Test Prep French Revolution

this covers the old Regime to all the notes

Old Regime

Socio-political system which existed in most of Europe during the 18th century.

Absolutism

Countries were ruled by Absolutism - the monarch had absolute control over the government.

Divine Right

Monarch ruled by divine right - God put the world in motion, God put some people in positions of power, power is given by God.

No one can question God or someone put in power by God.

Questioning the monarchy was blasphemy because it meant questioning God.

Deficit Spending

A government spending more money than it takes in tax revenues.

France under Louis XVI experienced deficit spending due to lavish spending, costly wars like the American Revolution, and the privileged classes not being taxed.

Philosophes

Philosophers during the Enlightenment who began to ask if natural laws might also apply to human beings, particularly to human institutions such as governments.

They were secular in thinking and used reason and logic to determine how governments are formed.

They also questioned the divine right of kings.

Emigres

Nobles who fled France during the upheaval of the French Revolution.

They lived abroad and hoped that, with foreign help, the Old Regime could be restored in France.

Many nobles left France and became known as émigrés under the National Assembly as well.

Limited Monarchy

A form of government in which the monarch's power is limited by a constitution or a legislative body.

France became a limited monarchy with the Constitution of 1791, where the king became merely the head of state and all laws were created by the Legislative Assembly.

Republic

A government in which the people elect representatives who will create laws and rule on their behalf.

The First French Republic was established by the Convention on September 22, 1792.

Legislative Assembly

The new government in France established by the Constitution of 1791.

It created all the laws, but voting was limited to taxpayers and offices were reserved for property owners.