How was nationalized church land supposed to help France during the Revolution?

During the French Revolution, the National Assembly nationalized church property—which comprised approximately 10 percent of all land in France—to address the severe financial crisis that had destabilized the government.1

The plan was designed to function as follows:
* Debt Reduction: The government placed this land at the disposition of the nation, designating it as biens nationaux (national lands), with the explicit intent of selling it to pay off the state’s national debt and eliminate the need for further loans.12
* Currency Backing: To facilitate this, the government issued assignats, which were large-denomination notes underwritten and guaranteed by the value of the nationalized land.1
* Retirement of Debt: The government intended for the public to purchase the land using these assignats, which would then be retired from circulation once received as payment.1

While Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand was a key proponent of this nationalization, the policy eventually led to significant inflation when the government began printing additional assignats beyond the value of the land.12