The Old Regime : Class Structure

and Characteristics

Major FeaturesPre-revolutionary Europe can be described by

four distinct features:Aristocratic elites possessing a wide variety of

inherited legal privilegesEstablished churches intimately linked with the

state and aristocracyAn urban labor force usually organized in

guildsA rural peasantry subject to high taxes and

feudal dues

Maintenance of TraditionSocial Traditions

Few people considered change or innovation desirable in Europe during 18th century

Nobles demanded restoration of legal privileges that believed were being taken away by growing monarchy

Peasants called for restoration of their customary rights whether through petitions or revolts to access certain lands, courts, or grievance procedures

Maintenance of Tradition cont.Economic Traditions

Economy aside from Industrial Britain was primarily based on agriculture

Hierarchy and PrivilegeMedieval sense of rank and degree became

more rigid in the 18th centuryEach state or society was considered a

community composed of several smaller communities

People did not enjoy “individual rights” but instead were given rights and privileges guaranteed to particular community they were apart of

Aristocratic PrivilegesBritish Nobility

The smallest, wealthiest, best defined, and most socially responsible resided in Great Britain

Eldest male member sat in the House of Lords (Corruption led to control of House of Commons)

Usually had direct or indirect control over governmentFrench Nobility

Nobility in France was less refined because 400,000 nobles consisted of two groups

Nobles of the sword-nobility attained through military service Nobles of the robe-nobility who purchased the rights or served

in governmentExempt from taxes like other nobles in Europe

Aristocratic Privileges cont.East of the Elbe River, the characters of the

nobility became more complicated and repressivePoland

Military traditions of the aristocracy remained significant Polish nobles were called szlachta and they were entirely

exempt from taxes after 1741 Until 1768, the Polish nobility had the right of life and

death over their serfs Most of the Polish nobles were poor and the few who had

wealth exercised political power in the fragile Polish stateAustria and Hungary

Nobility possessed broad judicial authority over the peasantry through manorial courts.

Aristocratic Privileges cont.Prussia

Prussian nobles were given extensive judicial authority over the serfs

Nobles increasingly made up the Prussian bureaucracy

Russia18th century saw the creation of the Russian nobility

which was based on state serviceOther privileges included:

The ability to transmit noble status to a nobleman’s wife and children

Judicial protection of noble rights and property

Aristocratic ResurgenceAristocratic Resurgence is a term applied to the

European-wide reaction by the nobility to maintain their status amidst the threat of expanding power of the monarchs

Nobles did four major things to protect their privileges:Tried to protect exclusiveness by making it difficult to

become a nobleReserve positions in the military, government posts, and

ranks in clergyUsed influence in government to prevent the spread of

absolutism Tried to get further tax exemptions to preserve wealth

The Land and it’s TillersLand was economic basis of 18th century

Europe and status and power of nobility¾ (75%) of all Europeans lived in the countryMost people besides nobility were poor

Peasants and SerfsRural social dependency related directly to

the landLarge difference in dependency between

peasants and nobilityPeasants were usually legally bound to

certain land and a particular lordClass that owned most land controlled local

governments and courtsTaxation fell on the “tillers of the soil’’

(Peasants)

Obligations of PeasantsFrance

Almost all French peasants were subject to certain feudal duelsFrench peasants would rent land in exchange for their labor

RussiaRussian nobles based their wealth by number of male serfsRussian nobles like Prussian and Austrian nobles enjoyed

punishing their serfsOttoman Empire

Peasants were free but nonetheless landlords tried to exert their authority as much as they could

There wasn’t much need for labor in southeastern EuropeSometimes a peasant will switch landlords Landlords owned all the tools for farming causing the peasants to

become dependent

Peasant RebellionRussia

Russian monarchy itself contributed to further degradation of the serfs

Whole villages were given to nobles50 peasant revolts between 1762-1769Leader Emelyan Pugachev promised serfs land of their

own and freedom from their lordsGovernment brutally suppress rebellionPeasants and serfs normally directed to property then

peoplePeasants/Rebels sought to reassert traditional or

customary rights against practices perceived as innovated

Aristocratic Domination : English Game LawsAristocrats manipulated English legislation

by making certain animals exclusive for nobles to huntOnly persons possessing a particular amount of

property could hunt there animals City merchants were excluded to preserve

exclusivenessMany rural poor people ignored such lawsMany poachers sold their hunting making

themselves into a business