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What were the main causes of the French Revolution?
Financial crisis due to excessive debt from wars (like the American Revolution) and lavish royal spending.
Inequality among the Three Estates (Clergy, Nobility, and Commoners).
Enlightenment ideas promoting liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Widespread famine and poverty.
Ineffective leadership under King Louis XVI.
What was the Estates-General, and why was it significant?
Legislative body representing the Three Estates of France. It was called by King Louis XVI in 1789 to address the financial crisis, but it failed to reach a resolution, leading to the formation of the National Assembly by the Third Estate, marking the start of the Revolution.
What was the National Assembly?
Formed by the Third Estate (commoners) after being locked out of the Estates-General. It claimed to represent the people of France and sought to reform the government
What was the Tennis Court Oath?
1789: Members of the Third Estate, locked out of the Estates-General, took an oath in a tennis court, vowing not to disband until a new constitution for France was written.
What was the significance of the Storming of the Bastille?
July 14, 1789: Revolutionaries seized the prison-fortress symbolizing royal tyranny. It marked the start of violent rebellion and became a symbol of the Revolution.
What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen?
August 1789: Asserted the rights of liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. It declared all men equal before the law and laid the foundation for a more democratic government.
Who were the Jacobins?
Radical political group during the French Revolution, led by figures like Maximilien Robespierre
Advocated for republicanism, the use of violence to achieve revolutionary goals, and were central to the Reign of Terror.
What was the Reign of Terror?
1793–1794: period of extreme violence during the Revolution, led by the Committee of Public Safety under Robespierre. Thousands, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, were executed by guillotine for being "enemies of the revolution."
Who was Maximilien Robespierre?
Radical Jacobin leader who became the face of the Reign of Terror. He pushed for revolutionary purges but was eventually overthrown and executed in 1794.
What was the Directory, and how did it end?
Government established after the fall of Robespierre, consisting of a five-member executive body. It was marked by corruption and inefficiency.
What were some of the lasting effects of the French Revolution?
Abolition of feudal privileges and rise of secularism.
Spread of republican ideas and nationalism across Europe.
Inspiration for future revolutions (e.g., in Latin America).
What were the grievances listed in the Cahiers de Doléances?
Lists of grievances drawn up by the Three Estates before the Estates-General of 1789. The Third Estate demanded tax reform, fairer representation, an end to feudal privileges, and the abolition of arbitrary royal authority.
What was the significance of the Women's March on Versailles in October 1789?
Thousands of women, angered by food shortages and high bread prices, marched to Versailles demanding action from King Louis XVI. They forced the royal family to return to Paris, symbolizing the shift of power from the monarchy to the people.
What were the main economic policies proposed by Jacques Necker?
Sought to reform France’s financial system by curbing court expenses, increasing loans, and calling for transparency in royal finances. His dismissal in 1789 provoked widespread anger and contributed to the unrest leading to the Revolution.
How did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) impact the French Revolution?
Brought the Catholic Church under state control, requiring clergy to swear allegiance to the revolution.
Alienated devout Catholics, created divisions, and fueled counter-revolutionary movements, particularly in rural areas like the Vendée.
Why did King Louis XVI attempt to flee France in June 1791?
Fearing for his life and opposed to the revolution’s direction, Louis XVI tried to escape to Austria to rally foreign support. His capture at Varennes severely damaged his credibility and increased radicalization, leading to his eventual execution.
What was the Brunswick Manifesto, and how did it affect the Revolution?
Issued by the Duke of Brunswick in 1792, it threatened retaliation if harm came to the French royal family. Instead of cowing revolutionaries, it galvanized them, leading to the storming of the Tuileries Palace and the monarchy’s fall.
What was the significance of the Battle of Valmy (1792)?
The French Revolutionary Army's victory at Valmy over Prussian and Austrian forces boosted revolutionary morale, led to the declaration of the French Republic, and marked the beginning of the wars that would dominate the revolutionary period.
What were the September Massacres (1792), and what caused them?
Amid fears of foreign invasion and internal royalist plots, revolutionaries stormed Parisian prisons, executing thousands of suspected counter-revolutionaries. These massacres reflected the growing radicalism and paranoia of the revolutionary period, leading to splintering of Jacobins into Girodins and Mountain
What was the role of the Sans-culottes during the Revolution?
Radical working-class revolutionaries who pushed for more democratic policies, direct action, and social equality. They were instrumental in driving the Revolution toward radical phases like the Reign of Terror.
Used by Jacobins to do work of the Revolution
What was the Law of Suspects (1793)?
Allowed the Revolutionary Tribunal to arrest and execute those suspected of being counter-revolutionaries. It significantly expanded the scope of the Terror and led to thousands of deaths.
What role did the Committee of Public Safety play during the French Revolution?
Formed in 1793, the Committee of Public Safety was a powerful executive body tasked with defending the Revolution. Led by Robespierre, it oversaw the Reign of Terror, enforcing radical policies and the execution of perceived enemies of the Revolution.
Violated personal property and human rights.
What were the social causes of the French Revolution?
The rigid social structure divided into Three Estates:
Rising discontent among the bourgeoisie, who were educated and wealthy but excluded from power.
Influence of Enlightenment ideas promoting social equality and challenging traditional hierarchies.
What were the political causes of the French Revolution?
Absolute monarchy under King Louis XVI, who ruled with divine right but was disconnected from the people.
Inefficient government, widespread corruption, and inability to implement reforms.
Lack of representation for the Third Estate in the political system.
Enlightenment ideas questioning the legitimacy of absolute monarchy, advocating for republicanism, popular sovereignty, and the separation of powers.
What were the economic causes of the French Revolution?
A severe financial crisis due to France's involvement in expensive wars, such as the American Revolution, and extravagant spending by the monarchy.
Heavy taxation on the Third Estate, while the First and Second Estates were exempt.
Bread shortages and rising food prices, leading to famine and widespread hunger.
Growing national debt and a bankrupt treasury, forcing Louis XVI to call the Estates-General for the first time in over 170 years
What was the significance of Enlightenment ideas in the French Revolution?
Thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu challenged traditional authority and promoted ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity, and democratic governance. These ideas influenced the Third Estate’s demands for political reform and human rights, fueling revolutionary fervor.
What political changes occurred as a result of the French Revolution?
Abolition of the monarchy and establishment of the French Republic in 1792.
Elimination of feudal privileges and noble titles, creating a more egalitarian society.
A shift towards republicanism, with the introduction of universal male suffrage for a brief period.
Rise of radical political factions, such as the Jacobins, and the execution of King Louis XVI.
What were the social effects of the French Revolution?
The end of the rigid estate system and the feudal privileges of the clergy and nobility.
Increased social mobility for the bourgeoisie, who gained political and economic influence.
Secularization of society with the reduction of the Catholic Church’s power, including the nationalization of Church lands.
Growth of nationalist sentiments and the spread of revolutionary ideals across Europe.
What were the economic effects of the French Revolution?
Abolition of feudal dues and taxes imposed on the peasantry, providing economic relief to the lower classes.
Redistribution of Church and noble lands to the people, creating a new class of landowners.
Disruption of trade and industry due to internal conflict and war, leading to economic instability.
Long-term financial issues continued under the Directory and Napoleonic era, though some economic reforms were introduced.
What events led to the downfall of King Louis XVI?
The failure of the Estates-General to resolve the financial crisis.
The formation of the National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath, where the Third Estate declared itself the voice of the people.
Popular unrest following the Storming of the Bastille and the Women's March on Versailles, which forced the royal family to move to Paris.
The king’s attempt to flee to Austria in 1791, which discredited him and led to his arrest and execution in 1793.
What was the role of foreign powers in the French Revolution?
Austria and Prussia initially supported Louis XVI and opposed the revolution, fearing its spread to their own countries.
Also had high numbers of emigres in these countries
The French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802) broke out as revolutionary France sought to defend itself from European coalitions.
The Brunswick Manifesto threatened to invade France if the royal family was harmed, which only fueled revolutionary fervor.
What were the economic and social conditions in France after the Revolution?
France remained economically unstable due to ongoing wars and the Revolution's destruction of property and industry.
Socially, the Revolution fostered a sense of national unity and citizenship, but divisions remained between different classes and political factions.
The rise of a merit-based society and the elimination of noble privileges provided new opportunities for the bourgeoisie and peasants.
What caused the split between the Girondins and the Mountain (Montagnards)?
Differences in how to handle the Revolution and the fate of the monarchy.
Girondins favored more moderate policies, decentralized government, and initially opposed executing King Louis XVI
Mountain (Montagnards), led by Robespierre, sat in the higher benches of the Assembly and advocated for more radical measures, including the king’s execution and centralized control.
Who were key leaders of the Mountain faction?
Maximilien Robespierre: lawyer, leader of the Mountain faction in the Jacobin Club. A dominant figure in the Committee of Public Safety and the Reign of Terror.
Georges Danton: helped establish the First French Republic, initially supported the Reign of Terror, but later opposed it, executed 1794.
Jean-Paul Marat: radical journalist and politician, famous for his newspaper L'Ami du Peuple (The Friend of the People), assassinated in 1793 by Charlotte Corday, a Girondin sympathizer.
Who was Olympe de Gouges, and what document did she write?
French playwright and activist who authored the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen in 1791, advocating for gender equality and women’s rights. She was executed during the Reign of Terror for her political activism.
What role did the Champs de Mars play in the Revolution?
Site of the Massacre of the Champ de Mars in July 1791, where National Guard troops opened fire on protesters demanding the abdication of King Louis XVI after speech by Marat. The event marked a significant turning point toward radicalism and use of violence in the Revolution.
What was the Vendée region, and what role did it play in the Revolution?
Center of a royalist and counter-revolutionary uprising in 1793. Peasants and devout Catholics rebelled against the Revolutionary government’s policies, including the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, leading to brutal suppression by revolutionary forces.
What was the Constitution of 1791?
First written constitution of France, which established a constitutional monarchy. It limited the powers of the king and created a legislative assembly, but the monarchy was abolished soon after in 1792, leading to the establishment of the Republi
What was the Law of 22 Prairial (1794)?
Legal measure passed during the Reign of Terror that expanded the powers of the Revolutionary Tribunal, past emergency indefintely, making it easier to execute suspected counter-revolutionaries.
Removed right to face accuser and see evidence presented against them
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