House of Cards

1
House of Cards

• The Collapse of the Ancien Regime

2
The Rise

• The 30 Years War ended with France one of the
  dominant powers on the continent.
• France was poised to rule the world it had a
  large army, ample resources and a strong
  centralised government under the Bourbons or
  administrators such as Cardinal Richelieu.
• However, even as they consolidated their position
  in Europe it was slipping from their grasp.

3
Changes in France

• France, as with other parts of Europe, was
  experiencing changes.
• The population was around 26 million people
• X 2 the population of Spain
• X 3 the population of England
• Between 1701 1800 Frances population rose 44
  (16 million 26 million)
• Industrial through mercantilism
• Outpaces Britain

4
Political Changes

• Ideas of the Enlightenment.
• In the process the ideas became more polarised
  and radicalised.
• The American Rebellion (1774 - 1783) Thomas Paine
  root and branch change

5
Festering sores

• Despite the positive changes in France it was
  negated by Frances disasterous foreign policies.
  
• In order to de-stabilse nations like England the
  French governments paid huge subsidies to rebels
  and nobles.
• The French government building spree
• Louisbourg
• Palace of Versailles
• Fought for the wrong sides
• Throughout the 1700s, the French fought and
  lost, and lost, and lost.
• These policies served to collectively undermine
  the successes that might have been enjoyed.

6
The Flashpoint

• The French had backed the American rebels against
  the British. Expensive for what?
• Starting in the 1770s, the Kings finance
  minister (Comptroller General) warned of a need
  to make tax reforms.
• Inefficient loopholes.
• The three estates

7
The Three Estates

• First Estate The Clergy
• Represent 1 of the nations population
• Owned 15 of the land worth approximately 60
  million dollars (1700s value).
• From this income they gave gifts of c. 1 million
  dollars. (should pay c. 10 million)
• Second Estate The Nobility
• Represent 1.5 of the nations population
• Four classes
• Nobles of the Sword old families
• Nobles of the Robe judges and administrators
• Nobles of the Bell municipal officials
• Anoblis people who buy titles (kings sock
  holder)
• Third Estate Everyone Else
• Represents 98 of the population
• Was not uniform or united
• Bourgeoisie, Landed peasants, city workers,
  farmers

8
Taxes!!!!!

• While the first and second estates represented 2
  of society, they represented the majority of the
  nations wealth.
• The system of collection was based on tax
  farmers people / officials who paid for the
  privilege to collect it. In return they were
  allowed to skim from the top.
• The average Frenchmen paid a number of taxes to
  the state, the noble, and the church.

9
State

• Taille on income / property
• Vingtiemes 1/20th surcharge on income
• Capitation head of households
• On top of this were indirect taxes and the Corvee
  which was organised labour in the name of the
  king.

10
Nobles

• The nobles had by the 1700s dismantled the formal
  system of feudalism.
• But power is still theirs.

11
Church

• The church generated money through ownership of
  farms and property on which it collected rent.
  All of it tax free.
• The church also had the right to demand a tax
  directly from the people.
• Tithe 3 8 of crop or income.
• Most peasants did not mind this tax accept that
  the money often did not stay in the community
  with the local priests.

12
The End of the Game

• The disasterous and expensive wars forced the
  French government to borrow heavily against
  future income.
• After 20 years of this kind of fiscal policy no
  one wanted to lend the king money anymore.
• Almost 50 of taxes collected went to pay the
  interest alone.
• National debt of 4 billion livres. (c. 30 billion
  dollars in todays currency)
• The king tried to find new ways to pay the debt
  down enough to float more loans.

13
Comptroller General Jacques Necker

• In charge 1776 1781
• He played a shuffling game to keep cash flowing
  to fund the American Rebellion
• Asked for sweeping powers to reform the tax
  farming system.
• He crossed Marie Antionette over the publication
  of pensions given to the royal court.
• She led the move to fire him Louis agreed.

14
Comptroller General Charles Alexandre de Calonne

• After a two year term by a non entity he took
  office.
• 1783 1787
• He tried to keep things afloat but ran out of
  options by the late 1780s
• He decided he needed to tax the church and the
  nobles they were not amused.

15
The Nobles Rebel

• In order to get the reforms to tax the rich,
  Calonne asked the king to call together
  handpicked group of nobles to rubber stamp his
  decrees.
• The king selected his Assembly of Notables
• Met in February 1787
• They immediately attacked Calonnes reforms
• Calonne fled the country
• The nobles demanded the king listen to their
  complaints in the traditional form of governance
• Blocked Calonnes successors effort to reform but
  pushed that only a national body had the
  authority to approve the reforms being sugested.
• Estate General hadnt been formed since 1614.