Chapter 5: The Revolution, May - October 1789

Question 1

When was the first Estates General-session held?

Answer 1

5th May 1789.

Question 2

What wasn’t mentioned in the first Estates-General session? (Third Estate’s concerns)

Answer 2

• No reform package.

- No talk of future meetings - how would voting take place?

Question 3

What was said in the first Estates-General session?

Answer 3

• Louis claimed to be ‘the first friends of the people’.

- Necker spoke about the needs for new taxes.

Question 4

When was the National Assembly formed?

Answer 4

17th June 1789.

Question 5

Why was the National Assembly formed?

Answer 5

• Third Estate didn’t want to meet separately from the other two estates to verify their credentials.
• Third Estate refused to carry out verification until voting by head was agreed on.
• Abbé Sieyès influencial third estate leader - said third estate are the nation and could act alone - encourages some clerics to join.

Question 6

What is voting by head?

Answer 6

Every representative got one vote.

Question 7

What is voting by order?

Answer 7

1 vote per estate.

Question 8

When was the Tennis Court Oath?

Answer 8

20th June 1789.

Question 9

Explain the events leading up to the Tennis Court Oath.

Answer 9

• National Assembly’s meeting place being altered, so doors locked and guarded when members got there.
• Assembly worried King was trying to dissolve them.
• President Bailly took them to a royal Tennis Court instead and the Assembly promised to never disband until France had a new constitution.
• First revolutionary act.

Question 10

What happened in the 23rd June 1789 royal session?

Answer 10

• Louis agreed to new tax and fairer land tax.
• Louis refused to say ‘National Assembly’.
• Louis wanted estates to meet separately.
• Members refused to leave at the end as an act of defiance.

Question 11

What were the consequences of the 23rd June royal session?

Answer 11

• Louis reminded everything he said, recognised NA and permitted voting by head.
• Troops sent to capital - increased suspicions.
• Rumours spread - grain supplies cut off - Assembly destroyed etc.

Question 12

When was Necker dismissed?

Answer 12

11th July 1789.

Question 13

When was the storming of the Bastille?

Answer 13

14th July 1789.

Question 14

What happened in the storming of Bastille?

Answer 14

• mobs raided gunshots to arm themselves.
• Destroyed 40/54 custom posts.
• Prisons,factories and a monastry raided.
• Raided war veteran retirement home to get muskets.
• Attacked Bastille to get gunpowder.

Question 15

How many casualties were there in the storming of Bastille?

Answer 15

70 killed.

Question 16

When and how did the King react to the storming of Bastille?

Answer 16

• 17th July.
• King stood outside a hotel in Paris with the new mayor of Paris (Bailly).
• Wore revolutionary cockade.
• Reinstated Necker (who was popular w the people).
• Accepted the National Assembly.

Question 17

What was the storming of Bastille symbolic of?

Answer 17

The destruction of the Ancien Regime’s power.

Question 18

Why were the national guard formed?

Answer 18

• To protect bourgeoise’s property and defend Paris from sans-culottes (ordinary people).
• Lafayette as commander.

Question 19

Why were people in the countryside angry in the lead up to The Great Fear?

Answer 19

• 1788 Poor harvest.
• Bad winter.
• Rumours of brigands (nobles) hoarding grain.
• Thought the only way to get rid of feudal duties was to destroy records.
• Cahiers (grievances) gave them hope.

Question 20

The Great Fear dates.

Answer 20

17th July - 3rd August 1789.

Question 21

What were the main events of The Great Fear?

Answer 21

• Grain stores looted.
• Feudal records destroyed.
• Chateaux (manor houses) attacked and burned.

Question 22

Why were feudal rights abolished?

Answer 22

• To stop riots.
• To encourage peasants to pay tax again.
• To further enlightenment ideas.

Question 23

When were feudal rights abolished?

Answer 23

4th August 1789.

Question 24

What decrees were made as a result of The Great Fear (the August Decrees)?

Answer 24

• Feudal dues abolished.
• No venality.
• Tithes and Fees abolished.
• No payments to priests.
• All citizens had to pay taxes.

Question 25

Why were Parisians angry leading up to the October Days?

Answer 25

• Bad harvest 1788.
• Bread prices rose.
• 88% of wages on bread in 1789.
• RUMOURS of riots and of corn dealers hoarding grain.
• Political awareness grew.
• Cahiers.
• Troops scared Parisians.
• Necker replaced by conservative breteuil.

Question 26

When was the Declaration of the rights of man and citizen published?

Answer 26

26th August 1789.

Question 27

What were the rights written in the declaration?

Answer 27

• An elected assembly.
• freedom of worship and expression.
• Tax proportionate to their means.
• Careers and offices open to all.
• Liberty, property, security.

Question 28

What did the King think about the declaration?

Answer 28

Refused the August decrees and declaration, claiming they went against his divine right.

Question 29

Chateaux.

Answer 29

Manor House.

Question 30

Cahiers.

Answer 30

Grievances.

Question 31

In October,what did the King do to outrage the public?

Answer 31

Stamp on the revolutionary cockade at a banquet.

Question 32

What happened during the October 5th journeé?

Answer 32

• Mainly women marched from Paris to Versaille.
• Lafayette led NG behind them to keep the peace.
• King’s bodyguards were killed and their heads were put on pikes.
• King and NA forcibly moved to Paris.

Question 33

What were the consequences of the October 5th journeé?

Answer 33

• King agreed to August decrees and Declaration.
• King and gov now subject to Paris mobs.
• Rev gained power again.

Question 34

Monarchien.

Answer 34

Members of NA who believed king should have veto so he would accept rev.