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Why did Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand support ending the tithe in France?
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Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, prince de Bénévent
French diplomat Talleyrand, portrait by Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, 1817.
Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand supported the repeal of the tithe and the nationalization of church property as part of his shift toward revolutionary ideals during the French Revolution.
After being elected as a deputy for the clergy to the States General in 1789, Talleyrand advocated for a constitution that would guarantee equality for all citizens, specifically fiscal equality. This represented a significant reversal from his earlier career, during which he had vigorously defended the financial privileges and property rights of the church. By supporting the appropriation of church lands, he intended for the proceeds to be used to pay off the state's mounting debts.1