Ancien regime

Ancien régime (most usually written in English without the acute accent ancien regime) is a French term (pronounced in both languages in the orthodox French way, 'on (or ahn)-see-an ray-jeem', IPA: /ɔ̃ (or ɑ̃ )siæ̃ reʒiːm/. It is often translated as 'old regime', but a more accurate rendition might be 'former (or previous) regime' or 'old order' ([Encyclopedia Brittanica], 2021). (Ancien might be regarded as a False friend. Sometimes it is equivalent to the English 'ancient'; sometimes it isn't.) The term was first printed in English in 1792, and denoted the tradional system of government in France, which the French Revolution was engaged in removing; ancien régime had been coined in France in 1789 to denote the whole system of government which the Revolution hoped to destroy (and succeeded in destroying). It was seen by its detractors as characterized by arbitrary decision-making, nepotism and corruption.

• The essence of the Ancien régime was the absolute monarchy, under which the king theoretically had all the power. He governed through various Councils, ministers, and subordinate governors. In fact, there were constraints on the king's freedom to act, but many fewer then in a constitutional monarchy like that of the United Kingdom. Subject to the King were the Three Estates - thge 'First Estate' being the clergy; the 'Second Estate' the aristocracy, divided into two classes, the noblesse de l'epée, or 'nobility of the sword', - those whose ancestors had earned their titles in the wars before firearms - and the noblesse de robe, or 'nobility of the gown' - those who earned their titles by fulfilling roles in the magistracy and other administrative and fiscal offices, being educated; and commoners. The first two had some influence in public affairs, the last, the 'Third Estate' very little, with the exception of the rich employers and capitalists, the haute bourgeoisie. (There were also the petite bourgeoisie - the 'lower middle class', small shopkeepers, foremen, smallholders and so on - and the peasants, who formed over 90% of the population.)
  • Note that in this system, the parlements were not equivalent to the parliaments of the Anglo-Saxon world, though etymologically identical. The French parlements of the ancien regime were law-courts hearing appeals. There were thirteen of these, one for the separate provinces of the kingdom. They were abolished in 1790. (The lower house of the current legislature of France is the Assemblée nationale, or National Assembly.)