French Revolution

Question 1

Under which king did French absolutism reach its peak?

Answer 1

Louis XIV.

Question 2

Who served as regent to Louis XV?

Answer 2

Duke of Orleans

Question 3

To gain power as regent, who does the Duke of Orleans make a deal with?

Answer 3

Parlements

Question 4

What were the parlements?

Answer 4

Courts dominated by nobles that had the power to declare the laws or acts of the king valid or invalid.

Question 5

What was the deal that the Duke of Orleans made with the parlements?

Answer 5

He gave them more power in exchange for the right to serve as regent.

Question 6

Why was France left in financial trouble after the death of Louis XIV?

Answer 6

He was at war a lot during his reign (which is expensive).

He had a lavish lifestyle.

Question 7

How did Louis XV’s finance ministers propose to deal with the financial issues France faced?

Answer 7

They wanted to tax the entire French population (including the nobility and the clergy).

Question 8

How did the parlements feel about the new idea to tax the entire population?

Answer 8

They challenged this idea every time it was proposed and Louis the XV would back down.

Question 9

How was the French king during the time of the revolution?

Answer 9

Louis XVI–ruled from 1774-1792.

Question 10

Who was the wife of Louis XVI?

Answer 10

Marie Antoinette–princess from the Austrian empire.

Question 11

What was Louis XVI’s main goal when he was monarch?

Answer 11

He said “What I should like most is to be loved”.

Question 12

How did the common people perceive Louis XVI and his wife?

Answer 12

The common people believed he and his wife lived extravagantly and they had a negative perception of him.

Question 13

What was the number one problem for France under Louis XVI?

Answer 13

Money

Question 14

What made France’s money situation worse under Louis XVI?

Answer 14

He sent support to the American colonist fighting the British for independence.

Question 15

How did the French finance minister propose paying for France’s debts after the American Revolution?

Answer 15

He proposed taxing the land but this was a new kind of tax so the finance minister tried to gain the support of the Assembly of Notables.

Question 16

Who had to approve of any new tax in France?

Answer 16

The Estates General–a representative body that had not been called for some time–not used by previous monarchs because they didn’t want to share power with the nobles.

Question 17

What were the the 3 Estates in France?

Answer 17

1. Clergy
2. Nobility
3. Everyone else

Question 18

Who were included in the First Estate (clergy)?

Answer 18

Upper officials of the church who lived well and were not charged taxes.
Lower clergy who were more like the common people.
All together, they were still a very small percentage of the population.

Question 19

Who was included in the Second Estate?.

Answer 19

Nobility–small percentage of the population, most exempt from taxation.

Question 20

Who was included in the Third Estate?

Answer 20

Upper and lower classes and peasants. 
96% of the population
Includes upper middle class who had a lot of money but were frustrated at being treated as second class citizens.

Question 21

What was a major issue to resolve when the Estates General met?

Answer 21

Needed to resolve how they would vote.
In the past, each order (or estate) was given just one vote.
The Third Estate wanted each delegate to get a vote. (They also wanted more representatives since they represented so much of the population.)

Question 22

How does Louis XV try to resolve the dispute about how the Estates General votes on issues?

Answer 22

He said the 3rd estate could have twice as many delegates but he does not decide how they can vote.

Question 23

The Estates General met in May 1789–what were some of the things they wanted to discuss?

Answer 23

More equality
Regular calling of the Estates General
Basic freedoms of the press and speech
But they could not discuss anything because they couldn’t decide how to vote!