France 1

• Context sentence (1)

  The French system of government was one of absolute monarchy, meaning that the king ruled absolutely - the monarch was considered god's representative on earth
• Context sentence (2)

  With a lack of democracy, and an unrealistic fixation on religious which encompasses the monarchy, the ancien regime before 1789 was made undoubtedly vulnerable
• Role of the royal family F (1)

  "All power comes to me" - Louis XVI
• Role of the royal family A (2)

  France was ruled absolutely by the king. Even with this power, people in France criticised Louis for his indecisiveness and immaturity. Lack of confidence and bad leadership skills made the third estate more vulnerable to revolution
• Role of the royal family F (2)

  Marie Antionette nicknamed "Madame Deficit" as a result of her spending habits.
• Role of the royal family A (2)

  Her frivolous, promiscuous, and lavish lifestyle directly impacted France's financial difficulties - those in the third estate were personally responsible for funding the palace lifestyle through heavily imposed taxes
• Role of the royal family A+

  The peasants, 79% of the population were moderately unattached and disassociated with the royal family because the royal family itself ensured their disconnection with the poorer classes, evident by their unwillingness to support them - other factors such as the clergy and nobility more significant
• Role of the royal family E

  Historians such as Peter jones said that Louis XVI was "honest and well-intentioned, but far from a great mind", holding Louis XVI responsible for this mistakes made in governing France before 1789
• Position of the clergy and nobility F (1)

  In 1789, only one bishop came form a non-noble family's nd social mobility was deemed as nearly impossible
• Position of the clergy and nobility A (1)

  This created an indefinite sense of inequality between the classes and made the nobility vulnerable to revolution
• Position of the clergy and nobility F (2)

  The nobility also had their own law courts
• Position of the clergy and nobility A (2)

  This made the regime unjust and unfair, showing the extent of the inequalities within the regime - these inequalities would ultimately manifest into revolutionary efforts, threatening the regime
• Position of the clergy and nobility A+

  Versailles attracted the richest nobles - it was the royal family which allowed the nobility to have these lifestyles
• Position of the clergy and nobility E

  The royal family's role in the collapse of the regime contributed to the position of the nobility and financial problems.
• Financial issues F (1)

  France's prolonged involvement in the Seven Years' War, 1756-1763 drained the treasury
• Financial issues A (1)

  These funds were not focused on the French people, especially those in poverty, and expensive wars drove the third estate deeper into poverty
• Financial issues F (2)

  Attempt the solve the problem failed due to the king's stubbornness - world of Charles de Calonne, general of finances in 1783 - his solution was to raise taxes for the nobility, but this was rejected by Louis XVI
• Financial issues A (2)

  The financial problem contributed to an increase in taxes, fuelling discontentment amongst the third estate as they were driven further into deprivation
• Financial issues A+

  France was capable of solving their financial issues, it was Louis who was hesitant - taxing the rich would have worked
• Financial issues E

  1777, Jacques Necker director-general of finances. His greatest financial measures were the use of loans to fund the French debt, but in light of opposition to reform, Louis forced him to resign - it was the royal family
• Taxation and corruption F (1)

  The tithe amounted to a tenth of agricultural income and it was paid only by the third estate
• Taxation and corruption A (1)

  This put a strenuous strain on those in the third estate and lower earners as a larger sum of their income would be spent on this tax - increasing sense of inequality
• Taxation and corruption F (2)

  The Gabelle tax (salt tax) was an indirect tax on salt. This tax heavily impacted the third estate - mainly urban workers and peasants who were lower income earners
• Taxation and corruption A (2)

  A larger sum of their income would be spent unnecessarily on the salt tax. These taxes exacerbated feelings of inequality within France
• Taxation and corruption A+

  Could have been the result of the poor harvest from 1787 - 1788. Bad weather heavy rain and hard winters means bad harvest - peasants wouldn't have been so significantly affected by the Gabelle tax if they didn't need to perceive the food they were trying to conserve due to the poor harvest
• Taxation and corruption E

  Tax-farmers also contributed - wealthy individuals who would rather indirect taxes on behalf of the government and make profit for themselves out of the process. Increase in taxes made the regime more susceptible to revolution
• Grievances held by the third estate F (1)

  Prices had increased by 65%, but wages only by 32%, putting pressure on those having to pay the taille and the tithe and a range of other indirect taxes
• Grievances held by the third estate A (1)

  The third estate were not compensated for their strenuous work, especially peasant farmers - increasing the sense of resentment towards the nobility, fuelling the vulnerability of the regime
• Grievances held by the third estate F (1)

  Peasants would have to perform feudal dues and feudal obligations such as forced labour. If they had a bad crop season, they would be left starving.
• Grievances held by the third estate A (2)

  Never-ending sense of deprivation made the regime increasingly vulnerable to revolution - third estate made up 85% of the population
• Grievances held by the third estate A (3)

  The bourgeoisie were hardworking, educated men, but lacked status and were subject to the same treatment and taxation as even the poorest peasants - they would act as catalysts in the revolution
• Grievances held by the third estate E

  There were 21 million peasants in France which constituted for the majority and bulk of the population. But the peasants in the fields were more concerned with their immediate burdens than political issues