French Revolution Flashcards
When did the revolution begin?
1879
Who were the King and Queen at the time of the revolution?
King Louis XVI
Queen Marie Antoinette
Monarch
Ruler of a country
Peasant
Labour - Poorest person
Nobles
Upper-class, aristocrats
Clergy
People who worked in the church
What is the definition of a revolution?
A big change over a small period of time
What was the Estates general?
It was a government of sorts
What are the three states?
– Clergy
– Nobles
– Commons
What is a storming?
Where a lot of people attack something all at once; they charge at it and destroyed to get in
What did the Commons Estate to do?
They broke away from the Estates general and went to the tennis courts at Versailles. They formed a new government called “National Assembly”
When did the storming of the Bastille take place?
July 14, 1879
Why did the people storm Bastille?
They stormed the Bastille because:
– It had an armoury full of weapons that the peasants could use
– Bastille Prisin was a symbol of the king and so they decided to destroy it
What did the peasants do to the Governor at Bastille?
They beheaded him
What was the difference between taxes of a peasant and a noble man?
Peasants had to pay tax to the king and the church whilst nobleman got away with tax evasion and some didn’t even have to pay tax!
What was the difference between work of a present and work of a nobleman?
Peasants had to do lots of hard work and got paid very little whereas, nobleman had to do very little work and got paid a lot of money
What was the difference between the homes of a peasant and that of a nobleman?
Peasants had very crowded, small and worn out houses (some lived in small apartments with big families) and nobleman lived in big mansions filled with riches and golds
What was the rain of terror?
All over France anyone suspected of being an enemy of the revolution were either imprisoned deported or executed. Over 40,000 people were executed.
Who led the reign of terror?
Maximilian Robespierre - a trained lawyer
How did the reign of terror end?
People started realising that the terror was getting out of control and Robespierre was to blame. He was executed after a failed suicide.
How are people executed?
They were executed using a guillotine
What class of people were killed the most?
The Working Class
What classes of people were killed?
The Nobles The Clergy The Upper/ Lower Middle Class The Working Class The Peasants
