The+Old+Regime.+France+at+the+end+of+the+18th+century.

=__**The Old Regime: France at the end of the 18th century**__=

Between the 1500s and the 1700s, France had grown into a strong, powerful nation. France had the largest population of any country in Europe, with around 29 million people. It was a very wealthy country and had one of the strongest armies in Europe.

The __**French king´s authority**__ became **absolute**, which meant that he did not have to consult anyone before he appointed ministers, made laws, or raised taxes. His official title was //"The Most Christian King"//. This was to show that he got his right to rule from God and not from the people. This was because people still believed in the **divine rigth of kings.**

During the reigns of [|Louis XV] and **[|Louis XVI]** the people became more dissatisfied. The government was bankrupt, and Louis XVI was too weak to handle the situation. The king lived in great luxury in his palace at Versailles. He cared deeply about his people and tried to act in their interest, but he lacked the strength to make tough decissions.

The French [|society] was divided into three groups called **estates**: the clergy, the nobles, and everyone else (middle class and peasants).
 * 1) The **First Estate** consisted of the **Clergy** of the Catholic Church. the Church was very wealthy. It owned about one-fifth of the land in France. The clergy did not pay taxes, instead they received the tithe.
 * 2) The **Second Estate** consisted of the **Nobles**. Many lived in big houses in the country called //chateaux// and owned a great deal of land. Nobles enjoyed many privileges, which dated back to the feudal system in the Middle Ages. Peasants had to pay "feudal dues" (a kind of tax) to the nobles and work on their lands without pay. Nobles did not have to pay taxes to the king. Nobles got all the top jobs in the government, the army and the Church.
 * 3) The **Third Estate** consisted of the rest of the people. Some of them were rich merchants, bankers or businessmen. They were called the **//bourgeoisie//**, which means middle class. They greatly resented the privileges of the clergy and the nobles. Others were **workers** in the towns and cities. Their wages were very low and they were often out of work. Sometimes they had to spend more than half their wages on bread, which was their main food. Eighty per cent of French people were **peasants**. Some peasants owned land and were well off but most had no land of their own. Members of the third estate had to pay high taxes to the king, feudal dues to the nobles, and tithes to the Church. This made them very resentful.

This system of government, Absolutism, and this social system, the three estates system, were collectively known as __**Old Regime or Ancien Regime.**__ __** This presentation shows some of the most important characteristics of the Old Regime. **__  media type="custom" key="3632743"