Crises 1781-88

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Crises 1781-88
Date 2/06/2016
Revolutions Unit 3 AOS 1
Learning intention SWBAT explain how the
Assembly of Notables and the Lits De Justice of
the Parlement of Paris contributed to
pre-revolutionary tensions SWBAT define the
enlightenment and summarise its main ideas

• Success Criteria

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CRISES OF PRE-REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE

• 1781-1788
• The Compte-rendu 1781
• The fiscal crisis 1786
• Calonnes tax reforms
• The Assembly of Notables Feb-May1787
• The Parlement of Paris and lits de justice
  1787-88
• The aristocratic revolt May-Sept 1788
• The Bankruptcy Aug 1788
• The Pamphlet War and What is the Third Estate?
  1788-89
• The cahiers de doleances 1788-89

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The Assembly of Notables

• Meeting occurs on 22 February 1787
• Louis XVIs son has just dies and Calonne is
  unwell
• From the outset Calonne is disliked by the
  notables, many thought he was just trying to
  raise money to help him continue with public
  works like fountains.
• The notables also questioned his competence how
  had he let things slip so far from Neckers 10
  Million livre surplus?
• The notables who end up gathering are there
  because they have been asked to, not because
  theyre really sympathetic to reform

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Notables Accepted

• Idea of local assemblies
• But, they wanted a guaranteed number of seats for
  the clergy and the nobility,
• And they didnt want royal intendants to be able
  to overturn decisions (decentralisation of power)
• change to corvée (labour tax on peasants) to
  direct tax and wanted this extended to a public
  works tax to be payable by ALL
• abolition of internal customs charges

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But, they stall

• There is widespread dissent over relinquishing
  fiscal (taxation) privileges
• Bishops say they cant make a call without
  consulting the Assembly of Clergy
• Magistrates say they cant either without
  consulting the parlements
• Perhaps the tax should be assessed differently
  and paid in money, not produce
• Notables declared that while they were,
  themselves, in favour of tax reform
• they could not approve the new taxes unless
  they were fully informed on the state of the
  nations finances

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Lafayette

• we could not think of new taxes unless we knew
  the returns of the economy

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How does this contribute to the revolution?

• Another chink in absolute authority of the
  monarchy
• If the monarchy was truly absolute, then Louis
  XVI was the sole authority of the state he
  shouldnt need to justify anything to the
  notables.
• In demanding access to the accounts, the notables
  were making the king accountable to them in an
  absolute monarchy it should be the other way
  around.
• The Notables began to establish themselves as
  representatives of the nation

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The Notables began to establish themselves as
representatives of the nation

• They take this one step further and start
  calling for an Estates General
• This hadnt been called since 1614
• It was technically, or at least in the view of
  public opinion, the only body that could approve
  new taxes (though the Sun King hadnt used it)
• This came from the idea of no Taxation without
  Representation (American Spirit)
• This sees the escalation of the financial crisis
  into a political crisis

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Deadlock

• With no break to the deadlock in sight, Louis XVI
  dismisses Calonne
• The queens buddy, and one of the notables,
  Brienne is appointed as the Finance Minister
• Brienne cant break the deadlock though either so
  he dissolves the Assembly and agrees to an
  Estates General

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What caused the revolution?

• Why did social tensions and ideological conflicts
  increase in the pre-revolutionary period?
• Why could these not be contained or constrained
  within the traditional order?
• What events and circumstances eroded confidence
  in the govt or weakened capacity of ruling class
  to meet challenges to its authority?

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Deadlock

• Brienne modifies the tax reforms again, and takes
  them to the Parlement of Paris to be approved
• Paris Parlement most important
• Is supposed to register royal edicts into laws
• Has the right of Remonstration
• King can overrule this with a lit de justice
  (this is what makes him absolute)

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Parlement of Paris

• The Parlement is trying to use this remonstration
  role as one of veto instead of delay
• They argue that only the Estates General, as a
  true representative of the people has the
  authority to pass tax reform like this
• They reject the reforms
• The constitutional principle of the French
  Monarchy is that taxes should be consented to by
  those who have to bear them

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Lit de Justice

• So, on the 6th of August 1787, Louis XVI attempts
  to exercise his absolute power through a lit de
  justice
• The parlement declares such an act as invalid
• In response the King Exiles them to Troyes
  (somewhere in the countryside)

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Result?

• The Parlement came to be viewed in public opinion
  as the champions of the people, standing up for
  the rights of the people against a despotic King
• Popular uprisings occur against the King
• Many of the lower, regional parlements support
  demonstrations against him and in support of the
  Parlement of Paris

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How does it contribute to the revolution?

• Yet another step in the erosion of royal
  absolutism
• While the assembly of notables demands the Kings
  spending be held accountable to the people
• .the Parlement of Paris takes it a step further
  arguing that the Kings legislative power was
  also dependent on popular support.

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Resolution?

• Eventually a compromise is made
• The Parlement is recalled
• Tax reform is modified to remove the territorial
  subvention and the stamp tax and the Parlement
  passes it
• The damage is done though, in the eyes of the
  people, the Kings absolute authority has been
  undermined.

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• The provincial parlements dont feel great about
  this compromise. They had supported the Parlement
  of Paris in its resistence
• They increase calls for and estates General.

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• The Séance Royal
• The minister for justice uses a royal sitting to
  reinforce the Kings authority stating that
• Sovereign power in his Kingdom belongs to the
  King alone He is accountable only to god for the
  exercise of his royal power
• Lamoignan (minister for Justice)
• Louis XVI orders that new loans be approved and
  discussion occur after their approval (i.e. what
  an absolute Monarch would do)

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• This statement leads to outright rebellion
• The Parlement of Paris refuses to approve the
  loans
• The King exiles two of the leading magistrates to
  the countryside using lettres de cachet
• Provincial parlements also refuse to register the
  loans

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• The Parlements condemned the Kings use of the
  Lettres de Cachet and forbade tax farmers from
  registering new taxes
• They released the fundamental laws of the nation
• The right to approve new taxes belonged entirely
  to the Estates General
• Frenchmen could not be imprisoned without a trial
  (so the use of the lettres de cachet to arrest
  magistrates had been illegal
• The king could not change the customs and
  privileges of the provinces (the pays détat)

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• The Parlements condemned the Kings use of the
  Lettres de Cachet and forbade tax farmers from
  registering new taxes
• They released the fundamental laws of the nation
• The right to approve new taxes belonged entirely
  to the Estates General
• Frenchmen could not be imprisoned without a trial
  (so the use of the lettres de cachet to arrest
  magistrates had been illegal
• The king could not change the customs and
  privileges of the provinces (the pays détat)

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• Parlement refused to hand them over, or close its
  session
• Soldiers surrounded the Palais de justice (law
  court) for eleven hours before arresting the
  magistrates
• On the 8th of may 1788, the king held another lit
  de justice where Brienne attempted to introduce
  more reforms.

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• Parlement refused to hand them over, or close its
  session
• Soldiers surrounded the Palais de justice (law
  court) for eleven hours before arresting the
  magistrates

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• On the 8th of may 1788, the king held another lit
  de justice where Brienne attempted to introduce
  more reforms.
• One of these that did not go down well with the
  Parlement was the idea that they should be
  replaced by a new plenary court that would
  register the laws of the king.
• This had the effect of suspending the parlement
  of paris and the provincial parlements.

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Lit de Justice Round 2!

• The majority of Briennes reforms were pretty
  good a central treasury, codification of laws,
  less costly army etc. may have gone a long way to
  addressing the crisis at hand.
• BUT, the decision to suspend the Parlements led
  to widespread public support of his opponents as
  the defenders of rights and freedoms against the
  Tyranny of the crown.
• .

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How does this lead to a revolutionary situation?

• Further erosion of Royal Power the King does
  not have the right to raise new taxes or loans
• Unification of the second and third estate in
  opposition to the king (even though their
  interests werent really aligned.

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What caused the revolution?

• Why did social tensions and ideological conflicts
  increase in the pre-revolutionary period?
• Why could these not be contained or constrained
  within the traditional order?
• What events and circumstances eroded confidence
  in the govt or weakened capacity of ruling class
  to meet challenges to its authority?

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The Enlightenment