French Revolution/napoleon Flashcards
Louis XVI
really weak king that the first French Revolution overthrew. Very indecisive and called in estates general
Queen Marie Antoinette
Wife to Louis XVI, was Austrian and lived very lavishly upsetting many French people
Seven years war
Fought mainly by France vs British but started with Austria (+France, russia) against Prussia (British) over land. Brits won.
Marquis de Lafayette
French General that fought with America and in revolution wrote the declaration of man and citizen. Remained loyal to Louis in first part of revolution, wanting a constitutional monarchy, head of national guard in paris and escorted king out of Versailles.
Old regime
Estate 1: clergy, no taxes
2: Nobles, no taxes
3: people (peasant, merchants and bourgeois), Taxes
Each had 1 vote so people always lost.
Bourgeois
Upper middle class of France, not with nobles but could technically become one. Still had to pay taxes.
Charles de Calonne
Controlled finances for the king, his inability to create reform led to governmental crisis.
Estates General
Meeting with all three estates. Hadn’t been called for over 100 years till louis XVI called it to fix finance problems.
National Assembly
Meeting of 3rd estate after 1/2 kicked them out (tennis court oath) were they created the new constitution
Abbe Sieyes
Wrote, “What is the 3rd estate”. Basically saying that we have most of the people, but no say so we should have a constitutional monarchy were we have say.
Olympe de Gouges
Wrote, “ Declaration of the rights of Woman and the Female Citizen” arguing for women to be equal and have say
Tennis court oath
After 1 and 2 locked 3rd out of estates general, went to nearby tennis court and vowed to create new constitution
Fall of the bastille
1789, peasant and bourgeois attack bastille kill the Marquis de Launay, put his head on a spike and free 15 prisoners. Went to steal weapons and gunpowder against nobles. Showed the fall of despotism
Great fear
1789, Peasants started revolting spread out of paris into countryside. Many were scared of what was happening and wanted change to fight for land. This fear was wildfire and many believed that king supported peasants taking land because he wasn’t doing anything.
National convention
Call by radical Parisians to suspend monarchy, take king and create new government based on male suffrage. Was new government after paris commune took control (sans culottes), established republic led by two parties (radicals in paris and rural). Led at first by George Danton. Convention and commune split after killing king in 1793, start of counter revolt.
Committee of public safety
Created by convention to deal with foreign powers and lead gov’t, lead by Danton then Robespierre. Created the people’s army
Reign of terror
1793-94, A series of massacre under Robespierre and radicals, was a revolutionary fervor to kill all nobles and royalistes. Lots of guillotine but also canons and drowning.
Sans culottes
A very radical group of middle class men that helped led a lot of the reign of terror and took over gov’t.
George Danton
Leader of national convention was the minister of justice and helped kill lots of royalists, died by guillotine.
Constitution of 1791
New gov’t with limited monarchy and legislative powers to National Assembly
Girondins
French political party in national convention that was rural and didn’t want to kill king
The mountain
Political party in convention that was radical, killed king and mostly in paris
Robespierre
Very radical, led a lot of the killings in le terreur and was guillotined for being to radical.
De-christianisation
Move by new republic gov’t and radicals to to take religion out and created new un religious calendar, but backfired as most people still catholic
Toussaint l’ouverture
In saint Dominque a French colony (now Haiti), led slave revolt that succeeded, then napoleon took over but they won again and secured freedom. He led first revolt and was head of gov’t for a while.
Napoleon Bonaparte
From Corsica a French Island, moved up through the military gaining power through his way with people and military genius. Become the consult head of the French Republic then crowned himself emperor.
Coup of 1799
Overthrew the directory led by Napoleon as was seen as not really doing anything. Created the consulate.
Autocracy
One person in absolute power, a dictator. What napoleon became
Consulate 1799
Was the new top of the government with Napoleon has head. Was in between the revolution and Napoleon’s empire.
Concordat of 1801
Agreement between Napoleon and the pope. Brought Catholicism back to France but not as a state church and allowed religious toleration.
Napoleonic code of laws
Government reforms, uniform legal system, abolish serfdom, meritocracy and takes away women’s rights. Was spread to places Napoleon conquered and spread liberal ideas and reforms.
Continental system
Started by Napoleon, not allowing British goods into Europe to try and hurt their economy. Didn’t work as allies resented this and didn’t follow it, also because Britain traded with the americas.
Napoleonic wars
The first, 2nd, and 3rd coalitions (Prussia, Austria, Russia and Britain) against Napoleon. Napoleon won land, signing peace treaties with Austria and the others. Britain was the biggest problem that napoleon could never beat and helped lead to his downfall.
