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France in Revolution, 1774–99

The failings of Louis XVI and his ministers

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 2

Overview

Recall questions on the king's indecision, the reform attempts of Turgot, Necker and Calonne, the Assembly of Notables, and the reputation of Marie Antoinette.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

How was Marie Antoinette perceived?

Key term

Who became King of France in 1774?

Key term

What was the Assembly of Notables of 1787?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Who became King of France in 1774?

    Model answer

    Louis XVI, of the Bourbon dynasty.

  2. 2

    Who were Necker and Calonne?

    Model answer

    Reforming finance ministers of Louis XVI who tried and failed to solve the debt crisis, Calonne proposing a universal land tax.

  3. 3

    What was the Assembly of Notables of 1787?

    Model answer

    A gathering of leading nobles and clergy summoned to approve tax reform, which refused and demanded the Estates-General instead.

  4. 4

    What were Louis XVI's personal failings as a ruler?

    Model answer

    Indecision, a tendency to appoint and then abandon reforming ministers, and a preference for hunting and locksmithing over the business of government.

  5. 5

    What did Turgot attempt?

    Model answer

    Free trade in grain, abolition of the corvee and of guilds, and reduced court spending, all reversed after parlement and court opposition forced his dismissal in 1776.

  6. 6

    What did Necker do that was novel?

    Model answer

    He funded the American war by borrowing rather than taxation and published the Compte rendu in 1781, the first public account of royal finances, which understated the deficit.

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AThe government admitted 96 dead and 333 wounded.
BOther estimates run to several hundred dead.
COpponents claimed thousands.

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