French Revolution Key Events

These flashcards cover key events and concepts from the French Revolution including the structure of society, significant events, and their implications.

1st Estate

The clergy in French society, which made up one of the three estates.

2nd Estate

The nobility in French society, which made up one of the three estates.

3rd Estate

The commoners in French society, who bore most taxes but had little political power, making up one of the three estates.

Estates-General Meeting

A meeting called by King Louis XVI in May 1789 to address France's financial crisis.

Tennis Court Oath

An oath taken by the 3rd Estate in June 1789 vowing to not leave until they created a new constitution.

Storming of the Bastille

An event on July 14, 1789, where angry Parisians stormed the Bastille prison, signifying the start of the French Revolution.

The Great Fear

A period in the summer of 1789 when peasants attacked nobles' homes and destroyed records of feudal dues.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

A document adopted by the National Assembly in 1789 outlining revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Women's March on Versailles

An event in October 1789 where thousands of women marched to Versailles demanding bread and forced King Louis XVI to move to Paris.

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

A law passed in July 1790 that brought the Church under state control and required clergy to swear loyalty to France.

Flight to Varennes

An incident in June 1791 where King Louis XVI and his family attempted to flee but were captured, which damaged the king's credibility.

Champ de Mars Massacre

A massacre in July 1791 where the National Guard fired on protestors demanding the removal of the king.

September Massacres

A series of killings that took place in Paris from September 2-6, 1792, where mobs attacked prisons and murdered numerous suspected counter-revolutionaries.

Execution of Louis XVI

The execution of King Louis XVI by guillotine on January 21, 1793, after being convicted of treason by the National Convention.

Committee of Public Safety

A powerful body formed in April 1793 tasked with protecting the revolution against its foreign and domestic enemies, becoming the executive government during the Reign of Terror.

Reign of Terror

A period from September 1793 to July 1794 marked by extreme violence and mass executions of those deemed enemies of the revolution, led primarily by the Committee of Public Safety.

Maximilien Robespierre

A prominent leader of the French Revolution and a key figure during the Reign of Terror, eventually overthrown and executed in July 1794.