French Revolution - Key Term List

Old Regime

Estates, bourgeoisie, sans culottes, peasants, Estates General 

Bourgeoisie

Urban middle class, wealthy, educated, enlightened professionals, limited political power.

Sans Culottes

The urban working class, mostly poor, more radical and militant. Paris mob that became driving force in the Revolution

Corvee

Forced labor for nobles and government

Estates - General

The Court representing the population of France, called to deal with the economic crisis

Louis XVI

Weak, unpopular, indecisive, miserable. Married to Marie Antoinette. Unable to deal with countries’ problems

Marie Antoinette

Austrian Wife of Louis XVI, unpopular, lavish spender, extravagant, eventually guillotined.

Cahiers

Grievances writen in notebooks requeted by Louis XVI to bring to Estates General

National Assembly 

Frances’ true representative body during the moderate phase. Composed of the 3rd estate but invited other members

Tennis Court Oath

Pledge that the members who were locked out of Estates General (3rd estate) would keep meeting until France had a constitution

Storming of the Bastille

Bread riots caused more troops in Paris, which caused rumors to spread. Citizens’ militia formed and needed gunpowder. The mob stormed the Bastille and killed guards. King withdrew troops and brought an end to royal military authority 

Great Fear

Peasants attack on nobles. caused by fear and false rumors that the king was going to get revenge for the Bastille. Showed paranoia and lack of central authority

Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Laid out principles of revolution: Liberty, equality, and fraternity

March on Versailles

Hungry mob attacked Versailles because he hadn’t accepted Dec of Right of man and they forced him to accept it and move to Paris

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Put church under government control. Sold church to pay debt. forced clergy to swear loyaly oath. Many priests refused and peasants disliked

Flight to Varennes

Louis caught trying to escape to Austria and said he didn’t support revolution. Hurt Louis reputation. 

Emigres

Nobles and loyalists who fled France

Legislative Assembly

Constitutial monarchy. King had little power, only “active males” could vote. disliked by most and unable to deal with most problems. Started the war with Autria and Prussia.

Declaration of Pilnitz 

Austria pledges to support Louis and warned to not harm royal family. Moved troops to the border.

September massacre 

Widespread fear of foreign invasion and counterrevolution led mob to storm Paris prison killing 1k nobles, priests, and royal sympathizers. Caused Legislative assembly to disband.

National Convention

Republic controlled by radicals. Abolished monarchy and had universal male suffrage. Government during the Radical phase.

Mountains

Most radical members of the NC. Wanted to increase government power to deal with wars and economic issues. Supported by san culottes. Embraced violence

Jacobin Club

Radical Club

Girondines

More moderate with support from the countryside. Opposed the mob and violence. Initially controlled NC but eventually most of them were purged.

Plains

Swing voters (~1/2) switched from Girondines to mountains when Girondines policies for the war and economy failed. 

Jean-Paul Marat

Pro-violence newspaper writer. Leader of the sans culottes. Murdered by Charlotte Corday which made him a martyr  

Charlotte Corday 

Girondins supporters from the countryside who killed Marat

Georges-Jacques Danton

‘Terror is the order of the day.” Radical leader. Came to be seen as too lenient for Jacobins. Lost power with Robespierre and was guillotined.

Maximilien Robespierre

Most famous, major jacobin figure of the revolution. Became increasingly radical. Violence and terror were necessary to save the revolution. led the reign of Terror

Vendee

Region in France where a civil war took place. brutal government response to resistance, mass atrocities (1/3 Vendee pop killed)

Guillotine

Form of capital punishment for all people (regardless of class). More human and effective.

Radical reforms

• Abolished slavery

• Price control

• Metric system

• Abolished right of 1st born male inheritance

• De-christanization

  • “cult of Supreme Being” worshiping reason and the public virtue"

• New Calendar 

  • 12 months named after seasons, 3 weeks of 10 days

Commitee of Public Safety

12-man group led by Danton and Robespierre with dictatorial powers.

• 2 Goals

  • Fight Wars

  • Stop-counterrevolution 

    • Set up Revolutionary Tribunals 

Revolutionary Tribunals

Courts that gave sweeping powers to arrest and punish 

Reign of Terror

Period of fear and executions aimed at anyone opposed to the government. First victims were the Girondins. Turned people away from the revolution. (Death toll ~40k, 300k arrested)

Law of Suspects

Allowed anyone suspected of being an enemy of the revolution to be arrested.

Republic of Virtue

Terror was the only way to save the revolution

Thermidorian Reaction

End of radical phase. Terror ends with Robespierre being guillotined. National Convention and Committee of Public Safety dissolved. Revolution became less radical 

Directory

Legislative body during the reactionary stage. 5-man executive body. Less democratic and resembled old regime