3.1- The Three Estates
Revolutions
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French Nobility: Old vs New
- The French nobility comprised 1-2% of the pre-revolutionary population and owned a significant portion of the land.
- They held feudal rights and controlled non-trading and, less openly, trading industries, actively participating in the shift from feudalism to capitalism.
- The nobility was divided into 'sword nobility' (old money, lineage-based) and 'robe nobility' (newly wealthy, title-purchasing).
- The old nobility looked down on the new, creating tension within the second estate.
- The newly rich resented their continued treatment as commoners despite their elevated status.
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