AQA A-Level History 7042
1A The Age of the Crusades, c1071–1204
1B Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598
1C The Tudors: England, 1485–1603
1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603–1702
1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796
1F Industrialisation and the People: Britain, c1783–1885
1G Challenge and Transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964
1J The British Empire, c1857–1967
1K The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975
1L The Quest for Political Stability: Germany, 1871–1991
2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216
2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499
2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564
2D Religious Conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660
2F The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643–1715
2G The Birth of the USA, 1760–1801
2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877
2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941
2L Italy and Fascism, c1900–1945
2M Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906–1957
2N Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953
2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945
2P The Transformation of China, 1936–1997
2Q The American Dream: Reality and Illusion, 1945–1980
2R The Cold War, c1945–1991
2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
2T The Crisis of Communism: The USSR and the Soviet Empire, 1953–2000
2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
The Financial Crisis of the Ancien Regime
- 2 things to know
- Component 2
Overview
Recall questions on the state of royal finances in 1774 and on the wars, court spending and inefficient taxation behind the deficit.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
When did Turgot serve as Controller-General of Finances and what economic philosophy guided his reforms?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What was the state of the royal finances when Louis XVI came to the throne in 1774?
Model answer
Expenditure ran at about 400 million livres against receipts of roughly 372 million, an annual deficit of around 27 million, on top of debt inherited from earlier wars. Intervention in the American war then transformed the position.
- 2
How did expensive wars contribute to the financial crisis?
Model answer
War costs, particularly from involvement in conflicts like the American War of Independence, were a major structural cause of the financial crisis.
- 3
How did court expenditure at Versailles contribute to the financial crisis?
Model answer
Extravagant court spending at Versailles was a significant drain on royal finances.
- 4
Why was tax collection inefficient under the Ancien Régime?
Model answer
Tax collection was inefficient because it was conducted through tax farmers who took a portion of revenue for themselves.
- 5
How did privileged exemptions contribute to the financial crisis?
Model answer
The inability to tax the privileged orders (nobility and clergy) limited the Crown's revenue base.
- 6
When did Turgot serve as Controller-General of Finances and what economic philosophy guided his reforms?
Model answer
Turgot served from 1774 to 1776, attempting physiocratic reforms based on free trade and reduced government intervention.
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Every question in 2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815, on a schedule.
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