Chapter 11-The French Revolution Flashcards
Give three facts about the French government in 1789.
1) France was an absolute monarchy. King Louis had all power.
2) Lettre de Cachet- King could arrest any citizen he wanted without needing a reason.
3) This system was called the Ancien Régime.
What were the three Estates-General?
First Estate- Catholic Church.
Second Estate- nobility. (100 000)
Third Estate- rest of population. (90%)
What was the National Assembly?
Group formed by the third estate to discuss how to change the Ancien Régime.
What was the tennis court oath?
Louis ordered the National Assembly’s meeting place to be closed, so they met at a tennis court and took an oath swearing that they wouldn’t leave until Louis agreed to make a fairer government.
What happened at the fall of Bastille?
People thought Louis was sending his soldiers to break up the National Assembly, a riot broke out and the Bastille prison was taken by the sans culottes.
What do the colours of the tricolour symbolise?
White (monarchy) was placed between blue and red (colours of Paris ) to show who was in charge.
Describe the execution of the royal family.
They were kept virtually as prisoners at the Tuileries, Louis escaped to Holland, but was spotted and arrested. They believed he wanted to fight a war against his people and was executed as a traitor.
Who invented the guillotine and why?
Dr. Joseph Guillotine invented it as a more human form of execution.
What two groups was the Assembly divided between?
The Radicals-sat left, rapid change.
The Conservatives-sat right, slow change.
Who seized French power?
The Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre. (Radical group.)
When and by who was order restored?
It was restored in 1799 by a new government called the Directory.
Who became the new emperor of France?
Napoleon Bonaparte (Corsican general) did. He revoked the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the citizen.
Why is it accurate to say that the French Revolution did not change much?
It is because many of the rights achieved were revoked and the country went back to an Absolute Monarchy.
