Honors French Revolution Notes

Honors French Revolution Vocabulary

• Old Regime
  The political and social system in France before the French Revolution, characterized by feudalism and the division of society into three estates.

• Absolutism
  A political system where a single ruler, often a monarch, holds all power and authority, typically justified by divine right.

• Divine Right
  The doctrine that kings derive their authority from God, justifying absolute monarchy.

• Deficit Spending
  The practice of spending more money than is received in revenue, contributing to France's financial crisis.

• Philosophes
  Intellectuals of the Enlightenment who promoted reason, scientific inquiry, and individual rights.

• Emigres
  Nobles and others who fled revolutionary France to escape the changes and retain their privileges.

• Limited Monarchy
  A form of government where a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government.

• Republic
  A political system where the country is considered a "public matter" and is not the private concern or property of the rulers.

• Girondists
  A political faction during the French Revolution known for their moderate views and support for displacing the monarchy but opposing radical measures.

• Jacobins
  A more radical political group that supported the revolution and sought to establish a republic, known for their extreme measures including the Reign of Terror.

• Committee of Public Safety
  Created during the Revolution to protect the Republic from foreign attacks and internal rebellion, known for overseeing the Reign of Terror.

• Suffrage
  The right to vote, a central issue in the revolutionary debates.

Key Concepts

• The 3 Estates

  1. First Estate: Clergy, enjoyed privileges and were not taxed.
  2. Second Estate: Nobility, also privileged and exempt from many taxes.
  3. Third Estate: Commoners, which included the bourgeoisie (middle class), peasants, and urban workers, who bore the tax burden.

• Why was France Bankrupt?
  Result of deficit spending, costly involvement in wars (e.g., American Revolution), and the extravagant lifestyle of the monarchy.

• Enlightenment Influence
  Ideas from Enlightenment thinkers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu promoted concepts of liberty, equality, and fraternity, inspiring the Revolution.

• Long-term Causes of the French Revolution

  • Social inequality among the estates.
  • Economic distress and influence of Enlightenment ideas.
  • Political incompetence and lack of reforms by the monarchy.

• Tennis Court Oath
  Occurred during the Estates-General meeting when the Third Estate pledged not to disband until a new constitution was established due to their exclusion from decision-making.

• Storming of the Bastille
  On July 14, 1789, Parisians stormed this fortress-prison symbolizing royal tyranny, marking the beginning of the Revolution.

• Declaration of the Rights of Man
  Document asserting individual rights including liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression, inspired by enlightenment ideals.

• Impact on Different Groups:

  • Clergy: Lost power and privileges.
  • Nobles: Stripped of their feudal rights and faced persecution.
  • Peasant Farmers: Gained some rights but faced hardships during the revolutionary turmoil.
  • Royal Family: Experienced loss of power and eventually faced execution.

• International Reaction
  Many European monarchies viewed the French Revolution with fear and suspicion, leading to coalitions against revolutionary France.

• Reign of Terror
  A period (1793-1794) marked by mass executions of perceived enemies of the revolution led by the Committee of Public Safety under Maximilien Robespierre.

Issues Facing the Directory

• Corruption and inefficiency plagued the Directory government, leading to public discontent.
• Economic struggles, high inflation, and food shortages worsened while the threat of royalists and Jacobins persisted.

Conclusion of the French Revolution

• The French Revolution period ended with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, who established himself as a leader and ultimately became Emperor of France, signaling the shift from revolutionary ideals to authoritarian rule.