The Reign of Charles X

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The Reign of Charles X

• www.educationforum.co.uk

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Charles X

• Louis was succeeded by Comte DArtois (leader of
  the White Terror) who became Charles X

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First Act

• Charles first act was to compensate the émigrés
  for their loss of land during the Revolution
  using 1000 million francs of government money
• Charles raised this money by reducing the
  interest on the National Debt so in effect it
  was funded by middle class investors

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Second Act

• Charles encouraged a Catholic revival in France
  by
• Making sacrilege and criticism of the divine
  right of kings criminal offences
• Allowing the religious orders (banned during the
  Revolution) to return and flourish such as the
  Jesuits. New religious groups also emerged such a
  the Congregation who spread Catholic propaganda
  and the Chevaliers de La Foi who were dedicated
  to restoring the church and 2nd estate to its
  pre-Revolution position
• Allowing the Church to assert control over
  education made a bishop Minister of Education
  and gave clerics the right to appoint and dismiss
  primary school teachers

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Third Act

• 1826 freedom of the press abolished and the
  Parisian National Guard disbanded (the middle
  class militia set up in the early days of the
  Revolution)
• Result election of 1827 returned a liberal
  majority and Charles chief Minister Villele had
  to resign

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Fourth Act

• Charles appointed Martignac a moderate royalist
  as Chief Minister triggering a short lived
  attempt at conciliation
• Martignac lifted press censorship and halted
  growing Church influence over education
• Charles objected to both these measures and
  dismissed Martignac

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Fifth Act

• Charles replaced Martignac with Polignac an
  ultra ultra from an ancient aristocratic family.
• Polignac was deeply committed to divine right
  monarchy and to restoring feudalism and believed
  himself to be guided by visions of the Virgin
  Mary
• Parliament in the meantime was dominated by
  liberals and was directly challenging the
  authority of the King by insisting that al
  government Ministers should be appointed and
  answerable to Parliament and not the King

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Sixth Act

• Charles horrified by this threat dissolved
  Parliament and called fresh election
• The subsequent election resulted in an even more
  liberal Parliament

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Seventh Act

• Charles responded by declaring a state of
  emergency and issuing the ORDINANCES OF ST CLOUD
• Banned all newspapers without government approval
• Dissolved Parliament (again!)
• Restricted electorate to the 25,000 richest of
  existing voters
• Arranged for fresh elections
• Charles then went off on a hunting expedition!

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Revolt

• Immediately there were disturbances in Paris and
  other urban areas liberals and Bonapartists
  takes to the barricades with the Paris Mob
  the start of the 1830 Revolution