french rev: main events Flashcards
why did French people have such negative opinions on Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
- moved the gov’t building (Versailles) away from the capital (Paris)
- Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were unable to produce an heir
- the 7 years war left France in debt
- Louis XVI was crowned king at 15, meaning he was young and inexperienced
- Marie came from Austria, which was the French rival
- Louis XVI was petty and bankrupted the country while trying to defeat Britain to avenge his grandfather
- Marie spends money on clothing and accessories rather than helping France come out of poverty
Why did French people want a Revolution
- they were upset because Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette spent money for personal reasons rather than trying to end famine and poverty in France
- the price of bread/flour (which was the main diet for French people) increased significantly
- nothing was being done by the King to help France’s economy
what kind of gov’t did the national assembly demand
The National Assembly, during the French Revolution, demanded a form of government that shared legislative and executive powers between the king and an assembly. This was a shift from absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy where the king had limited powers.
What was the women’s march and what happened one the Women’s March got to Versailles
The Women’s March on Versailles, also known as the October March, was a significant event where market women and their allies, outraged over the scarcity of bread, marched from Paris to Versailles on October 5, 1789. Upon reaching Versailles, they demanded reforms and ultimately forced King Louis XVI and his family to return with them to Paris. This event marked a turning point in the revolution, significantly weakening the king’s authority.
Why did Louis XVI and his family try to flee and how did people react to this
King Louis XVI and his family attempted to flee France in what is known as the Flight to Varennes because they were hostile towards the revolutionary reforms and hoped to initiate a counter-revolution. The public reaction was one of betrayal and anger, as it became clear that the king was opposed to the revolution, leading to charges of treason and his eventual execution.
Why was the guillotine considered a more enlightened form of punishment
The guillotine was considered a more enlightened form of punishment because it was designed to make capital punishment more reliable and less painful, aligning with the new Enlightenment ideas of human rights
why does Robespierre believe that Louis XVI must die
Robespierre believed that Louis XVI must die because he saw the king as an obstacle to the revolution. He argued that the Revolution could not coexist with a king and that Louis’s death was necessary for the survival of the revolutionary republic
why and how was Marat murdered
Jean-Paul Marat was murdered by Charlotte Corday, who believed that killing him would save the Revolution and prevent the excesses of the Reign of Terror. Marat was stabbed to death in his bathtub on July 13, 1793.
what reasons were people killed for during the reign of terror and how many people actually died
During the Reign of Terror, people were killed for a variety of reasons, including being suspected of counter-revolutionary activities or simply being perceived as enemies of the Revolution. The death toll is estimated to be between 30,000 to 50,000, with around 17,000 official executions
how did Robespierre go against his initial beliefs from the beginning of the revolution
Robespierre initially opposed the death penalty and advocated for democratic reforms. However, as the Revolution progressed, he became a proponent of the Terror and justified the use of violence to protect the revolution
how do revolutionaries replace Christianity with other ideas
Revolutionaries replaced Christianity with the Cult of the Supreme Being and the Cult of Reason, among other secular worship festivals. They also introduced a new calendar to erase Christianity’s influence and center history around the Revolution
tennis court oath
a pivotal moment when the third estate broke away from the estates-generals and vowed to write a new constitution
storming of the bastille
often regarded as the start of the French revolution, symbolized the fall of the ancient regime and the monarchy’s power
abolition of feudalism in France
feudalism was abolished
declaration of the rights of man of the citizen
charter of liberties that became the preamble to the new constitution, asserting individuals rights and the principles of popular sovereignty
