burden to those on low incomes, but brought in a great deal of
income to the crown. The GABELLE (salt tax), AIDAS (food/
drink tax) and the OCTROIS (tax on goods entering the town)
Tax collection
o Collected by a chaotic and inefficient system (TAX FARMING)
o TAX FARMING a system where the government agrees a tax
assessment figure for an area which is then collected by a
company that bids for the right to collect it.
o The FARMERS-GENERAL were a company that collected the
indirect taxes for the governmentpaid the state an agreed
sum and kept anything above this figure.
o Consequently, French government never received enough
money from taxes to cover its expenditure and so frequently
had to borrow. Interest payments on debt became an
increasingly large part of government expenditure in 18th
century.
o VENALITY a system whereby certain jobs could be brought and
transferred on to descendants.
o Many of the taxes were collected by official who under a
system of venality, had brought the right to hold their
positions and couldnt therefore be dismissed. Corruption and
wastage was vast and so this resulted in the crown not
receiving a sufficient income- tax-payers knew that much of
the taxes they paid never reached the treasury.
o Louis aware of many of the problems that affected the
finances of the state.
o Appointed Turgot as Controller-General. Turgot was influenced
by ideas of PHILOSOPHES (Group of writers and thinkers who
formed the core of the French Enlightenment) and embarked
on a reform programme.
o Turgots attempt to abolish trade GUILDS (organisation that
tightly controls entry into a trade) and the CORVEE (unpaid
labour service to maintain roads, in many places money
replaced the service) and to reform the TAX SYSTEM provoked
a storm of protest from the PARLEMENTS (consisted of 13 high
courts of appeal. All edicts handed down by the Crown could
not be enforced until registered by the parlements) and other
interested parties that Louis for the sake of harmony withdrew
his support and Turgot left office.

o Bulk of royal revenue came from taxation, yet because of the

system of exemptions, Crown didnt receive an adequate
income with which to govern the country
o In order to meet demands of war, Crown forced to borrow
money
o System of TAX FARMING meant that not all revenue paid
actually reached the treasury. Issue of taxation weakened the
Crown and created resentment among the Third Estate.
o One of the most important of the long-term causes of the Rev.
French society during ancient regime
o 18th century- society divided into 3 orders.
o First 2 estates had privileges that they frequently used to the
disadvantage of the Third Estate
o Divisions appeared between the estates during this period
also and became long term cause of FR.
The First Estate
o Clergy, consisted of member of religious orders (monks and
nuns) and clergy (parish priests).
o Many issues contributed to church being unpopular- Plurality
and absenteeism, tithes, the exemption from taxes, its power
over the people.
o Plurality and absenteeism- Many younger sons of the
nobility occupied higher posts of church, such as
bishops and archbishops which provided large incomes.
Some bishops held more than one bishopric which
meant they were bishops of more than one diocese. This
is called plurality.
DIOCESE- AN AREA WHICH IS SERVED BY A BISHOP. IT IS
MADE UP OF A LARGE NUMBER OF PARISHES.
PLURALITY- THE HOLDING OF MORE THAN ONE
BISHOPRIC OR PARISH BY AN INDIVIDUAL.
BISHOPRIC- THE OFFICE OR RANK OF A BISHOP.
Many never visited their diocese, i.e. absenteeism. This
made the church very unpopular with many people as
they believed that bishops were more interested in
wealth than religion and spiritual needs of the people.

Rise of the Jacobins and Cordeliers

Jacobins Club
At the club, members were to debated measures that were to
come before the Assembly.
Came mainly from wealthiest sections of society- set a high
entrance fee for its members

Originally associated themselves with physiocrats (group of

French intellectuals who believed that land was the only
source of wealth and that landowners should therefore pay the
bulk of taxation)
Ideology based on a combination of Enlightenment thought
and revolutionary practice.
Rejected notion of a monarchy
As Jacobins moved further to the left in Summer of 1792 they
favoured inc. centralisation of government in order to defend
Republic
Enabled large numbers of people to become politically
involved for the first time.
Cordeliers Club
Founded April 1790
More radical than Jacobin Club
No membership fee
Objected to the distinction between active and passive
citizens
Supported measures which the Sans-Culottes favoured
Had much support among working class (although leaders
were Bourgeois)
Marat- failed doctor turned radical journalist hated all those
who enjoyed privileges under An. Regime + attacked them
violently in his newspaper- became the chief spokesman of
the popular movement.
Popular discontent in rural and urban areas
Many peasants disappointed with the Revolution.
Anger that their feudal dues werent completely abolished following
the August Decrees
1790- Rural revolution began in Brittany in central France and
South-East. Lasted until 1792 and placed a great deal of pressure on
Jacobin.
Peasants attacked chateaux
These risings and deteriorating military situation contributed to
most serious problem of Revolution.
10 August 1792- Louis deposed and all feudal dues which couldnt
be justified were abolished. Feudalism finally abolished without
compensation by the Jacobin on 17 July 1793.
Sans Culottes
Workers in the towns
Not a class- included artisans and master craftsman, who owned
their own workshops, as well as wage-earners

Had been responsible for successful attack on Bastille and for

bringing royal family back to Paris in the October Days= yet had
received few rewards.
Many were passive citizens who didnt have vote
Suffered greatly from inflation. To meet its expenses government
printed more assignat (paper money) meaning the value fell.
Wave of strikes by workers against the falling value of their wages
early in 1791. Grain prices rose by up to 50% after a poor harvest in
1791. This led to riots which forced shopkeepers to lower their
prices