la révolution française

At the close of the 18th century, what is France's main problem? What led to it?

The country is on the brink for bankruptcy due to it's involvement in the Americain revolution, and Louis 16 extravagant spending

What solution does Calonne, Louis 16's controller general suggest?

A financial reform package that included a universal land tax that the privilege classes would no longer be exempt from

What was their strategy to garner support for the new financial reform?

Calling the Estates general

What is the estates general?

An assembly representing the 3 estates (classes) : 1rst estates clergy, 2nd estate The nobility 3rd estate the different common folk groups

What did the estates do to prepare for the Estates general?

They compiled lists of grievances

What did the 3rd estate want from the estates general meeting?

They wanted equal representation, and the abolishment of the noble veto

What was the repartition of the french population like?

The 3rd estates represented 98 percent of the people

What is recognized as the start of the french revolution?

The storming of the Bastille 14th of July

What did the storming of the Bastille kickstart?

The revolutionary fervor spread to the countryside, and peasants began looting and burning homes of tax collectors, landlords, and the seigneurial elite

What did the revolt and insurrection of the peasants in the countryside lead to?

The great fear

What is the great fear?

The exodus of nobles from the country

What did the great fear inspire?

An assembly to abolish feudalism

What is the deceleration of the rights of man and of the citizen?

A statement of democratic principles grounded in the philosophical and political ideas of enlightenment, adopted by the national assembly in 1789

What did the Declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen proclaim about he assembly?

That the Assembly was commited to replace the ancien régime with a system based on equal opportunity, freedom of speech, popular sovereignty and representative government

What did Olympe de Gouges do?

In 1791 she wrote the equivalent of the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen taking women into account “the deceleration of the rights of woman”

When was the first french constitution adopted? What did the 1rst it establish?

In 1791 the first french constitution established a constitutional monarchy in which the king had a royal veto and the ability to appoint ministers

How was the 1rst constitution (essentielly a compromise) viewed by a certain group of people?

It did not sit well with people like Robespierre

What were Robespierre (and his buddies) begin doing in response to the inadequate constitution?

They began drumming up popular support for a more republicain form of government and the trial of Louis the 16th

What did the newly elected legislative assembly of France do in 1792

They became much more radical and decided to invade Prussia and Austria

Why did the Assembly declare war/invade Prussia and Austria?

It believed that french émigrés were forming counterrevolutionary alliances, and it also wanted to spread it's revolutionary ideals

What did the jacobins do during the political crisis (1792)?

A group of insurgents led by the Jacobin extremists (Robespierre) attacked the royal palace and arrested the king

What happened in the month following the kings incarceration?

Parisian insurrectionists massacred hundreds of accused counterrevolutionaries. Amidst this the Assembly was replaced by the National Convention

What did the national convention proclaim it would do?

abolish of the monarchy and the establish the french republic

What did the national convention do in january 1793?

It sent Louis 16 to the guillotine

After the kings execution what led to the French revolutions most violent phase?

War with various European powers and intense divisions within the National Convention

What did the Jacobins do in June 1793?

The Jacobins seized control of the national convention from the more moderate Girondins

What did the Jacobins do once they'd taken control of the National convention?

They instituted a series of more radical measures, including the establishment of a new calendar, and the eradication of Christianity. + The bloody rain of terror r

What was the bloody reign of terror?

A ten month period din which suspected enemies of the revolution were guillotined by thousands

Under whose orders were many of the bloody reign of terror carried out?

Robespierre, who dominated the draconian Committee of public safety

What eventually happened to Robespierre

He was executed

What did Robespeierre's death mark?

The begging of the thermidor Ian reaction, a moderate phase in which the french people revolted again the reign of terror's excesses

What did the National convention do once the reign of terror was over?

It approved a new constitution that created France's first bicameral legislature

In France's new bicameral legislature in whose hands would the power lie?

A five member directory appointed by parliament

What was the reaction to the new legislature and directory?

Jacobins and Royalists protested the new regime, but were silenced by the army

How long was the directory and power? What were those years like?

They directory's four years in power were riddled with financials crises, discontent, inefficiency, political corruption

Who did the directors come to rely on to maintain their authority?

Almost entirely on the military

What happened in 1799 as frustration with the directory's leadership reached a fever pitch?

Bonaparte staged a coup d'etat, appointing himself as France's “First counsul”

What did Bonnaparte's coup d'etat mark?

The end of the french revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic era

What did Napoleon do a couple years after naming himself first consul?

He named himself emperor in 1804