French Revolution- Unit 3

Cards for French Rev. test 11/18

1st estate

Made up 1% of all French citizens and consisted of the upper clergy. Owned around 10-15% of all land and collected tithe from the 3rd estate taxpayers

2nd estate

Made up 2% of French citizens and consisted mainly of nobility. The 2nd estate owned around 25% of all land in France. Most of their money came from feudal dues from the 3rd estate for use of their land.

3rd estate

Made up the remaining 97% of France’s population. The peasant portion of the 3rd estate controlled the remaining 40% of land in France. The urban poor were concerned about the prices of bread.

Ancien Regime

The social and political order before the french revolution that included things like absolute monarchy and the 3 estate system they had set up

Bourgeoisie

Frances “Middle class” made up around 8% of the population and controlled 20-25% of the land. Included most professional people. The bourgeoisie were a main factor in the french revolution because they were jealous of the power the nobility held.

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Put the church below the state and allowed the state to make decisions for the church instead of the other way around.

Committee of Public Safety

Acted as the government during the Terror, in charge of mandating new laws for trials. 

Confiscation of Church property

The revolutionaries took over churches and other christian spaces turning them into places to worship the enlightenment and Robespierre. EX: Notre Dame

Constitution of 1791 (Constitutional Monarchy)

In the system this created, the king’s power was limited, and an elected assembly made laws. Only “active citizens” (wealthy men) could vote or be in government.

Constitution of 1793 (Republic)

This established France as a democratic republic (no king, all men could vote). It was immediately suspended

Coup d’etat

An organized violent and illegal seizure of power from the government

Danton

De-Christianization

During the terror, many radicals came to the conclusion that the heart of the problem in france was the church itself which had originally been the most powerful organization in the country. The revolutionaries made an effort to get rid of christianity as much as possible.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

A document stating the basic rights of man including free speech and religious freedom. But no ideas for a new form of govt.

Directory

Émigrés

Members of the french nobility how tried to escape to places like Austria and Prussia so they wouldn’t be persecuted by the revolutionaries.

Execution of the King

There was a suspicion that the king and his family were working with Austria and Prussia to try and gain France back. Robespierre and other radicals came to the conclusion after the flight to Varennes that the king had committed treason.

Girondins

The moderate group of the french revolution including many of the people living in rural France

Great Fear

A fear in rural france that the king and his army were going to starve the people into submission in order to try and stop the revolution.

Guillotine

The only execution method considered enlightened because it was quick and “painless”

Jacobins

The most radical group of the revolution consisting of people like Robespierre and Marat as well as the urban poor

King’s escape attempt (Flight to Varennes)

The king and his family attempted to flee to the Austrian border and into safety but were caught in a town called Varennes. This is what ultimately lead to the kings execution.

Louis XVI

The french king who was overthrown by the people for wasting too much money and letting his citizens starve

Marat

Wrote “A Friend of the People” newspaper, which spread fearful propaganda about who was and wasn’t with the revolution, as well as angering the public more with his (often untrue or highly exaggerated) articles about the nobility. 

Marie Antoinette

The french queen at the time, known for being out of touch and sometimes completely uncaring towards her people. Most famous for the false line, “let them eat cake”

Meeting of the Estates-General

A meeting the king would call in whenever there was a large problem in france. Started the revolution with their unfair voting system. Met over the countries debt ultimately deciding to change the tax system to fix the govt’s. debt but this affected the already poor 3rd estate. 

Napoleon

Overthrew the directory and named himself emperor for life. 

Napoleon’s Grand Empire

The largest and most powerful version of France that spread the nepoleonic codes.

Napoleon’s Russia Campaign

Napoleon tried to invade Russia after multiple successful invasions elsewhere, however, he didn’t bring enough food for the large army he brought and Russia starved them. Napoleon ultimately lost and was forced onto the defensive.

Napoleonic Code (Code Napoleon, Civil Code)

A set of laws that applied to everyone equally. All men (no women) are equal under the law and have the right to own property.

National Assembly (which then became the Legislative Assembly)

Was established to draft the french constitution. Also abolished feudalism, adopted the declaration of the rights of man and limited the kings power.

National Convention

Abolished the monarchy making france a republic and executed the king.

Olympe de Gouges: Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen

Argued for equal rights for women during the revolution

Reign of Terror (the Terror)

The period of mass executions throughout France while trying to achieve Robespierre’s “Republic of virtue”

Republic

Power is held by people and their elected representatives and not a king or monarch

Republic of Virtue

Robespierres vision of a perfect society with good citizens who followed the republic

Robespierre

Main revolutionary who took over a large majority of the government.

Sans-culottes

Without short pants. Radical revolutionaries who wore full length pants to show that they were with the people.

September Massacres

Fearing an invasion by austria, the people of paris went to the large prisons and killed all the inmates to prevent them from joining the opposing sides.

Storming of the Bastille

The people of the 3rd estate in urban Paris stormed a Bastille releasing prisoners and supplying themselves with gunpowder.

Tennis Court Oath

When members of the third estate were locked out of the estates general for trying to form a constitution. They met on a tennis court and took an oath to write a new french constitution that guaranteed male sufferage.

Women’s March to Versailles

Women marched to versailles to demand the king to sign the declaration of the rights of man into action. Afterwards, they forced him and his family to come back to paris with them and live in the heart of the revolution.