HIST. 3321
Spring 2015
Writing Assignment #1
In OldRegime Europe kings, nobles, and church figures were at the top of the social hierarchy. The king was stationed on top of this social ladder and everyone else followed after his lead. All were supposed to be devoted to the crown, but this was not always the case. Revolts among the peasants would break out and the King would have to send his men to settle the problem. The nobles and Princes also started maintaining larger organized armies introducing a fiscal military state.
In OldRegime Europe venal office system existed. Offices could be bought and maintained through taxes and fees. The holder of this office could levy taxes or fees and profit from his investment. But this system grew rather complicated when the Crown started making duplicates of the offices, or dividing them up amongst two or three holders. There were also hidden fees and threats to split the office if loans were not given to the throne. Eventually the crown threatened to take away the heritability of these offices, which meant that once the office holder had passed away the position wouldn’t be kept by his family. The Fronde of the
Parlements grew out of this issue and resolved the matter by saying that crown had no right to abolish the Paulette.
The nobles of the sword, the titled aristocracy, agreed with the Fronde of the Parlements.
But they also felt cheated out of their rightful perks by the nobles of the robe. They thought that it was unfair that new money could come in and buy offices and get the same amount of power as they had. Eventually intendants, agents of the King who held power over both the nobles of the robe and the sword, had to come and settle the arguments.
The bourgeoisie or middle class, was also growing at this time. It is hard to classify the bourgeoisie, because there were very wealthy merchants as well as the lower middle class aristocrats in this group. Below the bourgeoisie were the laborers, the farmers, and the