Event: Triggered By & Brief Significance &
Summary: Consequences:
1774-88
Bad Harvests Weather Put pressure of France’s food
supply since the population
was still growing while food
was dwindling
Turgot
(Physiocrat)1774-
1776
1774- Free trade on High grain prices due to bad Turgot’s theory was that free
grain harvests, people spending trade would be a benefit to
50-90% of their wages on the majority since, if grain
bread was plentiful, prices would
De regulation had worked at remain low
a local level in some areas so However, bad harvests
Turgot believed it would work meant that prices for grain
for France as a whole increased, sparking violent
unrest known as the Flour
Wars where bakeries, nobility
etc. were accused of
hoarding bread
1776- Attempted to ban Turgot’s aim to abolish Parlements refused to
the Corvée privilege and introduce a sanction it, and Louis
property tax payable by dismissed Turgot in May
everyone,
Many other taxes that were
also hated e.g. taille, gabelle
Necker (Swiss
economist) 1776-81
1781- Published State Needed funds for Necker won popular support
Finances involvement in the American from this and it made
Revolution but Necker didn’t financiers willing to loan
want to raise taxes further finances to the French
It claimed a surplus of 10 state
million livres concealing the He was forced to resign when
deficit of 46 million he ensured venal ministers
were replaced by trained
officials
Calonne 1783-1787
1783- American America wanted freedom Left France in severe financial
Revolution ends from Britain debt, 1.3 million livre
22nd Feb-May 1787- A collection of 144 ‘notable’ The Assembly refused to
Summoned Assembly nobles, archbishops etc. hand approve Calonne’s reforms
of Notables chosen by Calonne in the and Louis dismissed him
hope that his ‘5 points’ since he always gave in to
(proposed economic reforms) the pressure of critics
would be accepted, given
France’s debt of 4 billion
, livres
Tries to cleanup the economic
and financial mess, tries to
tax the rich
Louis had tried to pass these
reforms as decrees but the
Paris parlement refused, they
were exiled but painted Louis
as a tyrant, they pretended
to be defenders of the people
and justice
Brienne (Archbishop)
1787-88
July 1787- Attempted to France’s debt Paris parlement refused to
introduce Universal sanction it, claiming it
Land Tax needed the consent of and
Estates General
Louis exiled them 160km
from Paris, making him seem
like a tyrant
June 1788- Day of Tiles Louis tried to reduce the Some see this as the
legislative powers of beginning of the French
parlements and sent royal Revolution and it was part of
soldiers to disband the one in many other aristocratic
Grenoble as Louis tried to revolts against the king’s
reduce the legislative powers attempts
of parlements
Aug 1788- Necker Brienne declared France Necker could do little to save
Reinstated bankrupt the French economy
Necker had been very
popular with the people
1788- 2nd Assembly of Louis agreed to double the Louis agreeing to vote by
Notables amount of 3rd Estate head may have stopped the
representatives, but didn’t Tennis Court Oath and the
agree to vote by head since it National Assembly from
would have been too occurring
controversial
1789
5th May- Estates France’s position, was so a Closest thing to a
General discussion could take place to government besides the King,
decide what to do with all the but hadn’t been summoned
economic problems for 175 years prior to this
17th June- National 3rd Estate felt their voice 2 days after the 1st Estate
Assembly wasn’t being heard + they voted to join them, meaning
weren’t being fairly Louis was now facing a major
represented since all estates threat
only got 1 vote so they were It was on course to write a
always outnumbered by the new French constitution
nobility and clergy
, Inspired by Mirabeau and
Sieyes’s speeches
20th June- Tennis Court Louis closing the palace in They pledged to keep
Oath prep. for a Royal Session, meeting until the King gave
looked like he was trying to in to their demands and that
stop them they couldn’t be dissolved,
they created the National
Assembly run by many
educated members all
estates e.g. Robespierre and
Danton from the 3rd Estate
and Mirabeau from the 2nd
Estate
23rd June- Royal Session The National Assembly and Louis agreed to freedom of
Louis wanting to bring events press
back under his control He stated that the 3 estates
would still meet separately
and declared the National
Assembly void
The 3rd Estate deputies then
refused to leave the hall
when Louis attempted to
dismiss them, with many
from the 1st and 2nd estate
joining them as well, and
Louis was forced to legitimise
the National Assembly
June- Jacobin Club Initially founded by anti- Were some of the first to
formed royalist deputies from argue for the removal of the
Brittany, it grew into a King
nationwide republican It aimed to preserve the
movement gains of the revolution and
wished to protect property
and interests of bourgeoisie
National Constituent
Assembly (28th June-
30th Sep 1791)
11th July- Necker For trying to make financial Heightened the anger from
dismissed reforms and his sympathies the people of Paris inciting
with the 3rd Estate further demonstrations
14th July- Storming of Bastille- symbol of the The National Assembly didn’t
the Bastille ancient regime stop the people of Paris,
Louis sending troops into which arguably only
Paris to keep order after encouraged more violence
demonstrations had broken since they had the support of
out in support of the National them and the National Guard
Assembly, many of the 3rd De Launay, the governor of
estate worried they would the Bastille sent the order to
attack and decided to arm fire on the crowd, causing the
Summary: Consequences:
1774-88
Bad Harvests Weather Put pressure of France’s food
supply since the population
was still growing while food
was dwindling
Turgot
(Physiocrat)1774-
1776
1774- Free trade on High grain prices due to bad Turgot’s theory was that free
grain harvests, people spending trade would be a benefit to
50-90% of their wages on the majority since, if grain
bread was plentiful, prices would
De regulation had worked at remain low
a local level in some areas so However, bad harvests
Turgot believed it would work meant that prices for grain
for France as a whole increased, sparking violent
unrest known as the Flour
Wars where bakeries, nobility
etc. were accused of
hoarding bread
1776- Attempted to ban Turgot’s aim to abolish Parlements refused to
the Corvée privilege and introduce a sanction it, and Louis
property tax payable by dismissed Turgot in May
everyone,
Many other taxes that were
also hated e.g. taille, gabelle
Necker (Swiss
economist) 1776-81
1781- Published State Needed funds for Necker won popular support
Finances involvement in the American from this and it made
Revolution but Necker didn’t financiers willing to loan
want to raise taxes further finances to the French
It claimed a surplus of 10 state
million livres concealing the He was forced to resign when
deficit of 46 million he ensured venal ministers
were replaced by trained
officials
Calonne 1783-1787
1783- American America wanted freedom Left France in severe financial
Revolution ends from Britain debt, 1.3 million livre
22nd Feb-May 1787- A collection of 144 ‘notable’ The Assembly refused to
Summoned Assembly nobles, archbishops etc. hand approve Calonne’s reforms
of Notables chosen by Calonne in the and Louis dismissed him
hope that his ‘5 points’ since he always gave in to
(proposed economic reforms) the pressure of critics
would be accepted, given
France’s debt of 4 billion
, livres
Tries to cleanup the economic
and financial mess, tries to
tax the rich
Louis had tried to pass these
reforms as decrees but the
Paris parlement refused, they
were exiled but painted Louis
as a tyrant, they pretended
to be defenders of the people
and justice
Brienne (Archbishop)
1787-88
July 1787- Attempted to France’s debt Paris parlement refused to
introduce Universal sanction it, claiming it
Land Tax needed the consent of and
Estates General
Louis exiled them 160km
from Paris, making him seem
like a tyrant
June 1788- Day of Tiles Louis tried to reduce the Some see this as the
legislative powers of beginning of the French
parlements and sent royal Revolution and it was part of
soldiers to disband the one in many other aristocratic
Grenoble as Louis tried to revolts against the king’s
reduce the legislative powers attempts
of parlements
Aug 1788- Necker Brienne declared France Necker could do little to save
Reinstated bankrupt the French economy
Necker had been very
popular with the people
1788- 2nd Assembly of Louis agreed to double the Louis agreeing to vote by
Notables amount of 3rd Estate head may have stopped the
representatives, but didn’t Tennis Court Oath and the
agree to vote by head since it National Assembly from
would have been too occurring
controversial
1789
5th May- Estates France’s position, was so a Closest thing to a
General discussion could take place to government besides the King,
decide what to do with all the but hadn’t been summoned
economic problems for 175 years prior to this
17th June- National 3rd Estate felt their voice 2 days after the 1st Estate
Assembly wasn’t being heard + they voted to join them, meaning
weren’t being fairly Louis was now facing a major
represented since all estates threat
only got 1 vote so they were It was on course to write a
always outnumbered by the new French constitution
nobility and clergy
, Inspired by Mirabeau and
Sieyes’s speeches
20th June- Tennis Court Louis closing the palace in They pledged to keep
Oath prep. for a Royal Session, meeting until the King gave
looked like he was trying to in to their demands and that
stop them they couldn’t be dissolved,
they created the National
Assembly run by many
educated members all
estates e.g. Robespierre and
Danton from the 3rd Estate
and Mirabeau from the 2nd
Estate
23rd June- Royal Session The National Assembly and Louis agreed to freedom of
Louis wanting to bring events press
back under his control He stated that the 3 estates
would still meet separately
and declared the National
Assembly void
The 3rd Estate deputies then
refused to leave the hall
when Louis attempted to
dismiss them, with many
from the 1st and 2nd estate
joining them as well, and
Louis was forced to legitimise
the National Assembly
June- Jacobin Club Initially founded by anti- Were some of the first to
formed royalist deputies from argue for the removal of the
Brittany, it grew into a King
nationwide republican It aimed to preserve the
movement gains of the revolution and
wished to protect property
and interests of bourgeoisie
National Constituent
Assembly (28th June-
30th Sep 1791)
11th July- Necker For trying to make financial Heightened the anger from
dismissed reforms and his sympathies the people of Paris inciting
with the 3rd Estate further demonstrations
14th July- Storming of Bastille- symbol of the The National Assembly didn’t
the Bastille ancient regime stop the people of Paris,
Louis sending troops into which arguably only
Paris to keep order after encouraged more violence
demonstrations had broken since they had the support of
out in support of the National them and the National Guard
Assembly, many of the 3rd De Launay, the governor of
estate worried they would the Bastille sent the order to
attack and decided to arm fire on the crowd, causing the
