The French Revolution (AP EURO)

Bourgeoisie

The social class that had economic power but lacked political power in France before the revolution.

Absolutism

A political system in which a single ruler holds complete power without restrictions, exemplified by Louis XIV.

Estates General

The legislative body in France, which failed because the king only wanted money and the Third Estate was dissatisfied with the voting system.

Third Estate

Composed of 98% of the population, this estate included the common people who faced heavy burdens, such as taxes and feudal dues.

Tennis Court Oath

A pledge made by members of the Third Estate to create a representative government and a constitution after being locked out of the Estates General.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

A foundational document of the French Revolution establishing equal rights for all men, influenced by Enlightenment ideas.

The Great Fear

A widespread panic among peasants in France leading to uprisings and destruction of feudal documents due to fear of government retribution.

Reign of Terror

A period during the French Revolution marked by mass executions, political purges, and the establishment of a police state.

Committee of Public Safety

The revolutionary government body during the Reign of Terror, responsible for overseeing the war effort and purging the opposition.

Napoleon Bonaparte

A military leader who rose to power in France after the Revolution, becoming Emperor and implementing significant reforms.

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Legislation that reorganized the Catholic Church in France, requiring clergy to be elected and sworn to the state.

Continental System

Napoleon's foreign policy aimed at weakening Britain by prohibiting trade with European nations.

Olympe de Gouges

A feminist revolutionary who wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen, advocating for women's rights.

Brunswick Manifesto

A declaration issued by Austria and Prussia threatening severe consequences if the royal family was harmed during the Revolution.

Sans-culottes

Working-class citizens in Paris who played a significant role in the radical phase of the Revolution, advocating for social and political reforms.

The Directory

A five-member committee that governed France from 1795 to 1799, which ultimately failed due to political conflicts and economic troubles.

Liberal/Moderate Phase

The initial period of the French Revolution characterized by constitutional monarchy and moderate reforms.

Germaine de Stael

A writer and intellectual who opposed Napoleon's despotism and faced censorship and exile.

Battle of Waterloo

The battle in which Napoleon was defeated, leading to his final exile to St. Helena.

Thermidorian Reaction

The backlash against the radical policies of the Revolution that led to the fall of Robespierre and the Jacobins.

Marat

A radical revolutionary who became a martyr after his assassination, later depicted in art by Jacques-Louis David.

Rise of the Bourgeoisie

The emergence and empowerment of the middle class in France, which challenged the existing social order based on aristocratic privilege.