French revelution Flashcards
revise for test
what was the revolution about and why did the French want to revolve
The French Revolution started from social inequality, economic struggles, Enlightenment ideas, it’s to overthrow the monarchy and form a republic based on liberty and equality,
when did the French revolution start
1789
who were in the first estate and what were their privileges
the clergy they had privileges of:
. don’t have to pay taxes
. had their own law courts
who were the second estate and what were their privileges
the nobilities they had privileges of:
. the right to carry a sword
. have to pay little in taxes
. don’t have to do military service
who were the third estate and what were their privileges
the commoners they have privileges of:
NONE
why did the French people think that the tax system is outdated
French system would just make the rich richer and the poor poorer since the richer you are the less tax you have to pay
how was the wealth gap so big in France and add data
first estate=1%
second estate=4%
third estate=95%
and this all caused by the unfair taxing witch made the 95% of people mad
what was a new way of thinking that was introduced and what was it all about
it’s called “Reason” it was believed that the only way to tell if something is true or not is to observe and test it
what was a new public opinion in 1789
a more humane torture free system of law
who were the king and queen of France
Louis XVI and Mary Antoinette
why was Louis XVI disliked
he was a absolute Monarchy witch means that he did not share power
why was Mary Antoinette disliked
1) she was Austrian
2) she spends huge amount of money on clothes, gambling, jewellery, and she also has favourites at court and also because she was unfaithful to Louis XVI
what did people offensively call Mary Antoinette
people called her an “Austrian woman” witch sounds like bitch in French
why did some people criticise Mary Antoinette for building her hamlet
. spending a huge sum of money on it
. the money she used could have gone to better use especially when her country is struggling
. building this luxurious Hamlet and making it look old and all run down made the offended the poor witch made people more angry
. it was a sign of royal power
why did people defend Mary Antoinette when she was criticised for building her Hamlet
. she saved twelve poor families using the Hamlet
. improved agriculture
. bring in an average of 6,000 livres per year
when where and what was the Petit Trianon
when: 1783
where: grounds of the palace of Versailles
what: a little Hamlet
what was the “Lettres de cachet”
“Lettres de cachet” were royal orders of imprisonment or exile without trial from the king and for as long as the king wished witch people hated
why was France in financial debt and add reasons
because France was spending much more than they earned mainly on:
. Military spending
. Royal family lived lavishly
. Most Taxes were paid by the poor
why was the new tax system delayed from coming into effect
first and second estate didn’t want to lose their tax privilege
The king and the estates couldn’t agree on something
financial issues at the moment made changes difficult.
when did Louis XVI call the estates general
5th May 1789
why did Louis XVI call the estates generals
King Louis XVI called the Estates-General in 1789 to deal with France’s financial problems and ask for tax approval. This meeting started the French Revolution.
what was the Ancien Regime
The Ancien Regime was France’s old and unfair tax system
why was Diderot seen as a threat to the church
because he spread Enlightenment ideas that challenged religious authority which encouraged an anti-religious view
what was the Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was all about and individual rights and thinking, it questioned traditional ideas. It’s about freedom which played against the church
what ideas did the church spread
In France in 1789, the Church encouraged people to follow social orders and discouraged questioning authority, promoting obedience and loyalty.
what was the voting system in the estates general meeting
In the Estates-General, the voting system was each estate. had one vote, which meant the First and Second Estates could easily outvote the Third Estate in the estates general meeting which was unfair
what caused the food crisis in France
The food crisis that led to mass hunger was caused by a series of weather events. First, a massive hailstorm destroyed farmland, followed by a drought, a really cold winter, and finally a flood that ruined even more crops.
what’s the main source of royal income
direct land tax called taille witch the witch the first and second estates did not need to pay
give an example of a tax that the third estate had too pay but the second and first estates did not
direct land tax called taille
what were the effect that the bad weather (food crisis) in France
The price of bread rose significantly, making it so expensive that people could not afford other necessities. This led to factories losing business, resulting in job losses and contributing to riots and strikes.
What was the term Mirabeau coined for France’s out of date society?
Ancien regime
who was Jean Jaques Rousseau
Jean Jaques Rousseau’s works were banned by the government. He argued “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains”.
what did Denis Diderot do
. he wrote the Encyclopédie to challenge the Catholic Church.
. He defended Jean Calas who was wrongly accused of murder.
what was the complaint list
1789 a list of complaint which were then given to the estates general to be given to the king
what were the main things that people complaining about on the complaint list
. tax-free salt
. adjustment to the tithe
. be able to control the price of bread
. replace all taxes and fees at the town gate by
one single tax
. End mandatory military service for old
people and the ill of young
why did the third estate refuse to carry on the meeting in separate rooms in the Estate general
because that would mean that each estate had one vote, and they knew they did be beaten
what did the third estate suggest in the estates general and what did the first and second estates think of it
break the old voting system and join as a single “national assembly” the other two estates refused
when and where was the first estates general meeting
. 5th May 1789
. a large hall in Versailles
what happened on the 18th of June 1789
By the 18th of June the Louis XVI was losing control of the meeting as he refused to bend to the demands of the Third Estate. The First Estate (the clergy) and the Third Estate had formed an alliance.
what happened on the 19th of June 1789
On June 19, the First and Third Estates found themselves locked out of the Versailles meeting hall by armed guards. They moved to a nearby tennis court, where they swore an oath to not stop until how France was governed had changed.
what happened on the 23rd of June 1789
The king called the Estates back to a Royal Session on the 23rd of June and told them to split into separate estates, but the rebels said ‘we shall only leave at the point of bayonets’.
what happened on the 27th of June 1789
The King agreed to form the National Assembly on the 27th of June. now National Assembly would meet regularly, and they had much more power to affect government policy.
what happened on the 14th of July 1789
On July 14th, 1789, the people of Paris grew anxious about potential clashes between the king’s forces and protesters, prompting them to seek weapons. Rumours spread that the Bastille, an old fortress in eastern Paris, held a lot of gunpowder. and the storming of the bastille happened
why did people hate the bastille so much
The Bastille was widely despised as it housed individuals sent there by lettres de cachet and was associated with stories of mass torture, making it a powerful symbol of the oppressive monarchy.
why did the British politicians consider the storming of the bastille so serious
if the bastille falls and the people gets hold of gunpowder it could spark widespread rebellion
What was the term Mirabeau coined for France’s out of date society?
ancien regime
what was Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s personality like
. Louis XVI: indecisive and kind-hearted but
struggled with leadership,
. Marie Antoinette: extravagant and out of
touch.
why did Louis XVI not send his army to recapture the Bastille
his army would probably refuse order
what happened to the other towns and city after the Bastille got attacked and Paris went out of control
followed the example and copied what was happening in Paris
what was the happened when the when the violence spread to the countryside
gangs of wanderers started to form, and they would steal food and damage farms
what did the assembly form make in the early French revolution a (Declaration)
they formed the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”
consequences of the storming of the bastille
. The king loses control of Paris, where a new commune was set up to run the city.
. The peasantry around the country heard the news and started revolting.
. The power had now passed from Louis XVI to the National Assembly.
. nobles started to flee the country.
when where and why was the womans march to Versailles
when: 5th of October 1789 they marched over 6th of October 1789 the royal family was moved to Paris
where: at the kings palace in Versailles
why: complain of the breads high price and the extra soldiers in Versailles and paris
name 3 laws that the assembly made
. slavery in France is abolished
. Jews were given the same voting right as everyone else
. Noble titles were abolished
what were people’s idea of the reform of the church and what consequences did it bring
The debate over church reform created a division among people, leading to two opposing groups: those in favour of the reforms and those against them.
what why when and where was the flight to varennes
what: to flee to the nearest border line
why: escape to get help and take back their country
when: 21st June 1791
where: Paris to Austria
5 main points from the “Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizen”
1 Men are born free and remain free and equal in rights.
2 The power to rule comes from the whole nation.
3 The law should be the same for everyone.
4 Every man is innocent until he is declared guilty
5 Every citizen can talk, write and publish freely.
Who was Maximilien Robespierre?
A key leader in the French Revolution and a Jacobins also part of the Committee of Public Safety His belief that fear was needed to protect the revolution got him arrested and executed.
Why did the French revolutionaries decide to attack Austria?
because they sensed that Austria wants to attack them and take revenge for Marie Antoinette and restore the French monarchy
Why did revolutionaries attack the Tuileries Palace and what were the consequences?
to overthrow Louis XVI, leading to his arrest, the establishment of a republic, and increased violence
what happened to the royal family in Varennes
In Varennes, the royal family tried to escape to Austria but was captured
who wanted France to go to war and why and who didn’t and why
some French people wanted war so they could force Louis to show whose side he was on
some French people were afraid of war so did not want it
Louis and his supporters wanted war because they expected French to lose it
what happened on the attack of Austria
the Austrian easily beat of Frenches attack some people think its because of traitors
why did the assembly give people weapons and what were the consequences
so, the people could defend themselves but then the people just turned around and made situations worse
When did revolutionaries attack the Tuileries Palace
August 10th, 1792
what and when was the storming of the Tuileries
10th August 1792 where a bunch of French citizens marched to the Tuileries determined to dethrone Louis XVI
what happened to the royal family when Louis XVI was dethroned
they all got imprisoned
what new group was formed when Louis was dethroned
the convention and it’s the country’s new law-making body
when was Louis XVI dethroned
21st of September 1792
when was Louis XVI beheaded
21st of January 1793
who were the “sans culottes” and why are they called that
the people who overthrew Louis XVI they were called that because they refused to were “culottes” knee breeches
when did France become a republic
21st of September 1792
what happened in the first month of 1793 (not Louis exicution)
people were outraged by the execution of Louis XVI and countries throughout Europe joined forces against France and things did not go well
why was France experiencing shortages and inflations in 1793
inflation because they printed huge amount of money to fund the war so money lost value quickly and shortages because farmers were not selling grains for banknotes that was losing value
why was rebellion a problem in France 1793
Jacobins (a group of politicians) were mad at the Girondins (a group of politicians) for defeats on battle fields and letting the price of food to rise which led to civil conflict
what did the convention do to save France from falling
forming an emergency group called the committee of public safety
what was the law of suspect
allowed the arrest of anyone suspicious of opposing the revolution. This led to arresting and executing
what was the Reign of Terror
was a period of mass executions of perceived enemies of the revolution, led by the Jacobins and Maximilien Robespierre.
when did the Reign of Terror start and stop
(1793-1794)
why did people like the guillotine
because it was fast, efficient, torture free, less painful and humane
when was Marie Antoinette get executed
October 1793
how did the committee bring the food price under control
by setting price limits on essential goods with the Law of the Maximum who ever broke it would carry death penalty
what did the terror change for the church
The Terror weakened the Church in France by closing many churches. The government promoted ideas, reducing the church’s influence in society.
did the committee of public safety achieve what it set out for and what were the consequences
The Committee of Public Safety achieved some goals, like defending the revolution, but its violent methods caused fear and led to executions and imprisonments including its own members
why were people unhappy about the committee and what happened to them
because of its methods like mass arrests and executions which created the Reign of terror. Many members of the Committee of Public Safety, including Robespierre, faced arrest and execution.
when was Robespierre imprisoned and executed
Maximilien Robespierre was imprisoned on July 27, 1794, and executed the following day, July 28, 1794.
when was the law of suspect formed
September 1793
