William Tyler
The Ancien Régime: 1643–1792
Summary
A compelling investigation into the disenchantment with Bourbon rule that eventually lead to bloody revolution and the emergence of modern France, a period that included the construction of the Palace of Versailles around 1715 and the guillotining of Louis XVI in 1793.
William Tyler
William Tyler has spent his entire professional life in adult education, beginning at Kingsgate College in 1969. He has lectured widely for many public bodies, including the University of Cambridge and the WEA, in addition to speaking to many clubs and societies. In 2009, William was awarded the MBE for services to adult education, and he has previously been a scholar in residence at the London Jewish Cultural Centre.
Because he gave France “l'adour”. The French love the concept of l'adour. Napoleon used it, in a sense, Macron has used it. Giscard d'Estaing used it, Tugal used it. It gives the the French a sense of superiority. And he gave the French in subsequent centuries something to be proud of. That’s what he had. But he never thought of the consequences financially. And in the end, of course they began to lose wars.
No, they were in England, all the improvements were English including the use of potatoes, which of course we’d taken from America. They were, we should say, from indigenous Americans, so both corn and potatoes. Originally sweet potatoes, then the other potatoes we eat today.
Yes, that’s also true. And some were, but it built up resentments as well. The difference between France and England, which illustrates this, the English aristocracy remained on their land. And it’s one of the reasons that the agricultural revolution work better in England, because the owner of the land will come down and inspect it and make sure people were doing what he wanted. And so productivity increased in England because the nobility weren’t in London. They went to London for a season usually in the autumn. Outside of that, they’re on their own land. The French nobility stayed in Paris and had not a clue what was going on back home.