The French nobility held a privileged position in society for centuries. In the 14th century, however, kings began to take over many of the functions that had once been the responsibility of the nobles, such as collecting taxes, raising armies, minting coins, and administering justice. This left the nobility dependent on the king for their income and status, while still retaining their traditional privileges.
Before the French Revolution, there were approximately 350,000 nobles in France, making up about 1.5% of the population. However, the nobility was not a uniform group in terms of wealth.
The court nobility, which consisted of about 40,000 nobles who resided in Versailles, lived extravagant lives that were dictated by societal rules. They employed numerous servants, wore lavish clothing, and owned expensive carriages and jewelry. They also spent lavishly on feasts, parties, celebrations, dances, hunts, games of chance, and courtship. Their expenses were so high that they often could not cover them with the income from their extensive rural estates. To supplement their income, they received regular allowances from the state treasury (pensions) for court services and gifts from the king. The allowances that the king granted to the court nobility were substantial. For example, the king allocated 14 million liber of state money to his brother to settle debts. The queen paid 1 million liber of state money to a court lady to settle a debt incurred from card games.
Because the court nobility was entirely dependent on the king or state allowances for their income, they resisted the idea of reducing payments from the state treasury or new financial burdens.
The rural nobility, on the other hand, lived more modestly. Nobles were not allowed to engage in crafts, trade, or other bourgeois professions without losing their noble title. Their source of income was limited to feudal dues from peasants. As the value of money declined, nobles lived in poverty and collected dues more harshly. Peasants called them “hoberau,” which means a small falcon or the smallest bird of prey.
Despite their modest lifestyle, rural nobles still enjoyed certain privileges that distinguished them from the wealthiest merchants. These privileges included the right to bear arms, the right to a separate bench in church, the right to a separate cell in arrest, the right to be beheaded rather than hanged, the right to judicial rights on their estates, the right to use pastures, exclusive rights to hunting, fishing, and pigeon breeding, exemption from paying certain taxes and tolls, and exemption from quartering royal soldiers in their homes.
Rural nobles also feared new taxes and the abolition of their privileges.
In the mid-18th century, some nobles began to increasingly collaborate with wealthy merchants and invest money in the emerging industry. Therefore, some nobles sided with the revolutionary cause at the beginning of the revolution.
In the decade preceding the French Revolution, a series of pivotal events unfolded in France, ultimately paving the way for revolutionary upheaval and the downfall of aristocracy.
The country was on the edge of bankruptcy due to its support for the American War of Independence (1775-83).
In an effort to gain the trust of foreign investors, Finance Minister Necker published a financial report on the state budget (1781), a practice unheard of in an absolute monarchy where financial matters were always kept secret. The report also revealed the extravagant spending of the nobility.
Minister Calonne’s (1783-87) attempts to curb public spending and tax privileged classes faced fierce opposition from the aristocracy.
The notorious diamond necklace affair (1784-85), involving Queen Marie Antoinette, further fueled public discontent. Despite later revelations of fraud, the incident left an indelible mark on Marie Antoinette’s reputation, transforming public sentiment from disapproval to almost outright animosity.
It is crucial to acknowledge that the nobility played pivotal roles in politics, the military, and the economy, upholding the integrity of the entire system. However, at the dawn of the revolution, the majority of nobles fled the country, taking their wealth with them. Simultaneously, the absence of generals left the army in disarray. This dual blow contributed to the collapse of the system, plunging the state into a turbulent era.
Do you think the nobility was aware of their extravagant lifestyle, or were they so accustomed to it from a young age that they didn’t notice? Why did they believe they had exclusive ownership, and despite the abundance of basic goods, were they unwilling to share with others? Were they genuinely conscious of the hardships faced by the peasants?
What would you do if you were paying taxes, yet had no say in how your hard-earned money was being spent? How would you feel if, despite working tirelessly every day, you struggled to provide for yourself and your family, while others, funded by your contributions, lived in extravagant luxury? Additionally, do you consider the rebellion of the French people justified as the only way to bring about necessary changes?
Try to see things from a higher perspective. Try not to judge.