Editing Anne Robert Jacques Turgot (section)

===Suppression of Dijon bread riots===

Turgot's biggest challenge was the poor harvest of 1774, which led to a noticeable rise in the price of bread in the winter and early spring of 1774–1775.  In April and early May, when peasants begged the governor of [[Dijon]] for bread, he uttered those famous words that would later be recalled during the French Revolution: "The grass has sprouted, go to the fields and browse on it." Houses of the wealthy were seized and occupied, flour-mills were destroyed, and furniture was smashed. Those extraordinary bread-riots are known as the ''[[guerre des farines]]'', which ominously predicted the coming [[French Revolution]]. Turgot showed great firmness and decision in repressing the riots, but also some caution in using soldiers, as he had said that "every levy of soldiers led to a riot."  In this, he even had conflict with the royalty, as Louis XVI wanted to go out onto the balcony and meet the crowds, to say that there would be a reduction in the price of bread, but Turgot admonished him against this, and the bread remained at high prices.<ref>{{cite book
 | title=The Great French Revolution, 1789–1793
 | chapter=Chapter 5
 | author=Peter Kropotkin
 | year=1909
 | translator=N. F. Dryhurst
 | quote=Louis XVI, wanted to go out on the balcony of the palace to speak to them, to tell them that he would reduce the price of bread; but Turgot, like a true economist, opposed this. The reduction in the price of bread was not made.
 | publisher=New York: Vanguard Printings
 | url=http://www.revoltlib.com/?id=217
}}</ref> His position was strengthened by the entry of [[Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes|Malesherbes]] into the ministry (July 1775).<ref name="EB1911"/>