Practice Quiz

CLEP Western Civ II

Category - Enlightenment

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The French monarchies were among the least enlightened of 18th-century Europe because they were hampered by which of the following?
  1. Literacy rates in France were well below those of the rest of Europe.
  2. The French citizenry was disinterested in political thought.
  3. The territorial losses during the mid-century wars made reform impossible.
  4. The limited understanding of Enlightenment principles in France.
  5. The inability to effectively tax the land of the nobility and Church.
Explanation
Answer: E - The French monarchies were among the least enlightened because they were severely hampered by their inability to effectively levy real estate taxes on the nobility and Church. Although France was the home of the Enlightenment, little progress was made within the nation because of the king's dependence on the nobility. The fact that the lower classes were the only ones that paid property taxes assured France of continual financial problems, which were exacerbated by the wars. The Church and nobility refused to give up their privilege of not paying taxes, leading the monarchy to try to centralize power and assert it over the nobility, which did not work. In this tense atmosphere, political concessions would not be forthcoming.
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