modern world history 3

Estates

The three social classes of France’s Old Regime

Taille

France’s chief tax during the 1700s

Bourgeoisie

French middle class - bankers, factory owners, merchants, artisans. Some were more wealthy than the nobility. Were still considered third estate

Estates-General

The representative assembly of the three estates

National Assembly

Revolutionary assembly formed by the representatives of the Third Estate in 1789

Tennis Court Oath

After the national assembly was locked out of their meeting place, they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court and swore that they would continue meeting until they had formed a new constitution.

Old Regime

Social and political order that existed in France from the late middle ages until the French Revolution

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

Inspired by the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and by the American Declaration, this charter of basic liberties began with “the natural and imprescriptible rights of man” to “liberty, property, security, and resistance to opposition.”

Legislative Assembly

The new constitution of 1791 set up a limited monarchy and created this body, consisting of 745 representatives, which would make the laws.

Paris Commune

August 1792, Paris radicals declared themselves a popularly run city council and attacked the royal palace and Legislative assembly. They took the King captive and forced the Legislative assembly to suspend the monarchy and call for a national convention

Sans-Culottes

Meaning “without breeches”. Their wardrobe identified them as patriots against the nobility.

National Convention

Began meeting in 1792, drafted a new constitution and served as the ruling body of France. First major step was to abolish the monarchy and to establish a republic.

Girondins

Representing the moderate faction of the National Convention, sought to establish a constitutional monarchy and were critical of the radical actions of the Jacobins

Jacobins

A more radical political and social group who sought to abolish the monarchy entirely and establish a republic

Reign of Terror

Was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervor, anticlerical sentiment, and accusations of treason by the Committee of Public Safety.

Guillotine

Apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading.

Committee of Public Safety

Special committee of 12 given broad powers by the National Convention. Came to be dominated by the radical Jacobin Maximilien Robespierre.

The Directory

Executive branch set up by the Constitution of 1795, was a committee of five chosen by the Council of Elders.

Coup D’etat

Typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership

Consulate

Government established in France after the overthrow of the Directory in 1799, with Napoleon as first consul in control of the entire government.

Plebiscite

Vote of the people

Lycees

Government ran public schools to train officials

Concordat

Agreement with the pope restoring Catholicism in France

Napoleonic Code

A uniform system of laws

Battle of Trafalgar

1805, ensured British naval superiority

Continental System

Economic plan to strengthen Europe and weaken Britain

Peninsular war

The military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.

Scorched-Earth Policy

A military strategy of burning or destroying crops or other resources that might be of use to an invading enemy force.

Congress of Vienna

Holy Alliance

Also called the Grand Alliance, was a coalition linking the absolute monarchist great powers of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, which was created after the final defeat of Napoleon

Concert of Europe

The vague consensus among the European monarchies favoring preservation of the territorial and political status quo. The term assumed the responsibility and right of the great powers to intervene and impose their collective will on states threatened by internal rebellion.

Guerrilla Warfare

Operations carried on by small independent forces, generally in the rear of the enemy, with the objective of harassing, delaying, and disrupting military operations of the enemy.