inNO+julies+2013+08.+31.+10

=** The Government of France **=


 * [[image:LouisXIV_julies2013.jpg width="210" height="298" caption="Louis the Sixteenth"]] http://www.conservapedia.com/Louis_XIV **
 * **Lived in the thousand-room palace of Versailles ( 18 km outside of Pairs)**
 * **Many nobles lived with him, to serve him andhelp run the affairs of the nation**
 * **Wife was Marie Antoinette ( Austrian archduchess)**
 * **Got married in 1770, everyone was very interested in them but then later people started to hate Marie Antoinette**


 * Marie Antoinette: **
 * [[image:marie_antoinette_julies2013.jpg width="194" height="228" caption="Marie Antoinette"]]http://johnfenzel.typepad.com/john_fenzels_blog/2007/07/marie-antoinett.html**
 * **Many disliked her, she was called 'Austrian woman' - Austrian bitch**
 * 1) **was a foreigner**
 * 2) **spent too much money on clothes, jewelry and gambling**
 * 3) **had favorites at court**
 * 4) **she was unfaithful to Louis**
 * **Louis gave her a small palace in the grounds of palace Versailles - called Petit Trianon**
 * **spent alot of money on the gardens**
 * **built a village ( farm)**
 * **People believed that if she hadn't spent so much money Louis could have used the money on poverty**
 * Use and Abuse of Power **
 * **People disliked the government because they had too much power**
 * **the king's use of 'sealed letters' was extremely disliked**
 * **a sealed letter was a letter were the royal warrant was when the imprisoned someone**
 * **a person's name would be written in the letter with the kings signature**
 * **During Louis' period 14,000 sealed letter were sent out - to people who disagreed with the gov't**


 * **The king could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted**
 * **Louis was criticized of being 'despot' - also means dictator**

= Financial Problems =
 * The Royal Debt: **
 * **Louis' government was in deeply debt - more than a hundred years**
 * **More money was spent than earned**
 * **1786 - the gov't almost financial collapsed**
 * An Attempt at reform: **
 * **Calonne was the finance minister, and he had no other choice but to rise taxes**
 * **A tax on land which all landowners had to pay**
 * **Coud refuse to register it in the Pairs law courts ( or parelement) - all land had to be registered**
 * **Calonne invited 150 leading nobles and clergy to Pairs to discuss and approve the new tax**
 * **'Assembly of Notables' disagreed with the new taxing**
 * **Nobles refused to register their land**
 * **Protests against this taxing began, protests became violent**
 * **went on for 6 months**
 * **1788, Louis decided that there should be elections for the Estates General**