AP Euro Chapter 19

1789

The year the French Revolution began, marked by the storming of the Bastille and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to leave France (1791)

The French king and queen tried to escape revolutionary France but were caught and returned to Paris.

9 Thermidor

A day in the French revolutionary calendar (July 27, 1794) when Robespierre was arrested and executed, marking the end of the Reign of Terror.

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)

A work by Mary Wollstonecraft demanding equal rights for women and advocating for coeducation.

New Tax After Protest

After protests from those previously exempt, the monarchy dropped a proposed tax on the common people.

American Revolution

The revolutionary war in America (1775–1783) that inspired the French Revolution.

Battle of Austerlitz

A decisive victory by Napoleon over Russia and Austria in 1805.

Concordat of 1801

An agreement between Napoleon and the Catholic Church that reestablished church-state relations in France.

Conscripted Men

Men forced into military service, especially during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.

Constitutional Monarchy

A form of government where the monarch shares power with a constitutionally established body.

Continental System

Napoleon's blockade aimed at weakening Britain by prohibiting European trade with them.

Country's Religious Life

Refers to the significant role the church played in pre-revolutionary France and its changes during the revolution.

Coup d'état

A sudden overthrow of a government, like Napoleon's rise to power.

Dechristianization

A movement during the revolution to remove Christian influences from French society, including attacking churches and religious symbols.

Declaration of Pillnitz

A statement by Austria and Prussia supporting Louis XVI and threatening intervention if he was harmed.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (August 27, 1789)

A fundamental document of the French Revolution outlining individual rights and the principles of equality and freedom.

Directory

The five-member executive government that replaced the National Convention in 1795 but was soon overthrown by Napoleon.

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) published Reflections on the Revolution in France

A work criticizing the French Revolution and defending monarchy and tradition.

Elba

The island where Napoleon was exiled after his first abdication in 1814.

Estates

The three divisions of French society before the Revolution: clergy (First Estate), nobility (Second Estate), and commoners (Third Estate).

Estates General

A legislative assembly that represented the three estates, called to address France's financial crisis in 1789.

Financial Crisis

The economic troubles France faced due to war debts, lavish spending, and unfair taxation systems before the Revolution.

Fiscal Struggle

The difficulty the French monarchy faced in raising funds due to inefficient taxation and government spending.

Girondists

A moderate political group during the Revolution that opposed the more radical Jacobins and supported constitutional monarchy.

Grand Empire

The extensive territory controlled by Napoleon, including much of Europe.

In 1787 Louis XVI's Minister of Finance Proposed a General Tax

Louis XVI's finance minister, Charles de Calonne, suggested a broad property tax to solve France's debt problem, but it required approval from the Estates General.

Invaded Russia in June 1812

Napoleon's disastrous campaign against Russia, leading to the loss of most of his army.

Jacobin Club

A radical political group during the Revolution, known for its strong influence and for advocating extreme measures like the Reign of Terror.

Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity

The motto of the French Revolution, symbolizing the goals of freedom, equality, and solidarity.

Louis XVI

The king of France whose execution marked the end of the monarchy during the Revolution.

Louis XVII

The young son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who died in prison during the Revolution.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)

A writer who criticized the limitations placed on women and advocated for their rights and equality.

Maximilien Robespierre and Georges Jacques Danton, and the Girondists

Key figures in the Revolution, with Robespierre leading the radical Jacobins, Danton as a revolutionary leader, and the Girondists as more moderate revolutionaries.

Mountain

The radical faction of the Jacobins during the Revolution, led by Robespierre.

Napoleon Abdicated

Napoleon's resignation as Emperor of France in 1814 after his defeat.

Napoleon Bonaparte

The French military leader who rose to power during the Revolution and became Emperor of France.

Napoleonic Code

A set of civil laws established by Napoleon that influenced legal systems worldwide.

National Assembly

The revolutionary assembly formed by the Third Estate, leading to the creation of a new constitution.

National Convention

The government body that abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.

Oath of the Tennis Court

A pledge taken by members of the Third Estate in 1789 to not separate until they had created a new constitution for France.

Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793)

A feminist who published the 'Declaration of the Rights of Woman,' demanding equality for women.

On July 14, 1789, several hundred people marched to the Bastille

The storming of the Bastille, a symbol of royal oppression, marked the beginning of the Revolution.

Parlements

Regional judicial bodies in France that often resisted royal decrees and contributed to the Revolution.

Resentment

The widespread anger among the French population, particularly the Third Estate, against the privileges of the clergy and nobility.

Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety

Robespierre led the revolutionary government during the Reign of Terror, aiming to protect the Revolution from its enemies.

Robespierre Emerged as the Leader of the Committee of Public Safety

Robespierre became the dominant figure during the Reign of Terror, guiding the revolution's radical policies.

Saint-Domingue

The French colony in the Caribbean, which saw a successful slave revolt leading to the creation of Haiti.

Sans-Culottes

Radical working-class revolutionaries in Paris, known for their support of the Jacobins and the Reign of Terror.

Seven Years' War

A global conflict (1756–1763) that drained France's treasury and contributed to the financial crisis leading to the Revolution.

St. Helena

The island where Napoleon was exiled after his final defeat at Waterloo.

The Reign of Terror

A period of extreme violence during the Revolution, led by Robespierre, where perceived enemies of the Revolution were executed.

Three Orders of the Estates General

The clergy (First Estate), nobility (Second Estate), and commoners (Third Estate) who were represented in the Estates General.

Toussaint L'Ouverture

A leader of the Haitian Revolution, formerly a slave, who played a key role in the independence movement in Saint-Domingue.

US Constitution

The foundational document of the United States, inspiring revolutionary ideals in France.

Waterloo

The final battle where Napoleon was defeated in 1815, leading to his exile and the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Women Marching

Refers to the Women's March on Versailles in October 1789, when women demanded bread and the king's return to Paris.

Women's Rights

The struggle for gender equality during the French Revolution, advocated by figures like Olympe de Gouges and Mary Wollstonecraft.