French Revolution Trial Exam Revision

Key terms, events, dates, and evidence for French Revolution trial exam revision.

August Decrees

Decrees passed on 4 August 1789 that abolished feudal privileges and tithes.

DORMAC

Document containing 17 articles; Article 1 states that men are born "free and equal in rights."

October Days

Event where around 6,000 women and demonstrators marched to Versailles.

CCC

Civil Constitution of the Clergy under which bishops and priests were to be elected, making clergy effectively servants of the state.

Clerical oath

An oath in which clergy swore to be "faithful to the nation, the law and the king."

Flight to Varennes

Royal escape attempt regarding which Richet observed: "by fleeing, one king had renounced his sovereignty."

Champ de Mars

Incident where around 50 people were killed when the National Guard fired on the crowd.

Declaration of Pillnitz

Joint declaration where Austria and Prussia declared Louis XVI's position a matter of "common interest to all the sovereigns of Europe."

1791 Constitution

Settlement under which France became a constitutional monarchy with Louis holding a suspensive veto.

France declares war on Austria

Declaration of war made by France on 20 April 1792.

Louis replaces Girondins with Feuillants

Action taken in June 1792 when Louis dismissed the Girondin ministers, worsening hostility toward the monarchy.

Sans-culottes at Tuileries — 20 June 1792

Demonstration in which Louis was forced to wear the red liberty cap while demonstrators occupied the palace.

La Patrie en Danger

Declaration made by the Assembly on 11 July 1792 stating that "the fatherland is in danger."

Brunswick Manifesto

Proclamation that threatened that Paris would be destroyed if the royal family was harmed.

Storming of Tuileries

Insurrection during which about 600 Swiss Guards were killed defending the palace.

September Massacres

Wave of mob violence resulting in around 1,100–1,400 prisoners killed.

Committee of General Security established

Body whose operations were associated with 2,600 people guillotined in Paris.

Conscription — Feb 1793

Military decree where 300,000 men, not 100,000, were ordered to be conscripted.

Vendée Revolt

Uprising triggered in part by the 300,000-man conscription levy.

Revolutionary Tribunal

Court responsible for sending 2,600 people to be guillotined in Paris.

Committee of Public Safety

Governing committee that began with 9 members on 6 April 1793.

Fall of Girondins

Events of 31 May–2 June 1793 in which leading Girondins were arrested, leaving the Montagnards dominant.

Federalist Revolts — Lyon/Bordeaux

Provincial uprisings after whose defeat around 1,900–2,000 rebels were executed in Lyon.

Constitution of 1793

Republican constitution that promised universal male suffrage, but was never implemented.

Marat assassinated

Event on 13 July 1793 where Jean-Paul Marat was killed in his bath by Charlotte Corday.

Levée en masse

Edict dictating that all unmarried men aged roughly 18–25 were liable for military service.

Law of Suspects

Legislation ordering that anyone whose "conduct, associations, comments or writings" showed hostility to the Revolution could be arrested.

De-Christianisation intensifies

Movement highlighted on 10 November 1793 when the Festival of Reason was held in Notre-Dame.

Law of 22 Prairial

Extreme Terror legislation leading to 1,400 guillotined in just one month.

Thermidor

Coup of 27 July 1794 in which Robespierre was arrested; he was executed the next day.

The Terror

Phase of the Revolution characterized by Simon Schama with the phrase: "Violence was the motor of the Revolution."