French Revolution Flashcards
Name and describe the make-up of the three estates within the Old Regime:
- ) First Estate: Roman Catholic Church;clergy officials
- ) Second Estate: nobles
- ) Third Estate: common people
The 3rd Estate was subdivided into three groups: Name and give a brief description of each:
- ) Burgeoisie - merchants, doctors, lawyers, etc.
- ) Artisans - skilled in a trade - lived in the city
- ) Peasants - farmers/city workers - labor
Why were the 1st and 2nd Estates opposed to the ideas of the Enlightenment?
They did not want changes in the old way.
What four factors led to the cause of the French Revolution?
- ) Inequalities of Society
- ) Enlightenment ideas of change.
- ) American Revolution (inspiration for their Revolution)
- ) Corruption of the French Kings
Give two reasons why the queen was unpopular in France:
- ) She was a foreigner
2. ) Spent Extravagant amounts of money
List the 2 causes of France’s financial crisis in 1789:
- ) Constant Wars for the past 100 years.
2. ) Extravagant spending of the monarchy.
What solution was proposed to the King by his advisors to solve this crisis?
Tax the first two estates
What was the Estates General? Why had it not been called for the last 175 years?
Representative assembly of the three estates. B/c France was a monarchy and didn’t need them.
What was the Tennis Court Oath?
An oath to not leave the indoor tennis court until they had written a constitution.
The French Revolution began with the storming of the —- which symbolized the tyranny of the French Revolution.
Bastille
Describe the Great Fear.
Rumors that the king had hired foreigners to punish the third estate so the peasants took matters into their own hands and burned/destroyed noble homes.
What document, which was patterned after the American Declaration, essentially swept the Old Regime away in France?
Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen.
What three words became the slogan of the French Revolution?
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
Describe the difference between an absolute monarchy and a constitutional monarchy
Absolute monarchy: King is in control
Constitutional monarchy: enlightened; King isn’t absolute
Name the three general groups that made up the Legislative Assembly and explain which type of government each group favored:
- ) Royalist - absolute monarchy
- ) Girondists - constitutional monarchy
- ) Jacobins - Republic
Why did the Austria and Prussia declare war on France in 1792?
They feared the revolutionary ideals will spread to their countries.
What was the turning point of the French Revolution
When the king and queen tried to flee the country again
Who were the jacobins and who became their leader?
3rd estate;Maximilien Robespierre
What was the ultimate fate of the king and queen of France?
They were executed
What form of execution did the French use during the Revolution?
Guillotine
During the period known as the —-, thousands of French people were executed for being enemies of the Revolution
Reign of Terror
What were the 2 goals/purposes of this period during the Revolution?
- ) An attempt to purge the country of all opposition to the Revolution.
- ) An attempt to stamp out religion.
What happened to French churches during this period?
All churches were closed and turned into “Temples of Reason”.
How did Napoleon Bonaparte come to power in France?
He overthrew the government with a coup d’état.
