1. PRE-REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE A LOOK INTO 18 TH CENTURY FRANCE

2. THE RISE OF ABSOLUTISM ABSOLUTISM – A FORM OF CENTRALIZED, UNLIMITED AUTHORITY. USUALLY RULED BY A MONARCH OR DICTATOR. OUR EXAMPLE: PRE-REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE

3. LOUIS XIV - REVIEW LOUIS XIV – “THE SUN KING” CAME INTO A CENTRALIZED FRENCH ABSOLUTE MONARCHY – HIS PREDECESSORS HAD DOMINATED THE LANDED ARISTOCRACY AND IMPROVED CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION WORKED WITH THE ARISTOCRATS

4. PRO AND CON LIST: KING LOUIS XIV ProCon Worked with aristocracy Led a successful centralized monarchy Failed tax system Too many imperialist wars- drained French money and resources

5. FRENCH SOCIETY AND POLITICS FRANCE WAS SPLIT INTO SEVERAL PROVINCES, EACH WITH DIFFERENT LAWS, CUSTOMS, RULES, TAXES AND CUSTOMS 13 DIFFERENT COURTS WITH DIFFERENT SIZE JURISDICTIONS – UNEVEN COVERAGE OF THE 36 PROVINCES

6. RURAL FRANCE VS. URBAN FRANCE PEASANTS MADE UP ABOUT 80% OF THE POPULATION PREDOMINANTLY AGRICULTURAL NATION (HEAVILY TAXED) LARGE SCALE FARMING REGION WAS AROUND PARIS – PERPETUALLY POOR, HUNGRY POPULATION REMAINING 20% LIVED IN CITIES (URBAN). HIGH DEATH RATES.

7. SOCIAL CLASSES First estateSecond estateThird estate Clergy; around 130,000 peopleNobility; around 120,000 people Peasants and bourgeoisie; 99% of the population Owned a tenth of the land Collected 1/10 th of everyone’s income Immune from paying tax Members drawn from noble families Born into nobility or earned it through government offices Didn’t work, had tax exemptions Different, quicker means of execution Majority were poverty- stricken peasants Around 2 million were middle class – bourgeoisie Comfortable, not excessive life Higher officers for the bourgeoisie could be bought