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Nibbe, Tristan

Per 5

Euro History

DBQ

In 1789 a new calender was adopted by the french government in an attempt to limit the amount of

religious holidays given to common workers and eventually force all of Europe to conform to one date-

keeping system facilitating trade and travel. Most workers and members of the clergy were outraged at

what they saw as a blatant attempt to usurp the old order of date-keeping simply to squeeze as many

work hours as possible out of peasants.

Doc 9 is written by the Minister of the interior and strongly supports the calender, stating that

industrious and active citizens are grateful to their legislators for having reduced the number of days

spent in rest claiming that all those who complain about the lack of holidays are simply lazy and

unambitious. This is interesting as not only would the increased workload and subsequent increased

taxation benefit the Minister but he also seems to demonstrate a lot of knowledge about how hard the

work day could be while working as a farmer, especially for a person who to my knowledge grew up as

part of a upper class nobility. Similarly document 1 which speaks not only of the great help that will be

given to the government as the working class is forced to struggle under nine day weeks, but of the

perfection of religious worship that this represents, Of course these are all the rationalizations that the

government gives to the working class to supplicate them and may not represent the actual opinion of

the clergy. This along with 5 ,6 and 1 form a group who strongly support the new calender , whether for

personal gain or improvement of government or whether it was seen as a perfection of religious

worship.

The documents written by peasants , 6 and 7, had differing opinions on the reform. Doc 6

praised the church for its services and the government for its great deeds as well as for the great joy it

brings the peasant class. It never mentions the increased work week or the lack of holidays that this

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new calender enforces which seem to be the larger problem among all those who oppose the new

calender. Whereas Doc 7 clearly states that the workload required by the new calender is ridiculous and

states how the day laborers , who make much more than common peasants are even complaining about

it. This shows that while the calender was largely disliked by the working class , it did have its

supporters, largely among those fanatical enough about the government to support its ventures entirely.

A large number of the doc are written by government officials , with mixed opinions as well

.Docs 5 , 8 , 9 and 10 are all by members of the government , while they are evenly split between for

and against the new system, one of those condemning it was formerly imprisoned and would most

likely harbor some resentment for the government that allowed this. The other official who chooses to

speak out against what he sees as an affront to his religion. His condemnation of this government

supported action shows that not all officials supported it wholeheartedly, although this may be due to

him being the official representative and thus having one of the highest possible position in a normal

European town. This may have caused certain delusions of grandeur that may not be possible when

constantly reminded of the power of the revolutionary government. Documents 9 and 5 both praise the

calender as allowing more work possible by peasants as well as creating and international uniformity

that would eventually facilitate trade. These concerns , while valid , are largely those of a wealthy and

government controlling class unbridled by the every day concerns of the peasant class.

The new calender would eventually be abolished to cheers by the peasant class and no doubt

some silent groans from the nobility. In an attempt to regulate work hours the government abolished

most national holidays and started a nine day work week, forcing peasants to work far more than ever

before. The peasants displeasure would eventually show itself in the coup and eventual reestablishment

of the old calender.