The French Revolution

Flashcards about the French Revolution

What event marked the end of the second stage of the French Revolution and the rise of a new government?

The rise of the Directory upon the ashes of the National Convention in 1795.

What three factors contributed to the disaster during the second stage of the French Revolution?

The country plunged deeper into war, the economy was in shambles, and a Civil War was ongoing.

What was the September Massacre of 1792?

The massacre of 1500 priests and nobles at the hands of Parisian mobs.

Which political group took over the government with support from the Parisian mobs?

The Radicals.

What was the name of the new government formed by the Radicals?

The National Convention.

What type of suffrage was allowed by the new government?

Universal male suffrage.

What three major groups formed within the new government?

The Girondists, the Plain, and the Jacobins (the Mountain).

Which group desired the most radical change and was willing to use violent measures to achieve it?

The Jacobins (the Mountain).

Who were the leaders of the Jacobins?

George-Jacques Danton, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre.

What was the major goal of the Jacobin leaders?

To protect the Revolution from anything that threatened it, whether foreign or internal.

What was the Committee of Public Safety?

A 12-man group created by the Convention to take over executive functions.

What was the Levee en Masse?

A requirement for all citizens to contribute to the war effort in some way.

What was one benefit from promoting military commanders based on merit?

Superior fighting force and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.

What happened by 1794 as a result of the national contributions by the French citizens?

The French army had successfully taken the war off of French soil.

What three things did the Radicals need to eliminate to protect the revolution?

The monarchy, the Church, and opposition from the Girond and their supporters.

When was Louis XVI killed?

January 21, 1793.

What happened to the rest of the royal family during this time?

Marie Antoinette was executed, and their son (the dauphin) died in captivity.

How did the Convention attempt to de-Christianize society?

By abolishing Christianity, killing priests, closing churches, and eliminating holy days including Sunday.

What did the Convention substitute for the old religion?

The Cult of Reason.

When did the Committee of Public Safety, led by Robespierre, commence the Reign of Terror?

1793.

What was the Reign of Terror?

Anyone who opposed the radicals was accused of treason and executed.

What was a common method of execution during the Reign of Terror?

The guillotine.

Approximately how many people died during the Reign of Terror?

40,000.

What happened when the revolution started to eat its own?

Jacobin leaders George-Jacques Danton and others died under the guillotine.

What led to the end of the radical stage of the Revolution?

Members of the Convention turned on Robespierre and put him and his brother to death on July 28, 1794.

How did the Directory change the voting rights?

The Directory only allowed citizens who owned property to vote.

What was Stage 3 (1795-1799) of the French Revolution characterized by?

The Directory overseeing great military success, but facing many problems at home from royalists to sans-culottes, to inflation to corruption. There were uprisings all over.

Who did the Directory have to call upon to stop an insurrection in 1795?

Napoleon.

Where did Napoleon gain great fame on the battlefield?

Egypt and Italy.

How did Napoleon take over the government?

The military and Napoleon overthrew the government in what is called a coup d’etat.

What was Napoleon's initial role after taking power in 1799?

First Consul, but eventually he would become emperor (1804).

What were some key domestic affairs accomplishments under Napoleon?

National public schools (lycées) and universities, taxes paid by all, and the Bank of France, which controlled the money and slowed inflation.

What agreement restored better relations with the Catholic Church?

The Concordat of 1801.

What was the Napoleonic Code?

Standard laws across France that ensured equality of men and religious freedom but also limited freedom of speech and press.

What major country in western Europe did Napoleon fail to gain control of?

Great Britain.

What naval battle led to the destruction of Napoleon’s navy?

The battle at Cape Trafalgar in 1805.

What was the Continental System?

A trade embargo designed to destroy Great Britain by way of 'blockade'.

What was Napoleon’s biggest failure?

His invasion of Russia in 1812.

What was the Confederation of the Rhine?

What the Holy Roman Empire became under Napoleon.

What system of government existed at the start of the French Revolution?

Absolute monarchy under the Bourbons.

What key events occurred during Stage 1 (1789-1792) of the French Revolution?

Constitutional monarchy, Declaration of the Rights of Man, feudalism abolished, Church under state control, War with Austria and Prussia, Storming of Bastille, Tennis Court Oath.

What key events occurred during Stage 2 (1792-1795) of the French Revolution?

King executed, Declaration of Rights suspended, Reign of Terror, De-Christianization of society, War with Austria, Prussia, G.B., Universal male suffrage, Committee of Public Safety, Robespierre rules.

What key events occurred during Stage 3 (1795-1799) of the French Revolution?

Directory, property owners vote, corruption everywhere, Napoleon puts down uprising, revolution dying.

What key events occurred during Stage 4 (1799-1815) of the French Revolution?

Dictatorship after coup d’etat, Napoleon - 1st consul (1799) Emperor (1804), Concordat with Church, War across Europe, Massive Fr. Empire, Waterloo 100 Days.

What system of government was created at the end of the Revolution?

Limited monarchy under the Bourbons.

What dynasty ruled France before the French Revolution?

Bourbons

Who was the monarch of France before the French Revolution?

Louis XVI

What was the name of the 'representative' body in France before the Revolution?

Estates-General

What document was the King asked to submit to that limited his powers?

Declaration of the Rights of Man

What was the ultimate fate of the King?

Beheading

What form of government ultimately arose, led by Napoleon?

Dictatorship