How Louis XVI Could Have Gone About
Increasing Taxes:
Calling
the Estates General:
·
Louis
XVI had to call a meeting of the Estates General to propose new taxes, as he
could not impose them autonomously .
·
The
Estates General had not been convened since 1614, and the king alone had the
authority to summon it.
·
On
5 May 1789, Louis XVI called the Estates General to discuss and pass proposals
for new taxes.
Composition
and Representation:
·
The
Estates General consisted of three estates: the First Estate (clergy), the
Second Estate (nobility), and the Third Estate (commoners).
·
The
First and Second Estates sent 300 representatives each, while the Third Estate
had 600 representatives.
·
The
Third Estate was represented by the more prosperous and educated members of
society, with peasants, artisans, and women excluded from the assembly.
·
The
grievances of the common people were represented through 40,000 letters brought
by the Third Estate's representatives.
Traditional
Voting System:
·
Voting
in the Estates General traditionally followed the principle of one vote per
estate, which favoured the First and Second Estates.
·
Louis
XVI intended to continue this practice, which led to dissatisfaction among the
Third Estate.
Demand
for Voting by Head:
·
The
Third Estate demanded a new voting system where each member of the Estates
General would have one vote, rather than one vote per estate.
·
This
demand was influenced by Enlightenment ideas, particularly those of Rousseau,
who advocated for more democratic principles.
·
When
the king rejected this proposal, the Third Estate representatives walked out in
protest.
Formation
of the National Assembly:
·
On
20 June 1789, the representatives of the Third Estate declared themselves the
National Assembly, claiming to represent the entire French nation.
·
They
took the Tennis Court Oath, pledging not to disperse until they had drafted a
constitution for France that would limit the king's powers.
·
The
National Assembly was led by figures like Mirabeau and Abbé Sieyès, who were
committed to ending feudal privileges.
Public
Unrest and the Fall of the Bastille:
·
As
the National Assembly worked on the constitution, widespread unrest erupted
across France due to economic hardships, such as rising bread prices.
·
On
14 July 1789, an agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille, a symbol of
royal tyranny.
·
In
rural areas, peasants attacked chateaux and destroyed records of manorial dues,
driven by rumors and fear.
Constitutional
Monarchy:
·
Faced
with growing pressure, Louis XVI recognized the National Assembly and accepted
the principle of a constitutional monarchy.
·
On
4 August 1789, the National Assembly abolished feudal obligations and
privileges, including tithes and the confiscation of Church lands.
·
The
government gained assets worth 2 billion livres from the Church's confiscated
lands.
Drafting
the Constitution of 1791:
·
The
National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791, establishing
a constitutional monarchy in France.
·
The
constitution divided power among the legislature, executive, and judiciary,
limiting the king's authority.
·
Voting
rights were restricted to "active citizens" (men over 25 who paid a
certain amount of taxes), excluding a significant portion of the population.
·
The
constitution began with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen,
affirming natural and inalienable rights such as life, freedom of speech, and
equality before the law.
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Criticism
from Revolutionary Voices:
·
Revolutionary
journalist Jean-Paul Marat criticized the constitution for favouring the
wealthy and failing to address the needs of the poor.
·
Marat
argued that laws would only last as long as the people agreed to obey them, and
suggested that the poor might eventually rise against the wealthy.
SOME
IMPORTANT DATES
1774 -Louis XVI becomes king of France,
faces empty treasury and growing discontent within society of the Old Regime.
1789 - Convocation of Estates General,
Third Estate forms National Assembly, the Bastille is stormed, peasant revolts
in the countryside.
1791 - A constitution is framed to limit
the powers of the king and to guarantee basic rights to all human beings.
1792-93 - France becomes a republic, the king
is beheaded. Overthrow of the Jacobin republic, a Directory rules France.
1804 - Napoleon becomes emperor of
France, annexes large parts of Europe.
1815 - Napoleon defeated at Waterloo.
Summary
Louis XVI
faced a financial crisis in France and needed to increase taxes. However, under
the Old Regime, he couldn’t impose taxes by his will alone and had to call the
Estates General, a political body representing the three estates: clergy, nobility,
and commoners. The Estates General had not been convened since 1614, but on 5
May 1789, Louis XVI called it to approve new taxes.
The Estates
General traditionally voted with each estate having one vote, which favored the
clergy and nobility. The Third Estate, representing the commoners, demanded a
more democratic system where each representative had one vote, but the king
rejected this proposal, leading the Third Estate to walk out and form the
National Assembly on 20 June 1789. They vowed to draft a constitution limiting
the monarch’s powers.
As the
National Assembly worked on the constitution, unrest spread due to economic
hardships, leading to the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. The
National Assembly eventually gained recognition, and on 4 August 1789, it
abolished feudal privileges and tithes, confiscating Church lands to gain
assets.
In 1791, the
National Assembly completed the constitution, creating a constitutional
monarchy that limited the king’s powers and divided authority among the
legislature, executive, and judiciary. However, voting rights were restricted,
favoring wealthier citizens. The constitution also affirmed natural and
inalienable rights, though it faced criticism from revolutionaries who believed
it still favored the rich over the poor.
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