SocialEconomicPhilos
:-PRIME CAUSE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION WAS THE EXESTING SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT-ANCIEN REGIME-OLD REGIME-THE SYSTEM WAS CHAOTIC ESPECIALLY THE LEGAL SYSTEM-360 DIFFERENT FEUDAL CODES OF LAW'S IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF FRANCE-ONE TOWN ALONE HAD 29 FEUDAL COURTS:TAXATION WAS TOO COMPLICATED AND CHAOTIC ESPECIALLY WHEN GOODS TRAVEL FROM ONE PART OF FRANCE TO OTHER REGIONS OF FRANCE-NEARLY ALL POWER IN NATIONAL MATTERS WAS IN THE HANDS OF THE KING AND HIS PERSONAL ADVISERS;AND THE MAIN BURDENS OF TAXATION WERE BORNE BY THE CLASSES LEAST ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM:THE MASS OF THE PEOPLE HAD NO SHARE IN GOVERNMENT,AND EVEN THE RISING MIDDLE CLASS HAD VERY LITTLE;FOR THOUGH THERE REMAINED SOME OF THE OLD MEDIEVAL INSTITUTIONS IN WHICH THE WEALTHIER BURGESSES PLAYED A PART,THESE HAD EITHER LOST THE HABIT OF OPPOSING THE KING OR ELSE HAD THEMSELVES BECOME LARGELY ARISTOCRATIC.INSTITUTIONS WHICH HAD LOST THE HABIT OF OPPOSITION INCLUDED MANY OF THE ASSEMBLIES KNOWN AS ETATS[STATES OR ESTATES],WHICH STILL MET IN SOME OF THE PROVINCES,AND WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN ITS THREE ESTATES,OR ORDERS OF CLERGY[FIRST ESTATE],NOBILITY[SECOND ESTATES]AND OTHERS[THIRD ESTATES].AS FOR THE ETATS-GENERAUX,OR STATES-GENERAL,THE ASSEMBLY OF THE 3 ESTATES WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE WHOLE REALM,THIS EXISTED ONLY AS A MEMORY;IT HAD LAST BEEN CALLED IN 1614.
:-12 PROVINCIAL PARLEMENTS-LEGAL CORPORATIONS WHICH ACTED AS CORTS OF JUSTICE-COULD THEORETICALLY DISREGARD THE ROYAL WHISHES IN REACHING THEIR DECISIONS
:-PARIS PARLEMENTS-THOSE MEMBERS WHO WERE NOT NOBLES OF THE OLD OLDER SORT-NOBILITY OF THE SWORD-HAD BECOME NOBLES OF A NEWER AND LESSER KIND-APPROPRIATE TO MAGISTRATES/OFFICIALS-NOBILITY OF THE ROBE-PRIVILEGED GROUP CONTENTED TO GO ALONG WITH THE KING WHILE HE RESPECTED THEIR PRIVILEGES-"WHEN HE DID NOT-AS IN THE YEARS 1787-1788,THEIR OPPOSITION BEGAN THE SEQUENCES OF EVENTS WHICH LED TO REVOLUTION".
:-LETTRES DE CACHET-SEALED LETTER-ROYAL WRIT-SENTENCE TO PRISON WITHOUT A TRIAL/OR AN ACCUSATION-HAVING COMMITTED ANY PARTICULAR CRIME-14,000 WRITS WERE ISSUED DURING THE REIGN OF LOUIS 16th-BY NO MEANS ALL OF THESE CONCERNED CASES WHICH ACTUALLY AFFECTED THE GOVERNMENT.
:-PRIVILEGED POSITION OF NOBLES AND CLERGY
:ALLIES/BUTTRESSES IN THIS SYSTEM OF ROYAL POWER-,CROWN HAD THE CLERGY AND THE NOBILITY-FIRST/SECOND ESTATES-NUMBERED SOME 300,000 OUT OF A POPULATION OF AROUND 25 MILLION-THE ANCIEN REGIME IN FRANCE WORKED ALMOST WHOLLY TO THEIR PROFIT-OWNED ABOUT 3\5 OF THE LAND-MANY OF THE NOBILITY WERE GATHERED ROUND LOUIS AT VERSAILLES IN USELESS ATTENDANCE-DID NOT WORK-HIGHER CLERGY DREW PRINCELY RENTS-SHARED THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NOBILITY-LOWER CLERGY[PARISH PRIESTS];POORLY PAID-HAD PLENTY TO DO-RECEIVED LESS THAN A HUNDREDTH OF A BISHOP'S INCOME-SYMPATHIES CONSEQUENTLY LAY NOT WITH THEIR SUPERIORS BUT WITH THE THIRD ESTATES-EXTRAORDINARY PRIVILEGES WERE POSSESSED BY THE NOBILITY AND CLERGY-MOST OUTSTANDIND BEING EXEMPTION FROM THE MAIN WEIGHT OF TAXATION-NOBLES WERE RELIEVED OF MANY TAXES-PAID OTHERS LIGHTLY-CLERGY MADE ONLY A "FREE GIFT".
:-UNPRIVILEDGED POSITION OF PEASANTS
-FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THE PEASANTS WAS CRUSHING
-PEASANTS PAY SEVERAL TAXES TO THE KING:TWENTIETH[VINGTIEME]OF HIS INCOME,WHICH MOST NOBLES PAID/LAND TAX[TAILLE]/POLL TAX[CAPITATION]/A TITHE OF THE PRODUCE FROM HIS LAND TO THE CHURCH[A GABELLE/OR SALT TAX](EVERYONE OVER 7 YEARS OF AGE HAD TO BUY 7LB OF SALT A YEAR).
-CUSTOM DUTY-IF HE TOOK HIS GOODS THOUGH A VILLAGE,THE MONEY DUE TO THE LOCAL LORD WHEN HIS GRAPES WENT TO THE LORDS WHINE/PRESS OR HIS CORN TO THE LORDS MILL-USUALL THEY HAD TO GO.
-SYSTEM OF GAME LAWS:HE HAD TO BE THE POWERLESS WITNESS OF GAME OR ITS HUNTERS DESTROYING HIS CROPS.
-PEASANTS NOT EXEMPTED FROM MILITIA SERVICES.
-PEASANTS WERE OFTEN LIABLE TO FORCED LABOUR ON THE ROADS OR PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
-SOME 10,000 OF THEM WERE ANNUALLY IMPRISONED
-2,000 CONDEMNED TO THE GALLEYS
-SEVERAL HUNDRED EXECUTED FOR OFFENCES AGAINST THE SALT LAWS ALONE.
:-GRIEVANCE OF THE EDUCATED BOURGEOISE
-THEY RESENTED THEIR EXCLUSION FROM OFFICIAL POSITIONS AT THE HEAD OF THE ARMY/NAVY/DIPLOMATIC SERVICE.
-RESENTED NOT BEING ABLE TO CRITICE OPENLY A RIDICULOUS SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
-LACK OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM[IF A PROTESTANT SERVICE WAS DISCOVERED,THE PASTOR MIGHT BE HANG+THE CONGREGATION ALL SENT TO THE GALLEY.
-RESENTED THE LIABILITY OF THE THIRD ESTATE TO SUFFER TORTURE/BREAKING ON THE WHEEL/FORMS OF MUTILATION WHICH WERE SPARED NOBLES AND CLERGY.
-THEY FELT THEMSELVES UNFAIRLY EXCLUDED FROM ALL SHARE IN GOVERNMENT.
-IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE LEADERS OF THE REVOLUTION CAME FROM THIS CLASS
QUOTE:
"WHAT IS THE THIRD ESTATES?",WROTE ONE OF THE LEADERS IN 1789.
'EVERYTHING.WHAT HAS IT BEEN HITHERTO IN OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT? NOTHING.WHAT DOES IT WANT? TO BECOME SOMETHING.'
1771-1781:TERRAY/TURGOT/NECKER-REFORMING MINISTERS-TRIED TO :REDUCED THE NUMBER OF COLLECTION AGENCIES TO 4/SUBJECT THE ACCOUNTANT TO SOME DEGREE OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
1788:LOMENIE DE BRIENNE:CREATED MODERN TREASURY-EXTENDING CONTROL OVERALL GOVERNMENT FUNDS-SUBJECTING ALL THE CAISSES TO ITS DIRECTION AND INSPECTION.
[QUOTE]:JOHN BOSHERS-THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM WAS CONVERTED "FROM A CAPITALISM INTO A BUREUCRACY"[MADE CHANGES/REFORM VERY DIFFICULT]
ARMY REFORM:USE OF MODERN WEAPONS/STRATEGY/TACTICS
TOCQUEVILLE:[QUOTE]-REVIEWING THE SITUATION 60 YEARS AFTER THE EVENTS-HE ARRIVED AT THE PARADOXICAL CONCLUSION THAT "THE SOCIAL ORDER OVERTHROWN BY A REVOLUTION IS ALMOST ALWAYS BETTER THAN THE ONE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING IT" AND THAT "GENERALLY SPEAKING ,THE MOST PERILOUS MOMENT FOR A BAD GOVERNMENT IS ONE WHEN IT SEEKS TO MEND ITS WAYS".
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