FREV - Ancien Regimes and Clock Workings: Royal Neglect on the Eve of the Revolution (Lesson)

Ancien Regimes and Clock Workings: Royal Neglect on the Eve of the Revolution.

The French Revolution was not an overnight event nor was it inevitable as economic crises from the previous 2 decades made any sort of change a possibility. However, there are several reasons for the onslaught of revolutionary fervor:

  • Enlightenment ideals
  • Royal Neglect
  • Droughts and Famines
  • Fiscal Irresponsibility
  • War Debt
  • Tax Inequities

The French Revolution was fought because of . . . bread? Could bread, or the lack thereof actually cause the French Revolution? While it is not the sole reason for the revolt, it does actually play a pretty key role. Major droughts in the decades leading to 1790 caused the price of grain to skyrocket. Peasants, already overburdened by being the majority of the tax base, could no longer afford to purchase bread, a leading staple of French diets. This led many to begin demanding a revision of the tax code and the lowering of grain costs.

 

The Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment had its beginnings in France and, after an excursion in America, those same ideals re-found their way back home. Many of the theories stressed equality before law and placed monarchies under greater scrutiny.

 

Royal Neglect.

Did You Know Marie Antoinette Marie is known for many scandalous activities - dressing inappropriately (and creating a fashion craze as a result), gambling and extensive spending. But perhaps, though, her most infamous scandal was that of the "Diamond Necklace Affair". A Cardinal who had been the former French ambassador to the Hapsburg court in Vienna, gave Marie a multi-million dollar diamond necklace in hopes of winning her favor. The necklace was stolen, and ended up on the neck of a prostitute who posed as the queen. Because she had not told Louis about the necklace in the first place, when it was discovered, it made the king look foolish and incapable of "managing his family" much less the nation.When he took the throne, Louis XVI was in his 20's and had never traveled beyond Paris. The majority of his life had been spent at Versailles. He was more interested in hunting, carpentry, and clock workings than ruling.

Marie Antoinette was Austrian and married Louis as the result of an arrangement to strengthen French and Austrian ties. Louis, however, is uninterested in family life, leaving his wife to try more and more outlandish ways to gain his attention, including modeling her fashion style after Madame Pompadour, Louis XV's mistress. She was widely resented for being a foreign queen and living extravagantly. She appeared to be out of touch with many of the citizens of France including having a country home built at Versailles so that she could "live like a peasant" though she never did utter the words "Let them eat cake." She was extremely unhappy and the root of several scandals. 

 

 

Quick facts about France's economy. High unemployment in the 1770s and 1780s Bad harvest in 1775. ( worst in those 20 years) Poor harvest led to high grain thus higher cost for bread. Demand for manufactured goods collapses. 1000s out of work as a result. By end of 1789 1/2 of the French people would need relief. 1 in 8 lived in extreme want. In Paris, 150,000 out of 600,000 were out of work as of July 1789

 

War Debts.

By the late 1700's, France had been fighting with Britain and others on and off for the last 100 years. Financial support to the American Revolution was via loans arranged by Jacques Necker (finance minister for Louis XVI). Three-fourths of the states expenses went to maintaining the army and navy as well as paying debts owed from the War of Austrian Succession, 7 Years War, and American Revolution.

Kings expenses Interest 50% Army 25% Versailles 25% Coronation 10% Loans 25% Administration 25% Total 160% Urban Commoners budget Food 80% Rent 25% Tithe 10% Taxes 35% Clothing 20 % Total 170%

The totals above list what obligations the King and France had, but not necessarily what was paid out each month. So where did France's money actually go?

  • 50% went to interest.
  • 25% went to expenses maintaining the Army & Navy & paying off war debts.
  • 6% to king.
  • 19% to the country.

Where to find the money? The third estate pays most all of the taxes as the clergy are exempt, and the second estate pays very little. Under absolutism, France was inept at collecting taxes and there was no central bank, which meant France relied on loans from individuals in order to stay afloat.

Social lines between nobles and bourgeois became blurred over the last century - despite opposition from older established nobles. Between 1774-1789, 2,500 families bought titles. This serves to create a new class distinction: Nobles of the Sword (old nobility, inherited titles, family earned title by defending the king) and Nobles of the Robe (new nobility, purchased titles). Many Nobles of the Sword had fallen on hard times and are doing everything they can to distinguish themselves, including clinging to any and all privileges. Though common during the middle ages, many of the privileges/feudal obligations had fallen by the wayside. When several nobles began to re-establish them, peasants protested. Nobles of Sword depended on privileges to maintain status and resented provincial parlements that became filled with new nobles. The monarchy became dependent upon the sale of titles and offices for long term credit and by 1789 there were over 50,000 offices. But sales were coming to a close as any more could destroy confidence and lessen values of already held offices.

 

Learn More - Click here to access Steven Kreis' Historyguide.org - The Origins of the French Revolution Links to an external site.

 

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