Modern History Study Notes: The French Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the French Revolution notes (causes, Napoleon, nationalism, secularism, and legacy).

Absolute monarchy

A political system in which Louis XVI held centralized royal power with weak leadership and little representation for the Third Estate.

Estates-General (1789)

The representative assembly that exposed inequalities among the three estates.

Third Estate

Commoners making up about 97% of the population, bearing heavy taxation and lacking political power.

Financial crisis

France's money problems due to war debts and royal spending.

American Revolution

War that contributed to France's debt and fiscal crisis.

Poor harvests

1780s crop failures causing food shortages and rising prices.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement promoting liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Voltaire

Enlightenment thinker advocating civil liberties and critique of privilege.

Rousseau

Enlightenment thinker known for the social contract and popular sovereignty.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who argued for separation of powers.

Nationalism

Identification with one’s nation; promoted by the Revolution with symbols like the tricolour and citizen.

Secularism

Separation of church and state; reduction of church power; influenced by revolutionary changes.

Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790)

Law placing the Church under state control and seizing church lands.

De-Christianisation

Radical phase campaigns closing churches and introducing a secular calendar.

Napoleonic Code

Uniform civil law establishing equality before the law under Napoleon.

Concordat of 1801

Agreement restoring limited ties between Napoleon and the Pope under state authority.

Coup of 18 Brumaire (1799)

Napoleon’s coup that overthrew the Directory and established the Consulate.

Consulate

Government led by First Consul after the coup.

Consul for Life (1802)

Napoleon’s title consolidating his rule.

Emperor (Napoleon)

Napoleon crowned emperor in 1804; symbol of autocratic rule.

Toulon (1793)

Military victory that boosted Napoleon’s early career.

Italian Campaign (1796–97)

Napoleon’s successful campaigns that increased his popularity.

End of feudal dues

Abolition of feudal privileges and dues; promoted peasant landownership and secularized church property.

Haitian Revolution

First successful slave revolt; influenced by Revolution’s ideals.

Latin American independence

Independence movements inspired by French Revolution and liberal ideas.

1848 revolutions

A wave of liberal and nationalist uprisings across Europe influenced by revolutionary ideals.

Modern nation-states

Formation of centralized states through nationalism and modern governance.

Secular governance

Government operating independently of church authority.

Human rights discourse

Ideas about equality before the law and universal rights.

The tricolour

France’s national flag symbolizing national unity and republican values.