Causes Of The French Revolution Flashcards

Question

Social Contract Theory

Answer 1

- free will is necessary to form a state or government - collective benefit should be prioritised over individual will - you must surrender your liberties for greater good - government should consider the common good or the interest of the state as a whole - doesn’t wish to abolish the monarchy - the government must be supported by the will of the people (voting) where majority wins

Answer 2

The government -Protect the rights of-> The people -Who give power to-> The government

Answer 3

An agreement allowed by both parties

Answer 4

‘Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains’ Rousseau’s quote means that humans are naturally free and equal, but society and its institutions — like monarchy, inequality, and unfair laws — have trapped people in systems that limit their freedom.

Answer 5

The Social Contract Theory was not always effective because it relied on everyone agreeing on what the “general will” was, which was hard in a divided society. In practice, powerful groups could still manipulate or claim to represent the general will, leading to new forms of control or inequality, rather than true freedom for all.

Answer 6

Most people were illiterate, uneducated, and had limited access to political ideas

Answer 7

Being put in debtor prison, where someone has to pay your debt to get you out

Answer 8

- Taille - income tax (The percentage of the tax varied by region, but on average, it was around 10-15% of the land’s value or the landowner’s income.) - Seigneurial - feudal tax (Seigneurs gave land to peasants, and received land, rent or services in return) - Corvée - work tax (roads and infrastructure), this was forced labour forcing peasants to work on roads or state projects, for about 10-15 days a year, depending on the region - Tithe - 10% of the peasant’s produce went to Church - Gabelle - Tax on salt (which was the only way to preserve food), which could be as high as 1/2 livres a year - Aide - Tax on bottles of wine, about 5-10% of the value of the item

Answer 9

This was a staple product, or a question of survival. However, the 3rd estate ended up spending 80% of the earnings on bread. They had long hours and poor working conditions. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the poor harvest in 1787-89, leaving the people to starve, as bread prices rocketed, as ‘desperate people do desperate things’. This led to the March to Versailles.

Answer 10

Lower wages for the same job as a man

Answer 11

- illegal trade - led to queues and shortages, and a great deal of anger and violence - bread and essential goods were often sold on the black market at inflated prices when official supplies were scarce or controlled by the government - the poor could not afford these inflated prices, and it made the financial gap even more evident and injust - widespread smuggling and illegal sales - government’s price controls on essential goods like bread were ineffective due to the black market, which worsened food insecurity

Answer 12

- Cahier de Doléances (Book of Grievances) of 25 000 complaints - poor presented this to the Estates-General - asked for no more taxes While the king accepted the cahiers in form, he did not act on most of the demands, especially those that would threaten noble privilege or royal authority.

Answer 13

National debt from wars (like the American War of Independence).

Answer 14

• Marie Antoinette’s spending on fashion: She bought extravagant gowns, wigs, and accessories — she reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of livres a year on clothes and had a wardrobe of over 300 dresses annually. • The Queen’s Hamlet: Marie Antoinette built a fake rustic village called the Hameau de la Reine at Versailles to pretend to live like a peasant — this cost millions of livres during a national food crisis. • Lavish palace maintenance: The Palace of Versailles had over 1,000 servants, and extravagant events, banquets, and upkeep cost the royal budget a fortune each year. • Royal gambling: Both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were known to gamble large sums of money, with the queen once losing 1.5 million livres in one year. • Support for the American War of Independence: Louis XVI funded the war with 1.3 billion livres in loans and aid, which greatly added to France’s debt without directly benefiting French citizens.

Answer 15

The Flight to Varennes took place on the night of 20–21 June 1791, when King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and their children attempted to flee Paris in disguise. Their goal was to reach Montmédy, near the Austrian border, where loyal royalist troops could protect them and help restore the monarchy’s power. They travelled in a large, slow-moving royal coach, which made them highly noticeable. Along the route, several people recognised the king, including Jean-Baptiste Drouet, a local postmaster in Sainte-Menehould, who had seen the king’s face on currency. Suspicious, Drouet rode ahead to Varennes and alerted local authorities. When the royal family arrived in Varennes just before midnight, the bridge out of town had been blocked, and the National Guard arrested them. They were escorted back to Paris by armed guards as crowds lined the roads, silent and cold. This failed escape confirmed fears that the king opposed the Revolution, and it destroyed his public image and the people’s trust, pushing France closer to abolishing the monarchy.

Answer 16

As tensions grew, public punishments became more common and were used to make examples of dissenters. These events were often spectacles, watched by crowds, and helped normalize political violence.

Answer 17

Instead of collecting taxes directly, the government used tax farmers (wealthy individuals or companies) who paid the state a fixed fee and kept any extra money they collected. This system encouraged overcharging and abuse, with tax collectors exploiting peasants, while the government received less than it should have. It symbolized the unfairness and corruption of the Ancien Régime.

Answer 18

1. Social inequality – Unfair privileges of the First and Second Estates over the Third. 2. Tax burden – High taxes on the poor; nobility and clergy mostly exempt. 3. Economic crisis – Debt from wars, royal spending, poor harvests, and rising bread prices. 4. Weak leadership – Louis XVI’s indecision and failure to implement reforms. 5. Enlightenment ideas – Calls for liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty. 6. American Revolution – Inspired hope for change and cost France money. 7. Unfair political structure – Estates-General gave more power to the privileged classes. 8. Failure of reforms – Attempts by ministers like Necker and Turgot were blocked. 9. Popular unrest – Peasant revolts, urban riots, and growing public anger. 10. Trigger events – Tennis Court Oath, Storming of the Bastille, and Flight to Varennes.