French Revolution

Causes of the french revolution

* insparation of American Revolution
* bread shortage
* crop failiure
* frustration with the gov’t
* versailles
* king louis’ lavish life
* Supporting of American revolution
* 1st and second estates payed no taxes→inequalities of the estates system
* enlightened ideas

Estates General

meeting of representatives from all 3 estates

How many representatives did the first and second estate have and how many votes did they have?

300, 1

How many representatives did the third estate have and how many votes did they have?

600, 1

Who called the estates general after 175 years?

King Louis XVI

Why did king Louis call on the estates general?

To deal with the crisis of the financial problem, he hoped to gain support for additional taxes

What did each estate hope to use the meeting for?

as a chance to address their individual concerns

How much of the population was the 1st estate?

1%

How much of the population was the 2st estate?

2%

How much of the population was the 3st estate?

97%

Why was it unfair that each estate only had one vote?

The 1st and 2nd estate always voted the same and outvoted the 3rd estate (2 to 1)

Why did the third estate declare themselves the national assembly?

The third estate wanted to vote by head

What happened after third estate declares themselves the national assembly?

The 3rd estate got locked out of the meeting hall

What is the tennis court oath?

An oath of the people of the third estate & additional people from other estates that believed in them where they vowed to continue meeting until they had drawn up a new constitution

What happened when reform minded clergy and nobles joined the national assembly?

King Louis accepted the constitution

What happened soon after King Louis accepted the constitution?

Royal troops gathered around Paris and rumors spread that the king planned to destroy the assembly

When was the storming of the Bastille?

July 14 1789

What happened on July 14 1789?

The streets of Paris buzzed with rumors that royal troops were going to occupy the capital, so more than 800 Parisians assembled outside the Bastille to break in and get weapons, as well as let out the people that were kept there to help them

What was the Bastille?

A medival fortress that was used as a prison

What was the Bastille a symbol of for the people of France?

All the years of abuse by the Absolute Monarchy

Why did the Parisians break into the Bastille?

The Parisians needed gun powder and they thought there would be some inside, and they wanted to free all the prisoners, all of that to get king Louis off the throne

What did king Louis think of the Storming of the Basitlle

He didn’t care about it, he wrote in his dairy that nothing happened that day

What stage if the French government came after absolute monarchy?

The Estates general, which led to the National Assembly, they wrote the constitution of 1791, it was a limited monarchy

What is a limited monarchy?

Kept the king but limited his powers, had a legislature that had the power to make laws, collect taxes, and to declare war & peace, also known as a constitutional monarchy

What stage of the French government was after the National Assembly?

The national convention→ abolishes monarchy and becomes a republic, they execute the king and queen

What stage of the French government was a limited monarchy?

The National Assembly

What stage of the French government was a republic?

The National convention

What does the Committee of Public Safety orchestrate to?

The reign of terror

What stage of the French government came after the national convention?

The “Directory Phase,” group of 5 men(executive powers), they end the reign of terror, it was the more moderate phase of the French Revolution, new constitution of 1795

In which stage of the French government was the constitution of 1795 written and the reign of terror ended?

The “Directory Phase”

What stage of the French government came after the Directory Phase?

The Napoleonic Phase, which was a dictatorship with the support of the people, Napoleon also becomes emperor

What was the guillotine and what was it used for

Machine that chops heads off, it was an efficient way of executing people fast and it was more humane (painless)

What was the reign of terror?

10 months in Paris when people got killed if they didn’t support the revolution, 40,000 people were suspected of traitors and beheaded

What was the Declaration of Rights of Man?

document expressing human rights for all of France, equality of all citizens, and freedom of speech, press, and religion. It abolishes titles of nobility and created a new title “citizen” to represent equality

What did the legislature do during the constitutional monarchy?

They made people vote for others to get elected for the legislature, votes were by head meaning everyone who pays taxes can vote.

What was the first thing that replaced the absolute monarchy?

The national assembly replaced absolute monarchy

What was the church situation under the National Assembly?

church was under state control, pope was gonna be obeyed by the government

What was the setup of the national convention?

The first republic and ended monarchy, the newest french government, all adult males can vote

What did king Louis think of the Republic?

He refused to have a republic

What happened to king Louis after he refused to have a republic?

tried for treason, was called a traitor of France, and his whole family dies

Who was Maximillian Robespierre?

Revolutionary leader, installed radical changes in government, begins the reign of terror

How did the reign of terror end?

Maximilian gets killed by his own idea, the committee of public safety orchestrates the reign of terror after that.

The Directory…

ended the reign of terror, was weak and corrupt, but spread revolutionary ideas to all of Europe

Who feared the new directory government system in Europe?

Britain, Spain, Austria, and Prussia

How did France want to spread the revolution during the directory phase?

Overthrowing all kings in Europe

Who did France declare war on during the directory phase?

Austria and Prussia

Why did France specifically target Austria and Russia during the directory phase?

Marie Antoinette was Austrian→ wanted revenge. If Austria falls all of Europe falls, which would be Europe vs. France

What was the last phase of the French revolution?

Napoleonic phase, Napoleon Bonaparte was the leader

What governing body wrote the second constitution, changing the French government to a democratic republic and ending the monarchy?

The national convention

What did Napoleon do as a general to France?

Defeated Austria and Northern Italy

How did Napoleon gain control over France?

His popularity allowed him to overthrow the government, he proclaimed a new republic government, really a dictatorship

What did the French think of Napoleon overthrowing the government?

The French liked his strong government and his peace and order

Why was Napoleon crowning himself not a sign absolute monarchy?

Napoleon uses the support of the people so it’s not absolute

What does Napoleon do when he takes over France?

He crowns himself emperor and nearly conquered Europe

What does taking the crown from the pope symbolize?

Napoleon is on top of everyone as an emperor, including the pope

How did Napoleon plan on taking over Europe?

Napoleon puts his brothers and friends in various places around Europe to form alliances

What happened with Napoleon’s alliance with Russia?

Russia and France had an alliance and then the French attacked Russia

What happened to Napoleon after invading Russia?

He was defeated and exiled to Islands of Elba and St. Helena

Who replaced Napoleon after he got exiled?

King Louis XVII, Louis XVI’s brother

What was king Louis XVII’s intentions with ruling France?

He wanted to bring it back to how it was before the revolution

What was Napoleon’s impact?

Napoleonic code, secured the revolution in France & ended monarchy, spread enlightenment around Europe

What was the Napoleonic code based on?

Enlightened principles, but still limits people

What was the congress of Vienna doing in 1815?

The allies redrew maps of Europe, and restored the kings who has ruled before Napoleon

What are big countries in Europe gonna do once Napoleon is dead?

Try to undo the French Revolution the most in France to have peace in Europe

What social club did Napoleon belong to?

The Jacobins

What did Napoleon do in order to be a part of the government?

He overthrew the Directory and set up a consulate and drew up a new constitution

What is a consulate?

a three man governing board

What did Napoleon do after setting up a consulae?

He took the title “First Consul” and in 1802 made himself “consul for life”

What is plebiscite?

A popular vote by ballot (people)

What was the original slogan for the French revolution before Napoleon?

Liberty, equality, and fraternity

What was the original slogan for the French revolution after Napoleon?

Order, security, and efficiency

What steps did Napoleon take to fix the French economy?

* controlled prices
* encouraged new industry
* Built roads and canals
* set up a system for public schools

Why was setting a system for public schools important for Napoleon?

to ensure government and military officials

What was concordat of 1801?

Kept the church state under control to ensure well trained officials and military officials

What did Napoleon do for the social classes?

He encouraged emigres to return, and provided they take an oath of loyalty. Peasants were relieved when he recognized their rights to lands they brought from the church and nobles during the revolution. The middle class approved of Napoleon’s economic reforms and restoration of order after years of chaos.

What were the emigres?

nobles that escaped

What is merit?

Talent

How did napoleon grant people jobs?

Based on merit

why was the Napoleonic code enlightened?

It took principles from the enlightenment and give those principles to the people

Napoleon valued order and authority over…

individual rights

Napoleon annexed….

Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany

What is annex?

another word for incorporating, add territory to existing state or country

Napoleon abolished what empire?

The holy roman

Napoleon cut Prussia in half. Part of “old” Poland now became known as the…

Grand Duchy of Warsaw

How did napoleon control the parts of europe that were not taken over by france?

Through forceful diplomacy. one tactic was putting friends and family on the thrones of Europe

What is the continental system?

a system that closed European ports to British goods

Who did the continental system target?

Great Britain

Why did the continental system fail?

Although British exports declined, Britain’s powerful navy kept vital trade routes to the Americas and India

Who did the continental system hurt?

Individual countries in Europe and not GB

What were the results of the continental system?

Trade restrictions created a scarcity of goods in Europe, sent prices soaring, and intensified resentment against French power

Why did foreign nations resent napoleon, and eventually France?

to impose French culture on them, and because many Europeans saw him and his armies as foreign opposers, even if they believed in his thoughts

How are the battles of Austerlitz and Wagram related?

Napoleon won in both, it was against an Austro-Russian army, and they were both revenge battles

What is a scorched earth policy?

Policy where people in the villages travel to another place, burning everything they left behind

During Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, the Russians implemented a/n ….

scorched earth policy

Was the scorched earth policy successful?

it was successful because Napoleon was able to provide food and shelter for his whole army

Why did the continental system target GB?

They were the last ones to be against France

What 4 nations formed an alliance agains Napoleon and France after the Russian invation?

Russia, Britain, Austria, and Prussia

Russia, Britain, Austria, and Prussia defeated Napoleon at what battle?

Nations at Leipzig

What is adbicate?

to step down from power

What is exile?

Force someone to leave the country and be imprisoned somewhere else