French Revolution 1848 Flashcards
What were the long-term causes of the French Revolution?
Inequality among estates, Enlightenment ideas, economic crisis, and an ineffective monarchy.
What was the Estates-General and why was it important in 1789?
It was the representative assembly of the three estates. Its calling in 1789 led to the formation of the National Assembly and the start of the revolution.
What was the significance of the Storming of the Bastille?
It symbolized the collapse of royal authority and the people’s uprising against tyranny on July 14, 1789.
What did the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen state?
It asserted equality before the law, freedom of speech, and the right to property and resistance to oppression.
Why was King Louis XVI executed?
He was convicted of treason after trying to flee and conspiring with foreign powers against France.
What was the Reign of Terror?
A period (1793–1794) led by Robespierre where thousands were executed for suspected anti-revolutionary activities.
Who was Maximilien Robespierre?
Leader of the Jacobins, architect of the Reign of Terror, and a key figure until his execution in 1794.
How did Napoleon come to power?
He seized power in a coup in 1799, ending the French Revolution and beginning the Consulate.
What was the social situation in France leading up to the 1848 revolution?
There was growing unrest due to economic hardship, unemployment, and dissatisfaction among the working class and middle class with the July Monarchy.
Who was the king of France at the time of the 1848 revolution?
King Louis-Philippe.
Why was King Louis-Philippe unpopular by 1848?
He was seen as corrupt, ignored calls for reform, and failed to address economic and social grievances.
What type of monarchy did Louis-Philippe lead?
A constitutional monarchy known as the July Monarchy.
Which classes supported the 1848 revolution in France?
Both the working class and the middle class initially supported it.
What role did the ‘banquets’ play in the 1848 revolution?
Banquets were political meetings disguised as social events where reformers discussed ideas; banning them sparked protests.
What happened when the government banned a banquet in February 1848?
It led to mass protests and ultimately the outbreak of the revolution.
What was the outcome of the February 1848 revolution in France?
King Louis-Philippe abdicated and fled to England.
What government replaced Louis-Philippe after the February Revolution?
The Second Republic.
Who was elected as President of the Second Republic in December 1848?
Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (nephew of Napoleon I).
Why did the revolution of 1848 in France lead to further unrest later in the year?
Class tensions grew as the middle class and conservatives dominated the government, alienating the working class.
What were the ‘National Workshops’?
Government-run work programs created to address unemployment, which became very expensive.
Why were the National Workshops shut down?
They were too costly and seen as a threat by conservatives and moderates.
What was the June Days Uprising?
A workers’ revolt in response to the closure of National Workshops.
What was the result of the June Days Uprising?
It was brutally suppressed by the army, showing the class divide in France.
