...assess the value of these sources to an historian studying the significance of 1789. [30 marks] Source A is an extract from the pamphlet labelled ‘What is the Third Estate?’ written by the French clergyman Abbé Sieyés which was published in January 1789. The author, Sieyés, was elected as a representative of the Third Estate when the Estates-General were met in May 1789. It can, therefore, be argued that the source is useful to historians studying the significance of 1789 owing to the fact that it embodies the views of the Third Estate even if it is propaganda. In addition to this, it is important to mention that Source A is published in January 1789 when revolutionary ideologies were swiftly spreading across the country as a result of the King’s declaration in August 1788 that the Estates-General would meet which is often considered by historians to have been a factor of the outbreak of the Revolution in 1789 as it made members of the public believe change was possible. To an historian, the arguments presented by Sieyés in the source itself are both relevant and useful to develop a greater understanding of the significance of 1789 owing to the fact that it presents the frustrations and the requirements the Third Estate. Sieyés use of the question and answer combination featured in the pamphlet of ‘What is the Third Estate? – Everything’ presents the argument that those who make up the Third Estate i.e. the menu peuple are the nation itself. This can be supported by the known...
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...The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a fundamental impact on French history and on modern history more broadly. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[1] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles of Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity). The royal houses across Europe were horrified and led a countercrusade that by 1814 had restored the old monarchy, but many major reforms became permanent. So too did antagonisms between the supporters and enemies of the Revolution, who fought politically over the next two centuries. Amidst a fiscal crisis, the common people of France were increasingly angered by the incompetency of King Louis XVI and the continued indifference and decadence of the aristocracy. This resentment, coupled with burgeoning Enlightenment ideals, fueled radical sentiments, and the French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in June, the assault...
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...Why did Louis call the Estates General in May 1789? M.P In May 1789 Louis called the Estates General for the first time since 1614 due to a number of different reasons like the financial crisis, the political crisis and the grievances of all three Estates. However, the main reason why the Estate General was called in 1789 was due to the political crisis and the constant change in political officials linked with Necker’s ultimatum. Between 1787-8 there was a political crisis in France which contributed to the calling of the Estates General a year later. The government official Necker was dismissed and replaced by Calonne, who was soon after replaced by Brienne the Archbishop of Toulouse who tried to introduce a number of new reforms to the system like reforming the education system, introducing a new treasury and to introduce religious toleration. However, the Parlement of Paris refused these new reforms and said that only the Estates General could consent to any new reforms. Thus, Brienne resigned. This led to the Estates General being called as the constant change in government didn’t restore confidence in the people of France and they began to doubt the government as each new official brought a different agenda to the table and none were being carried through. As a last resort, Louis brought back Necker as Government official but he came with an ultimatum that was before he made any reforms they would have to be approved by the nation. Necker’s ultimatum spurred on the...
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...To what extent was the French Revolution of 1789 a bourgeois revolution? The French Revolution was a revolutionary movement which signified the end of the ancien régime and the increase of the ‘bourgeois’ class. However, it is still a long debated topic of interest when it comes to the idea if the French revolution was a bourgeois revolution or did other events come into play. Throughout 1787 and 1789 ‘one step led to another through a series of moves and counter-moves that later proved to have been an escalation’ of problems already highlighted earlier on in the history of France. To begin with, we analysis the idea presented in the original question of to what extent was the French revolution of 1789 a bourgeois revolution. When it comes to the events that led to the French Revolution ‘the origins must therefore be sought not merely in the general conditions of Europe, but in the specific situation of France’. This was due to the ongoing conflict between the ‘vested interests of the old régime and the new rising social forces’ which were much more prominent in France. These new rising social forces are more than likely the bourgeois class so this clearly highlights the fact that the French revolution was indeed to with if not caused by the bourgeois. It has also be stated that the French revolution was purely down to an uprising which instated the ideology and literally actions which allowed the ‘middle class to assume power by overthrowing the political and social order...
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...period it was still a struggle for equal rights during the rest of country’s upheaval. The French Revolution was caused by a downfall in the royal family, having to do with serious financial issues. King Louis XVI call in the French Estates General in 1788, to help with the financial crisis the country was going through (Doyle). The Estate General was divided into three estates: First Estate representing the upper class, the Second Estate representing middle class, and the Third Estate representing the lower class. There was one vote for each estate, and in the past the Second Estate and the First Estate had joined together to defeat any proposals for reform from the Third Estate. The Third Estate was determined that would not be so in the current assembly and pushed for the vote of each representative to be counted as a separate vote. They were not able to agree on a voting method. Leading the Third Estate and the lower half Second Estate to break away from the Estates General, forming the National Assembly on June 17, 1789 (Doyle). King Louis XVI admitted defeat on June 27, first appeasing then confrontational ordered his nobles, and the upper half Second Estate to join the National Assembly effectively ending the Estates General. In July 1789 King Louis tried again to dominate the elected assembly (Bosher). Peasants who were consider the lower class in France before the French Revolution lived in horrible conditions. The country depended on feudal systems in which powerful...
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...revolutions in history. It brought about great changes in the society and government of France. The revolution, which lasted from 1789 to 1799, also had far-reaching effects on the rest of Europe. It introduced democratic ideals to France but did not make the nation a democracy. However, it ended supreme rule by French kings and strengthened the middle class. After the revolution began, no European monarchs, nobles, or other members of the aristocracy could take their powers for granted or ignore the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. In the beginning of the revolution, events seemed minor and proceeded in a logical fashion. One of the reasons the revolution originated was the discontent among the lower and middle classes in France. By law, society was divided in to three groups called estates; The Estates-General. The first estate was made of up clergy, nobles comprised the second and the rest of the citizens, the third estate. The third estate resented certain advantages of the first two estates. The clergy and nobles did not have to pay most taxes. The third estate, especially the peasants, had to provide almost all the country’s tax revenue. Many members of the middle class were also worried by their social status. They were among the most important people in French society but were not recognized as such because they belonged to the third estate. Financial crisis developed because the nation had gone deeply into debt to finance the Seven Years War (1756-1763) and the...
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...Defining “Modern History”: The Impact of the French Revolution The French Revolution of 1789 was major turning point in European history because it redefined the image of nation in a way never seen before as the people gained political control over their own nation. Therefore the aspects of this revolution have been debated as the beginning concept of “modern history.” This concept is derived from how the French Revolution demonstrated the will of the citizens as a political entity that could dictate governmental change by showing how the people, not the monarchy, could reform a nation. Through the establishment of a new government by the people, new institutions and policies were developed that the world we live as modern; such innovations included a system of power based on wealth and status instead of birth, and a new state bureaucracy. The ideas that drove the revolution came from the innovative thinkers of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, and inspired the people of France to question those who reigned over them. While the events of the French Revolution transformed France, the reign of Napoleon turned the revolution into a European event by sparking revolution in countries that had not already. Napoleon’s conquests helped spread the mind set created in the French Revolution around Europe. The French Revolution marked the beginning of “modern history,” because the revolutionary ideas that it created sparked the creation of citizen-governed nations across Europe...
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...The French Revolution © Student Handouts, Inc. www.studenthandouts.com The Old Regime (Ancien Regime) • Old Regime – socio-political system which existed in most of Europe during the 18th century • Countries were ruled by absolutism – the monarch had absolute control over the government • Classes of people – privileged and unprivileged – Unprivileged people – paid taxes and treated badly – Privileged people – did not pay taxes and treated well Society under the Old Regime • In France, people were divided into three estates – First Estate • High-ranking members of the Church • Privileged class – Second Estate • Nobility • Privileged class – Third Estate • Everyone else – from peasants in the countryside to wealthy bourgeoisie merchants in the cities • Unprivileged class The Three Estates Estate Privileges Exemptions •Collected the tithe •Censorship of the press •Control of education •Kept records of births, deaths, marriages, etc. •Catholic faith held honored position of being the state religion (practiced by monarch and nobility) •Owned 20% of the land •Paid no taxes •Subject to Church law rather than civil law •Moral obligation (rather than legal obligation) to assist the poor and needy •Support the monarchy and Old Regime •Collected taxes in the form of feudal dues •Monopolized military and state appointments •Owned 20% of the land •Paid no taxes •Support the monarchy and Old Regime •Nobles First Population •Circa 25,000,000 •None •None •Paid all taxes...
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...(How and What) e. The Estates 2. IDEAS, INPUTS AND CAUSES a. Very Short List of Causes of the Revolution b. Shift to Sensibility c. American Revolution Input d. The Liberal Economic Theory (Physiocracy) e. The Philosophes 3. FINANCIAL CRISIS AND MANAGEMENT a. Frances Financial Crisis b. Frances Finance Ministers (Comptroller-General) c. Compte Rendu d. Parlements and Their Role e. Assembly of Notables and Their Role 4. EVENTS PRECEEDING AND DURING EXILE AND RECALL OF PARLEMENTS a. Ségur Ordinance b. Diamond Necklace Affair c. Eden Treaty d. Calling of the Assembly of Notables e. The Dutch Crisis (Spring 1787) f. Last Chance with the Notables g. Notables Dissolved h. Attempts to Pass Reforms at the Parlements i. Exile and Recall of the Parlements j. Society of Thirty 5. EVENTS PRECEEDING CALL OF ESTATES GENERAL a. The Reduction of Parlement’s Rights b. The Day of Tiles (Grenoble) c. The Famine of 1788 d. The Calling of the Estates-General 6. ESTATES-GENERAL a. Issues Before 5th May b. Abbé Sieyès: Qu'est-ce que le tiers état? c. The Réveillon Riot d. The Composition of the Estates-General e. Cahiers De Doléances f. Convening of the Estates-General 7. THE FORMING OF THE NATIONAL...
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...Document #3 “What is the Third Estate?” Ana Fajardo Acosta York College History 100 The Sole Body of The Nation “He is a peasant, he is a doctor and him over there, he is a merchant, they are all part of The Third Estate, and I know, it doesn't make any sense to me either," he said after he looked at my confused face. Before the revolution, French society was divided into three estates or orders. The Third Estate was by far the largest of these, “containing around 27 million people or 98 percent of the nation” (Llewellyn & Thompson 2016). The Third Estate included every French citizen who did not possess a noble title and this one was marked by its diversity because of the many different classes and levels such as, wealth, professions, and even ideas. It ranged from beggars and struggling peasants to the nation's wealthiest merchants and capitalists. Well, you start asking yourself what was the difference between stages? Easy, the privileges. Privileges like not paying taxes and let's be serious, nowadays people would do anything to not pay taxes, can you imagine back there, where the economy was not as abundant and advanced as it is today?. Historians continue to debate the nature of the bitter political division of the French Revolution, they believe that one of the reasons the French Revolution started was because of the dissatisfaction of members of the Third Estate, who wanted an equal distribution of wealth and power. The First Estate was the clergy, who were people...
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...française; 1789–1799), was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a major impact on France and indeed all of Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[3] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy – of monarchy, aristocracy, and religious authority – were abruptly overthrown by new Enlightenment principles of equality, citizenship and inalienable rights. When was the French Revolution?: Although historians are agreed that the French Revolution started in 1789 they are divided on the end date. A few histories stop in 1795 with the creation of the Directory, some stop in 1799 with the creation of the Consulate, while many more stop in 1802 when Napoleon Bonaparte became Consul for Life or 1804 when he became Emperor. A rare few continue to the restoration of the monarchy in 1814. This site prefers 1802. The French Revolution in Brief: A medium term financial crisis, caused partly by French involvement in the American Revolutionary War, led to the French crown first calling an Assembly of Notables and then, in 1789, a meeting...
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...French revolution occurred from 1789- 1799. It lead to the end of the monarchy. The revolution ended when Napoleon Bonaparte took power in November 1799 and began his dictatorship. Before the revolution France was ruled by the nobles and the church. The Old Regime consisted of three estates; First Estate, Second Estate, and Third Estate. The First Estate consisted of the Clergy. The Clergy lived wealthy lives and owned 10% of all the land in France. The Second Estate consisted of the Nobility of France. Richelieu and Louis XIV had crushed the nobles military power but given them other rights under strict royal control. The Third Estate consisted of 90% of the people in France. They were the peasants and the bourgeoisie. The Third Estate did not like their place in social society and wished for change which was a long term cause for the Revolution. Causes of the French revolution- It was caused by factors such as the bad governing system of France at the time, weak superiority within the government system and inequality of the classes of people in France at the time. The first estate consisted of the church officials, priests. •They collected church tax. •They supervised education (decide about the education) •Registered births, deaths, marriages •They collected tax (feudal dues), from the peasants. The first estate did not need to pay taxes. The third estate, who did not own any privileges, was forced to pay taxes. This angered the third estate because they were the poorest...
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...It is commonly believed that the French revolution started in 1789 and ended in 1799, with Napoleon staging a coup d'etat, and eventually taking power. This, however, was not the end of the french revolution. The french revolution began in 1789, while france was under the rule of King Louis XVI, and his wife Queen Marie Antoinette. The pair were very unpopular with the public. Louis was only fifteen by the time he was declared king, and Marie was only fourteen. Louis was a timid, indecisive boy, both very unattractive features for a king to have. Marie was a lavish spender, and was nicknamed “Madame deficit” after all of her extravagant purchases. All this, combined with the fact that france was already in debt from the British-Indian war, meant france was on a...
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...French Revolution Storming of the Bastille, 14 July 1789. Participants French society Location France Date 1789–1799 Result A cycle of royal power limited by uneasy constitutional monarchy; then the abolition and replacement of the French king, aristocracy and church with a radical, secular, democratic republic, which, in turn, becomes more authoritarian, militaristic and property-based. Radical social change based on nationalism, democracy and the Enlightenment principles of citizenship and inalienable rights. Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. Armed conflicts with other European countries. Part of a series on the History of France Prehistory[show] Ancient[show] Early Middle Ages[show] Middle Ages[show] Early modern[show] 19th century[show] 20th century[show] France portal v t e The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799), was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a lasting impact on French history and more broadly throughout Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[1] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles of Liberté, égalité...
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...This historical analysis will define the causes, changes, and effects of the French Revolution from 1789-1795. The primary cause of the French Revolution was the growing concern over the absolute power of the monarchy that excluded the middle and lower classes from participation in the government. Louis XVI was the absolute monarch during the early stages of the revolution, which served as a catalyst for extreme governmental neglect, starvation, and abuse of the lower and middle classes during the 1780s. More so, an increased interest in Enlightenment principles, the American Revolution, and Republican government created a middle class platform for protesting the king as a threat to participatory governance. Eventually, the Estates-General sought diplomatic means to end the monarchy, but Louis XVI refused to abdicate. However, the Estates General formed a military and overthrew the monarchy, which resulted in the formation a Republican government in 1792....
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