1766 in France
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Incumbents
Events
In 1766, France was an absolute, divine-right monarchy. Society had been divided into the Three Estates. Under the reign of King Louis XV, commoners in the Third Estate faced profound social and economic inequality.[2]
On February 23, 1766, the Duchy of Lorraine was formally annexed by the Kingdom of France, marking the kingdom's largest territorial gain since the 17th century.[3]
On March 3, 1766, Louis XV gave a speech to the Parlement of Paris, famously known as the "Séance de la flagellation", or "Session of the Scourging." He addressed his problems with the actions of the magistrates,[4] opposing the idea of unity and delivering a strong statement promoting absolutism. His aggressive assertion of authority further divided France.
Art
- Saint Peter Attempting to Walk on Water, oil painting by François Boucher
- The Swing (commissioned 1766, painted 1767), oil painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Births
- 8 July – Dominique Jean Larrey, surgeon and military doctor(died 1842)
- 6 August – Charles-François Beautemps-Beaupré, hydrographic engineer and cartographer (died 1854)[5]
- 7 October – Marie-François Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga, military officer (died 1849)
- 14 December – Louis-François Bertin, journalist and publisher (died 1841)[6]
Full date unknown
- Thomas Henry (patron of the arts), painter and patron of the arts (died 1836)
Deaths
- 19 January – Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni, decorator and architect (born 1695)
- 9 May – Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally, military officer (born 1702)
- 24 June – Adrien Maurice de Noailles, aristocrat and soldier (born 1678)
- 7 November – Jean-Marc Nattier, painter (born 1685)
See also
References
- ↑ "BBC - History - King Louis XV". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
- ↑ Mark, Harrison W. (2022-03-07). "The Three Estates of Pre-Revolutionary France". World History Encyclopedia.
- ↑ "Lorraine Becomes Part of France | Law | Research Starters | EBSCO Research". EBSCO. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ The "Session of the Scourging" (3 March 1766), 1766-03-03, retrieved 2023-01-31
- ↑ "Beautemps-Beaupré, Charles-François (August 6, 1766 - March 16, 1854): Geographicus Rare Antique Maps". www.geographicus.com. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ↑ Blangstrup, Chr., ed. (1915). "Bertin, Louis François". Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon (in Danish). Vol. 3 (2 ed.). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz Forlagsboghandel. Retrieved 3 September 2015.