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Summary - European History
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- European History
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- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Summary of the European History lectures of the second semester of BA1, Social Sciences VUB/UGhent
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European HistoryLecture 2 (21/2)
The French Revolution
1. Context of the French Revolution (1789-1815)
July 14th 1789 The storming of the Bastille = beginning of the FR
Not the first revolution of its kind;
Glorious revolution in England (replacement took place due to a parliamentary decision, was
a bloodless revolution thus glorious)
American revolution (American independence of Great Britain with the help from France)
Impact of these revolution was immense ENG; “divine right to rule” = traces of democracy
already there USA; successful case of going against the oppressor = rights of representation
and revolt against unjust rule
Needing ideas first John Locke (1689) ‘Two Treatises of Government’
2 main premises of JL; No government can be justified by ones appeal to the ‘divine right’ of kings
right to rule should not be ‘given by God’ Legitimate government needs to be founded on
the consent of the governed = the people
Social contract theorist – justification for the “state”
State of nature – rational man
Civil government founded on popular sovereignty
JL states we need a different social contract a king is only a king once we have popular
sovereignty
Run up to the FR
Economics -Financial Bankruptcy
- Louis XIV (sun king) mass expenditures reckless spending isolated from the average
men
- Income inequality between elites and citizens was really high
- French campaign in support of the American Revolution fundings to support this
France did this because UK and Fr were against each other (always have been) small
amount of water between UK and Fr; weak UK would be great for France
- Seven Year War: loss of many colonies loss of resources not available for France
anymore less economic power and less money to spend (even for the king himself)
- Poor harvests, famine, harsh taxes and income inequalities
= increasing anger
Politics: struggle with provincial “parlements”
- Louis XVI: inherent struggle with provincial courts who held the right to appeal to the King’s edicts
- The dismissal of Jaques Necker (minister of finances at the time), controller-general of Finance
JN was critical; thought taxes would be counter productive was critical of tax exemptions for
nobility and clergy riches don’t pay taxes burden of it falls on the ‘normal’ citizens JN tried to
,talk with the King JN publicly reveals the Kings finances invitation to the public to revolt poor
French citizens were angry about this = important moment differences between citizens in the
North and South but this anger was something that united them
Favours borrowing money abroad rather that increasing (already high) taxes on commoners king
didn’t want to borrow money from somewhere else
-The gamble of Louis XVI
Dismissed JN and didn’t listen to him instead he proposed land tax on all land holders (including
nobility) (didn’t meant that much in percentages) “Assembly of Notables” rejects this proposal
King attempts to bypass them by calling a meeting of the Estates General instigates discussions
leading to the FR
1.1. Ancient Regime system
- Demographic growth: growth of 5-8 million in 80 years
- Agricultural Nation: 80% lived on the country side
- Non-industrialized: Agriculture = 75% of all production = determining factor of the
economy = indication of the fact that the economy is in the hands of the masses if the
masses are then angered this is problematic, Low in Productivity, Small estates, failed to
keep up with the demographic growth
- Geography: a jigsaw of land as a result of previous conquests
- Famine among the citizens: poor living conditions for the French citizens for years Poor
harvest in 1780s, harsh winter in 1788, floods, food shortages, rising bread prices, ban on
food exports because they can’t keep up,…
Politics (AR system)
- King ruled by divine right: “blessed by God to rule” moral and divine laws to restrict
their power a bit but very limited decision making with King’s council but not strong
enough to reject the King’s ideas
- Absolutist rule = absence of constitution legal pluralism = not the same rules among
the different cities
- An intendancy system centralization of power via system of provincial intendants
(non-hereditary)
- Police, financing and justice were things for that the King decided upon
“Parlements” = only source of resistance against the absolutist rule = provincial courts of appeal
(judiciary power) = can send decisions back 13 parlements in France but they aren’t equal
parlement of Paris (Paris court) was the important one (1/3 of France), was critical of the King’s edicts
Parlements become a growing challenge to the divine rights of the King’s divine rights
- 1667 Louis XIV weakens the right of the Parlements to appeal: bans all “unrespectful
appeals” wants to keep his power safe another sign that the grip of the absolutist
rule is getting tighter
- 1766 Louis XV “flagellation” speech in Paris Parliament reminds them of his divine
right = wants to remind them who the boss is, that he has the sovereign and legislative
power,… ‘ME’ he reduces practice to a one time appeal + only short delay of royal
edicts
, - 1771 “coup de Majesté”
- Louis XVI restores the right to appeal does this for popularity but doesn’t change the
amount of power the king really had parlements are still mad
1.2. Meeting of the Estates-General
Estates-General = legislative body = advisory body to the King; presenting petitions form the 3
estates (especially on fiscal policies) 15th century had an elective character (3rd estate)
incompatible with the divine right of kings met only intermittently, on the king’s initiative
Last meeting was 1614 and then in 1789 a couple of weeks before the storming of the Bastille
LONG TIME IN BETWEEN THE TWO LAST MEETINGS
3 estates:
1. PRAYER; 1st estate = Catholic clergy
All property (5-10% of the land) was tax exempted; only marginal taxes in specific cases
2. MILITARY; 2nd estate = Nobility
Sheer monopoly of high administrative, military functions,… exempted from most taxes
3. WORK; 3rd = Commoners
Great diversity; capitalist bourgeoisie, city workers, peasants,.. 80% of French population
were farmers Tax duties (but often, exemptions for bourgeoisie)
Cartoon 3rd estate carrying the first and the second on its back how is this different from a class
system we see a clear division but:
Different from a class system?
- Rigid socio-economic and political structures BUT Estates cannot be equated to distinct
socio-economic groups some bourgeoisie were wealthier as nobility and some nobles
were capitalists (breaks the notion of the class-system)
- Unlike a class-system there were opportunities for social mobility you can climb up in
the estates, also inter-marriage between classes and nobilities for purchase = you could
buy a certain title, bourgeoisie qualifying for noble status,…
- Grey area between bourgeoise and aristocracy; B lacked a shared class consciousness
(because of that diversity, not everyone in the third estate was equally mad at the king);
wanted to become nobles, some didn’t want to overthrow the system they weren’t
united on this ‘crisis’, some just wanted to become part of the system = not good for
revolutionary ideas
First meeting of E-G 1614 provided opportunities for:
- Widespread political participation: all male tax payers over 25 are invited to elect their
deputies
- One vote per estate (even though they aren’t divided equally, not reflective of the actual
numbers)
- Representation: deputies present Cahiers de doléances (list of grievances)
The majority of the people is in favor of the king (estate 1 and 2) 1 vote per state SO they could
outvote the third estate. Yet, the debate quickly turns to organization of estates-general and the
, source of sovereign power Sovereignty from ABOVE: kings divine right to rule, or should there be
Sovereignty from BELOW: popular sovereignty (one vote only for 90% of the people that are
burdened by the taxes?)
(1789) Discussion of fair representation within the E-G
- Parliament in Paris decision not numerical strength: 2 to 1 logic
- Doubling of the Third Estate as counter balance 610 deputies for 3rd, less for 1 and 2
- Continued critique by the Third Estate 1 and 2 estates want to convene in three separate
meetings 3rd does not wanted this: wanted a collective deliberation PEOPLE’S
ASSEMBLY
Pamphlets Abbé Sieyès (member of the church, also symbolic importance of this pamphlets): what
is the third estate? A plea for a numerical count: majority decision rule, Conception of popular
sovereignty (Rousseau); third estate is “the people” (= community of equals), Equality: clergy/nobility
can only join the nation when abandoning their privileges
What is the Third Estate? “Everything”
What had it hitherto meant in political order? “Nothing”
What are its demands? “to become Something”
Tennis Court Oath (20/06/1789) !!
3rd estate declares itself the Nationalist Assembly of People (17/06/1789)
Gather in the TCO (property of the King) to constitute themselves as a legitimate authority equal to
that of the King they vow; not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until
the constitution of a new parliament is established, we are here by the will of the people, not
leaving till a new parliament is established, till our voting power is change,…” saying that its their
way or the high way (blood shed)
27th June widespread support across France for those in the Tennis Court and the royal party gives
in
9th July; reconstruction as the National Constituent Assembly fundamental change
From elites to the masses (the anger) people in the TC is still the elite; aristocracy, peasants,…
demand on the level of the elites, revolutionary elites
Storming of the Bastille on the 14th of July
- Political unrest, security forces around the king (military) were supposed to counter-act
this (troops were placed outside Versailles)
- King is worried about this turmoil
- Mobs, riots, support of the French Guard
- Rise of an anti-royal sentiment against the king and those who are trying to preserve the
absolute rule of the king creates an important division new clash
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