French Monarchy and Revolution Quiz

French Monarchy and the Revolution

• Opposition from Parlement of Paris and provincial parliaments contributed to the failure of reform efforts by Chancellor René Maupeou under Louis XV.
• Louis XV's reversal of reforms under pressure from the parlements and their criticism of the monarchy led to a decline in public support for the French monarchy.
• The French monarchy, particularly under Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, lost moral authority and public support due to perceptions of detachment, extravagance, and ineffective leadership.
• Calonne, the new finance minister, proposed several reforms, including a new land tax applicable to all landowners and establishing local assemblies challenging the aristocracy's power.
• The Assembly of Notables, a group of high-ranking aristocrats, refused to support Calonne's reforms and called for Necker's reappointment.
• The Estates General was called due to a political deadlock between the French monarchy and the powerful interests of the aristocratic institutions and the church.
• The Estates General was divided into three estates: the First Estate (clergy), the Second Estate (nobility), and the Third Estate (primarily wealthy members of the middle classes).
• Before the Estates General, there was a significant public debate about its organization, particularly regarding the representation of the different estates.
• The aristocracy attempted to restrict the influence of the Third Estate by demanding equal number of representatives for each estate and voting by order rather than by individual headcount.
• The royal council announced that the Third Estate would elect twice as many representatives as either the nobles or the clergy, potentially allowing it to dominate the Estates General.
• The Third Estate resisted sitting as a separate order, leading to a standoff with the monarchy.
• On June 17, the group that had come together declared itself the National Assembly, representing a shift from traditional estate-based representation to a more unified legislative body.