History study french revolution 10th grade

What is the Enlightenment?

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason, liberty, equality, and challenging traditional authority.

Who was John Locke?

Enlightenment thinker who believed in natural rights and limited government.

What was the Ancien Régime?

The Old Regime — France’s pre-revolutionary social/political system based on estates and privilege

What are the three Estates in France?

First: Clergy, Second: Nobility, Third: Everyone else (bourgeoisie, peasants, sans-culottes).

What was the Estates General?

An assembly of representatives from all three estates called by King Louis XVI in 1789.

Who were the bourgeoisie?

The educated, middle-class members of the Third Estate (merchants, professionals).

What was the Tennis Court Oath?

A vow by the Third Estate to create a new constitution after being locked out of the Estates General

What was the Storming of the Bastille?

July 14, 1789 — Parisians stormed a royal prison, symbolizing the start of the Revolution.

What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen?

Document that stated all men are equal and guaranteed rights such as liberty and property.

What reforms did the National Assembly make?

Abolished feudalism, passed Constitution of 1791, restructured the Church under state control.

What was the Reign of Terror?

Period (1793–1794) when radicals executed enemies of the Revolution using the guillotine.

Who were the Jacobins?

Radical political group led by Robespierre, who supported a republic and executed the king.

Who was Robespierre?

Leader of the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror.

What was the Committee of Public Safety?

Group that ruled France during the Terror, suppressing counter-revolutionaries.

What was the Directory?

A five-man moderate government that ruled after the fall of Robespierre (1795–1799).

How did Napoleon come to power?

He staged a coup in 1799 and took control of the French government.

What was the Napoleonic Code?

A legal code that standardized French laws, supported equality (for men), and protected property.

What happened during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia?

His army was devastated by harsh weather and lack of supplies; led to his downfall.

What happened at the Battle of Waterloo?

Napoleon’s final defeat in 1815 by British and Prussian forces.

What is nationalism?

Strong pride in one’s nation; grew during and after the Revolution.

What is feudalism?

A system where landowners held power and peasants worked the land with few rights.

What is a divine right monarchy?

The belief that a king’s power comes directly from God.

What is a constitutional monarchy?

A monarchy limited by a constitution or laws.

What does "sans-culottes" mean?

Literally “without breeches” — working-class radicals in urban France.

What does liberalism mean in the context of the French Revolution?

Belief in rights, equality, and limited government.

What is conservatism?

Favoring tradition, monarchy, and the status quo.

What is radicalism?

Support for extreme political or social change.

What is a counter-revolutionary?

Someone who opposes the goals of the Revolution.

What is “virtue” in the Revolutionary sense?

High moral standards; used by radicals to justify their policies.

Why did the French Revolution happen?

• Social inequality: The 3rd Estate carried the tax burden but had no privileges.

• Economic crisis: Debt, high bread prices, and famine caused unrest.

• Enlightenment ideas: Encouraged people to demand rights and challenge monarchy.

Why were certain groups dissatisfied during the moderate phase?

• Peasants: Still paid taxes and resented Church reforms.

• Urban workers (sans-culottes): Felt reforms helped the bourgeoisie more than them.

• Nobles and clergy: Lost traditional privileges and power.

How did the Committee of Public Safety make the Revolution more violent?

• Reign of Terror: Mass executions of "enemies of the Revolution."

• Suppressed dissent: Censored the press and outlawed rival political voices.

• Guillotine: Used extensively to maintain control and spread fear.

Was the French Revolution successful?

• Yes — abolished monarchy and feudal system: Ended centuries of inequality.

• Yes — spread Enlightenment ideals: Liberty, equality, and fraternity became core values.

• No — ended in violence and dictatorship: Reign of Terror and rise of Napoleon contradicted ideals.

Why was Napoleon able to come to power?

• Political instability: People were tired of chaos after the Revolution and the Terror.

• Military fame: Seen as a war hero who could restore order.

• Weak government: The Directory was ineffective and unpopular.

Did Napoleon betray the ideals of the Revolution?

• Yes — became emperor: He concentrated power and ended democratic reforms.

• Yes — limited freedoms: Censored press and used secret police.

• No — kept legal equality: Napoleonic Code protected property and abolished feudalism.