French Revolution Study Guide

Who made up the First Estate?

High ranking members of church, most privileged class, did not take vows of poverty

Second Estate

Nobility - dukes, dutchesses, people have some type of noble birth, privileged class

Third Estate

Everybody else - from peasants in the countryside to wealthy bourgeiosie merchants in the cities, underprivileged class

What caused France’s financial crisis?

King Louis XVI’s lavish spending on parties, Government found its funds depleted as a result of wars, France funded the American Revolution although they could not afford it.

What was the point of King Louis XVI’s meeting?

To figure out a solution to the debt (May 5, 1789)

Creation of the National Assembly

The third estate wanted to make changes in the government, so they branched of into the (national assembly)

The Tennis Court Oath

The third estate would not leave the tennis court until there was a new constitution “tennis court oath” - beginning of the Revolution

French people wanted to make a constitution based on the influence of the enlightenment thinkers (national assembly)

What was the Bastille?

served as more or less as an armory and a symbol of absolutism (oppression)

The symbolism behind the 3rd estate storming the Bastille?

symbolic beginning of the revolution

Extra facts about the storming of the Bastille

July 14, 1789 - Parisian citizens were worried about the king’s soldiers coming into Paris, parisians stormed the Bastille looking for weapons and gunpowder

The Declaration of the Right of Man and Citizen (intended purpose)?

the peoples rights of liberty, equality, and democracy

What was the Committee of Public Safety?

Those accused of treason were tried by the committee’s Revolutionary Tribunal led by Danton (later by Robespierre)

How many people died from guillotine’s?

15,000 people

Who was Maximillian Robespierre?

led the Committee of Public Safety, led the guillotine of King Lous XVI

Who was Jacobin?

political party came to dominate French politics

How did the Reign of Terror end?

Thermidorian Reaction - ended July 27, 1794, convention sent Robespierre and other members of the Committee of Public Safety to the guillotine

How did Napoleon rise to power?

earned respect of his peers by working hard and becoming a brilliant military strategist (artillery)

Napoleon won several important battles against the Austrians and Prussians

What was the Overthrow of the Directory?

became general and saved the Directory from royalists

Directory - post revolution government (new temporary government) (like the national assembly)

What is a consul?

Napoleon was so victorious and seized control of France as a consul (dictator) (he named himself first consul)

Napoleon as emperor

Napoleon crowned himself the Emperor of the French, by casually (not) grabbing the crown out of the Popes hands

This signified his power over the Catholic Church (he did this to say nobody is above the emperor, not even a preacher of Christ)

Social Reform

Welcomed emigres (nobles) back into government positions on good behavior

Promoted officials by merit not nobility (hard work instead of being based on parents wealth)

Metric System to France (introduced)

What is a Lycee?

public schools which consisted of wealthy and common folks children (Napoleon set these up)

Economic reforms

Slowed inflation and equalled taxation = stable economy

Balanced the budget

Controlled the circulation of money (slows inflation)

Paid of debt - sold the Louisiana territory to President Jefferson (the third president)

Religious reforms

Established the Concordat (agreement) with the Pope

new relationship between church and state

allowed freedom of religion

eliminated any political control of the pope

he emancipated Jews from laws that restricted them to ghettos

Napoleonic Code of Laws

equity under the law

Freedom of speech and press were limited

institutes a secret police (to stop rebels)

censored newspapers

reduced women’s rights (right to sell property) (make divorce easy for men)

restored slavery in French colonies of the Caribbean

Napoleon’s three big mistakes

Continental system

Peninsular War

Invasion of Russia

What was the Continental System?

Tried to set up a Naval blockade preventing Britain from trading with the rest of Europe (attempt to cripple British economy)

nations ignoring it, Britain was able to bust through it (too many holes) (ignored his orders to not trade)

Britain launched their own blockade which hurt France’s economy

What was the Peninsular War?

France attacks Spain for ignoring the Continental system

Spain uses Guerilla warfare (unorthodox techniques) techniques to inflict massive casualties on the french military (epic fail) (6 years long)

What was the Invasion of Russia?

invades Russia for trading with Great Britain

Russian troops retreat to Moscoq, they burn everything down (scorched earth policy) leaving nothing for the French

590,000/600,000 French troops starve or freeze to death (Napoleon’s biggest military defeat)

Napoleon’s 100 days

Napoleon raises a small army and escapes back to France

the French welcomes his return, and once again becomes emperor

Napoleon’s Death

Napoleon dies of stomach cancer in 1821

(it is thought by many that the British may have poisoned him)

What was the Congress of Vienna’s purpose?

called to figure out how to create peace between nations