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Summary OCR A Level History: French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon (chpt 2)
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OCR A Level History: The French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon . Written by a Cambridge student.
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OCR A Level History: French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon (chpt 3&4)
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Chapter 2: The Revolution from October 1789 to the Directory, 1795How successfully did the Constituent Assembly deal with the problems of reforming
the French State?
17 June 1789: Estates General —> renamed itself National Assembly
9 July 1789: National Assembly —> renamed Constituent Assembly
30 September 1791: Constituent Assembly —> renamed Legislative Assembly
o showed their new function - to draw up a constitution, as sworn by the Tennis
Court Oath (20 June)
Constituent Assembly made up of 600 highly educated, middle class deputies
most European countries were modernising (efficient finances, reduction in power of
Church, humane justice, etc) but they were doing it top down - but France had been
forced to change because of political pressure, financial weakness + popular unrest
POLITICAL + ADMINISTRATIVE
France divided into 83 departments for elections + local govt
more power was given to local govts as a safeguard against a recovery of royal
power
all ‘active citizens’ could vote (men >25 who paid certain level of tax) = 4 million
‘passive citizens’ could not. = 3 million
TAXATION + FINANCE + ECONOMY
everyone paid tax now! ALL were liable to pay land tax (contribution foncière) + tax
on commercial profits
o only active citizens paid tax of moveable goods (ie grain) (contribution
mobilière)
assignats (paper money) introduced
o backed by the sale of Church lands. land sale provided income, created
people who were invested in the success of the revolution, left the clergy
dependent on the State for their salaries
o issued + sold to enable people to settle debts and buy goods
o pretty popular!
JUSTICE
all previous courts were replaced by a uniform system
o (parlements, seigneurial courts, lettres de cachet abolished)
‘Justice of the Peace’ in each canton (area), trial by jury
torture + mutilation abolished
those arrested were to be brought before court within 24hr
successful!
ECONOMIC + SOCIAL
June 1790, Nobility abolished
September 1790, parlements abolished
privileges of trade guilds, town corporations + the ‘pays d’election’ abolished:
, o April 1791, ‘Loi Allarde’: the guilds that regulated the crafts industry were
abolished
o June 1791, ‘Loi le Chapelier’: banned trade unions + made strikes illegal
deputies believed in ‘laissez faire’ - all internal custom barriers were
abolished
also saw relief for the poor as a duty of the state - but had such poor
finances that they could not do anything..
CIVIL CONSTITUTION OF THE CLERGY, 12 JULY 1790
Bishops’ districts were reorganised to align with the new 83 departments
appointment to any clerical post was by election
all Church property became property of the State
clergy were to be paid by the State instead of collecting the tithe
Monastic orders that provided neither education nor charitable work were suppressed
Protestants were given full civil rights
o >> Church accepted this, but were deeply unhappy about it. why wasnt
Catholicism made the official religion of France?
o >> these changes threatened the general consensus of opinion in favour of
reform and set the King against the Revolution
THE CLERICAL OATH, 27 NOVEMBER 1790
deputies required all clergy to take an oath to the Constitution. the Pope came out
against the reforms
o >> over 50% refused to take the oath, so were called the ‘refractory clergy’
(also called ‘non-juror’ priests
>>> this was a clash not just between privilege (Louis) + the
revolution, but religion and the Revolution. made it unpopular
CONSTITUTION + THE NEW LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, SEPTEMBER 1791
King’s title not ‘King of France’ but ‘King of the French’
King was given an annual grant of 25 million livres for his expenses
King was forbidden to levy forces against the Constitution or to leave the country
> there was to be a Constitutional Monarchy, with shared power
King would choose the cabinet + ministers
King had the right to veto any measure for 5 years
King must take an oath to the Constitution, or he will be abdicated
the single Legislative Assembly would have rights to propose and pass laws, raise
taxes, to determine the size + nature of armed forces.
the Assembly would be chosen by active citizens
every 2 years, active citizens would select local electors
o >> the electors would choose 745 representatives to the Legislative Assembly
no existing member of the National Constituent Assembly could be a
member of the new Legislative Assembly
no ministers/officials/judges could be a representative in the new
Assembly
there were no hereditary titles, no tax privileges, citizens had natural
rights that the govt had to respect
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