Crises 1781-88

1
Crises 1781-88
Date 17/05/2016
Revolutions Unit 3 AOS 1
Learning intention SWBAT explain how the
pre-revolutionary financial crisis contributed to
the French Revolution

• Success Criteria
• Take at least 15 dot point notes on the financial
  crisis
• Write a short answer response to an exam question
• Share 2-3 points of interest on your
  revolutionary persona
• Write an exam question on the Financial crisis

2
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

3
From the Study Guide

• What caused the French Revolution?
• Inadequate response to structural change?
• Political divisions?
• Failure of rising expectations?
• Loss of authority?
• Erosion of public confidence in old order?

4
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?

5

• Crisis a turning point, a time of danger or
  suspense in politics or commerce from the
  Greek, krisis, meaning decision.
• Conflict struggle, clashing of opposed
  principles
• Development a gradual unfolding, a fuller
  working out
• Event something that happens, a single
  occurrence
• Tension a strained or stressed political or
  social relationship
• Grievance a ground for complaint

6
1781 Necker and Compte rendu

• First public account of Frances financial
  position
• Deceptively listed Frances current account in
  surplus by over 10 million livres
• But did not publish war debt which was hidden in
  extraordinary accounts
• Significance
• a) hid the extent of Frances true debt and
  allowed Necker and successors Fleury and
  Calonne - to continue borrowing
• b) first chink in absolute authority of King
  idea that the King might be accountable to his
  subjects for the expenditure of public revenue

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WAR as a crisis building towards revolution

• France had been involved in a series of
  disastrous and very expensive wars throughout the
  18 century, and had borrowed heavily at high
  interest rates to pay for them
• The American War of Independence 1778-1783
• Outcomes
• Contributed significantly to foreign debt
• 8,000 French soldiers who had served returned to
  France with The American Spirit ideas about
  representation, individual liberties, freedom
  from despotism, popular sovereignty, inalienable
  rights enshrined in a written constitution, with
  government authority strictly limited through
  separation of powers and accountability to the
  people through a social contract

8
1786 Calonne and Tax Reform

• 1786-Bankruptcy real threat
• 37.5 of annual revenue spent on servicing
  foreign debt in 1775, (this to grow to 41.2 by
  1788)
• Forecast deficit for 1786 about 25 of annual
  revenues (taxation income)
• Tax reform which abolished privilege therefore
  essential

9
Calonnes Reforms

• Tax on ALL landowners, without exemption to be
  set according to income and paid in produce
  this would produce more uniform tax system,
  removing burden from Third Estate
• Tax assessed and collected through provincial
  assemblies of landowners-this moving towards
  principle of those who pay tax agreeing to it
• Internal customs barriers and fixed prices on
  grain to be removed to facilitate national
  market-this would lead to greater efficiency and
  productivity
• Significance reforms attacked entrenched
  privileges based upon birth

10
An actual exam question(!)

• Using three or four points, explain how the
  consequences of Frances involvement in the
  American War of Independence contributed to the
  development of the Revolution from 1783 to 1789.
• 2009 exam section A
• (If you havent done the reading yet, look at
  Anderson p. 29-30)

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What the examiners said

• Students should pay more attention to learning
  facts about the outcomes of particular actions or
  events. In preparation for this section of the
  exam, students would benefit from drawing flow
  diagrams in order to make clear connections
  between events.
• Many responses did not show connections well and
  often listed information without explaining the
  contribution to the revolution or revolutionary
  situation.
• Students need to ensure that they respond to all
  parts of the question, such as how did,
  explain the importance of, contribute to a
  revolutionary situation and in the development
  of the revolution. It was pleasing to note that
  most students confined their response to the
  space allocated on the examination paper.
• The best answers showed an excellent range of
  knowledge and responded well to the cue how
  did. They showed a clear understanding of the
  contribution of events to the revolutionary
  situation and explained the steps in a logical
  sequence.

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What the examiners said

• Excellent responses used correct and specific
  historical terms and included dates, places and
  names.
• However, many students simply supplied a list of
  events or a narrative without making the
  connection to the role these events played in
  bringing on the revolution. On the whole,
  students displayed their knowledge of relevant
  information and usually used the time frame given
  in the question.
• Students should signpost their answer so that
  their points are clearly evident. Some students
  signposted their response very well by using
  firstly, secondly and thirdly to note their
  points, or language such as furthermore to link
  points, which helped them to build their position
  about the onset of the revolution.

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Short Answer - Checklist

• Have I signposted?
• Have I answered the question?
• Have I included historical information names,
  places, dates, statistics, quotes groups, etc.
• Have I explained how the information Ive
  presented answers the question?

14
Calonnes Reforms

• Tax on ALL landowners, without exemption to be
  set according to income and paid in produce
  this would produce more uniform tax system,
  removing burden from Third Estate
• Tax assessed and collected through provincial
  assemblies of landowners-this moving towards
  principle of those who pay tax agreeing to it
• Internal customs barriers and fixed prices on
  grain to be removed to facilitate national
  market-this would lead to greater efficiency and
  productivity
• Significance reforms attacked entrenched
  privileges based upon birth

15
The Assembly of Notables Feb-May 1787

• To avoid the blocking of reforms by nobility and
  upper clergy who would put great pressure on the
  Parlements not to pass the reforms, Calonne
  proposed summoning a hand picked group who would
  support the King and influence public opinion
• But Notables summoned according to precedent
  (set in 1626) not because of sympathy to reform