French Revolution: Unit Review

Question 1

What are the 4 phases of the French Revolution?

Answer 1

1.National Assembly (1789-1791)
2.Legislative Assembly (1791-1792)
3.Convention (committee of Public Safety)/ Reign of Terror (1792-1795)
4.Directory (1795-1799)

Question 2

Choose either the Tennis Court Oath or the Storming of the Bastille and argue why that event STARTED the Revolution. (Explain what the event was and use specific reasoning why it was the beginning of the Rev.)

Answer 2

The storming of the Bastille started the revolution because the Bastille prison symbolizes Divine Right Absolutism, so when it was overthrown, it got rid of Divine Right Absolutism in France and gave power to the National Assembly. The National Assembly wanted gun powder so the man in charge (De Launey) tried to negotiate by saying they could have the gun powder if they didn’t harm anyone. The National Assembly agreed but ended up killing De Launey and a few others, they then put their heads on sticks and celebrated.

Question 3

Explain the makeup of the Three Estates (What is the name of each Estate and who is in each group and what burdens [if any] does each group have).

Answer 3

First Estate/Clergy-They were the higher members of the church including the archbishop, and other bishops. They had the right to be tried by their own courts and didn’t have to pay any taxes. They had no burdens. 1% of Frances population.

Second Estate/Nobility-People who owned most of the nation’s land, and members of the royal family, but not including the king. They could demand taxes from the peasants. They had no burdens. 1% of Frances population.

Third Estate/Everyone else-The remaining 98% of Frances population. Had to pay most of the taxes. Had no say in Frances government.

Question 4

Describe 3 causes of the French Revolution. Clearly explain how each contributed to the beginning of the revolution.

Answer 4

1.Estate System-The system was very unfair as the first and second estate did the least work, didn’t pay any taxes, and were treated well. Meanwhile, the third estate did the most work for the country, paid all the taxes, and were treated badly.

2.Food Shortage-Food prices got even more expensive than they already were, and the third class had to use all their money on food and had barley or non-money left for rent for all the other living expenses.

3.Monarchy/Divine Right Absolutism-If you questioned the monarchy, it was like questioning God, so no one dared to say anything against them. The king, Louis the XVI was very indecisive and self-centered while the queen, Marie Antoinette was very detached reality and Frances’s people. They both couldn’t take anything seriously.

Question 5

What was the Old Regime? What is rule by Divine Right Absolutism?

Answer 5

The Old Regime was a socio-political system that existed in France before 1789. It was rule by Divine Absolutism meaning the monarchy had absolute control over the government.

Question 6

Who was the pre-revolutionary society in France (answered in #5) most beneficial to? Why?

Answer 6

The pre-revolutionary society was the feudal system. The most beneficial to the system was the first and second estate because they didn’t pay any taxes. The third estate had the most burden because they paid all the taxes which they had trouble doing.

Question 7

Describe Louis XVI. What made him unsuitable as an absolute monarch?

Answer 7

Louis XVI used a lot of Frances money even though his country was already in debt. He used it for his own luxury clothes and foods and on the American Revolution. He was also very bad at making strong decisions and was very self-centered.

Question 8

Who was Marie Antoinette? What was her Nickname? Why was she not well liked?

Answer 8

Marie Antoinette was Louis XVI’s wife, which made her the queen. Her nickname was Madame Deficit (debt). She wasn’t liked well because she was from a rivaling country of France and she lacked education to rule. She also lacks discipline and struggles with the French language. Lastly, she would always retreat to her own castle and hold many parties but only invited people she liked, leaving out many nobles at Versailles.

Question 9

Provide 2 - 3 reasons why France was in debt.

Answer 9

1.Louis XVI gave money to the American Revolution.
2.Marie Antoinette gambled Frances’s money.
3.Only the third estate paid taxes and they struggled to pay them, so it was hard to reform taxes.

Question 10

What was the Estates General? Why did Louis XVI call it? Was it successful?

Answer 10

The Estates General was all the three estates brought together. Louis XVI called it because France was so close to boarding on bankruptcy that they need a plan to get more money, so they assembled all the estates together to vote for equal taxation. It was not successful as it would be unfair since the first and second estate would both choose to continue to not pay taxes, making the third estate completely drop out of the vote. Even if the third estate had double the number of votes than the first and second it would’ve been a tie.

Question 11

Describe who made up the National Assembly and what it was.

Answer 11

The third estate and parts of the first and second estate made up the National Assembly. It was made to act as the body of the French people.

Question 12

What was the “Tennis Court Oath”?

Answer 12

The tennis court was one of the key moments that set off the revolution because the National Assembly agreed to not disband or be disbanded into France has adopted a constitution. It is important because they no longer represent the king but the people of France.

Question 13

What was the Bastille? What was it a symbol of? How did it fall?

Answer 13

The Bastille was a prison that symbolized Divine Right Absolutism. It fell because the National assembly and supporters were angry and wanted gun powder. The man in charge of the barracks tried to negotiate and opened the gates but the National Assembly violently rushed in and killed Launay and took all the gun powder.

Question 14

What is the motto of the French Revolution, and what did each term signify?

Answer 14

Liberté: Freedom-Make your own decision and express oneself without fear.
Égalité: Equality-In law and some rules, status, rights, respect, opportunities, and privileged for all.
Fraternité: Fraternity- Community. A body of people that share a common interest or purpose. To work as a group.

Question 15

What was the Great Fear? Explain why it was significant (Think FEUDALISM).

Answer 15

The Great Fear was when peasants attacked feudalism. Noble homes were robbed and burned. Records of feudal dues and owed taxes were destroyed which got rid of the power nobles had over peasants. Many nobles fled from fear with the feudal papers.

Question 16

What/who are émigrés?

Answer 16

Many nobles fled the country due to fear during the Great Fear which became known as émigrés.

Question 17

What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man? Why was it significant?

Answer 17

The Declaration of the Rights of man is another example of transformation in France. People didn’t have rights or in a sense as individuals and have a political right. Now, with this Declaration, people do. The king no longer has the authority that comes from God.

Question 18

What was the “March of the Women”? Why did it happen, what were the results?

Answer 18

There was a grain shortage, so on October 5 10,000 women go to the king who controls the grain supply. 30 women talked with the king and solved the problem then left, but many remained because they wanted to harm Marie Antoinette because they hated her. The women did not find her but threatened to meet her the next day. When they did meet, the whole family came, and they were taken to the Tuileries Palace as they were put under house arrest where they could be watched.

Question 19

What was the Flight to Varennes? What silly/unnecessary things did they bring with them?

Answer 19

The Louis XVI and his family needed help from Austria since that was where Marie Antoinette was from. They hoped that with foreign help, the old regime could be restored in France. They bought many unnecessary things with them like three bodyguards, the governess, the queen’s hairdresser, jewelry, and two very expensive and noticeable vehicles which was a berlin and convertible.

Question 20

What privileges were taken away from the Clergy by the National Assembly constitution?

Answer 20

They swept away away both the higher rights of the Second Estate and the tithes (a 10% tax for the Church) collected by the First Estate.

Question 21

In the Legislative Assembly what side of the room did people sit on who wanted change and supported the revolution? On what side of the room did those who supported the monarchy and wanted little change sit?

Answer 21

The people who wanted change and supported the revolution sat on the left. The people who supported the monarchy and wanted little change sat on the right. The people who weren’t quite sure and wanted parts of both sat in the middle.

Question 22

What does “sans culottes” mean? Who were they?

Answer 22

The sans culottes where the Parisian working class, but they were not a political party they are a group. The group consisted of small shopkeepers, tradesmen and artisans. They were far-left thinkers (radicals) and strong supporters of the Revolution.

Question 23

What happened to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? What was the reason used to justify their eventual fate?

Answer 23

The National Convention put the royal couple on trial for treason and they were both guillotined, Louis XVI on January 21, 1793, and Marie Antoinette on October 16, 1793.

Question 24

Who were the Jacobins? What was their goal? Explain how they led the “Reign of Terror” and explain what made it so terrible.

Answer 24

The Jacobins were on the far left of the political party that would eventually come to dominate the Legislative Assembly. Robespierre and his supporters tried to wipe out every trace of Frances past monarchy and nobility. They make many reforms in France and kill roughly 40,000 people to the guillotine for any small act against the revolution.

Question 25

What was the guillotine? What was it’s nickname?

Answer 25

The guillotine was a way of execution where a blade was lifted them dropped on the neck, slicing the head off. It’s nickname was the “National Razor”.

Question 26

What was the Revolutionary Tribunal?

Answer 26

The Revolutionary Tribunal was the court system that was created for dealing with enemies of the revolution. 20,000-60,000 were executed and 300,000 were arrested.

Question 27

What was the Committee of Public Safety?

Answer 27

12 men were chosen from the National Convention to lead the struggle to protect the new French Republic. Robespierre was the head of the committee.

Question 28

Who was Marat? What happened to him? What was the result of this?

Answer 28

Jean Paul Marat was a great public speaker, essay writer, and journalist. He had a skin condition that had him living in his bathtub to survive but he still wrote many newspapers. In it he would write pro-revolutionary articles and eventually start publishing the names of those he thought were enemies of the Revolution. Eventually these lists would contain the names of the names of those people that should be executed of names a day would be published in his newspaper during this revolutionary period. He was then murdered in his bathtub by revenge of a girl who lost her family because of his newspapers.

Question 29

What was the “Thermidorian Reaction”, and how did it bring about an end to the Reign of Terror.

Answer 29

Robespierre gives a speech illustrating new plots and conspiracies. Many felt threatened by Robespierre, so the Convention arrested him. Robespierre was then tried and guillotined.

Question 30

What was the Directory, and why was it not effective?

Answer 30

With Robespierre’s Reign of Terror over the National Convention elected moderate men to lead the country. The five moderate men would now act together as a single body. They were entrusted to bring back peace, stability, and end wars but instead they suffered from corrupt and poor administration. The people grew frustrated.

Question 31

List 3 lasting results of the Revolution.

Answer 31

1.The monarchy was overthrown, and a constitution-based Republic was set up.
2.France was unified financially and legally.
3.Clergy privileges were eliminated, and freedom of worship and social equality strengthened Feudalism was abolished.

Question 32

Was the revolution successful? (In other words – was it worth it?) Provide three examples to support your answer.

Answer 32

In my opinion the revolution was successful as it got rid of all the harsh ways of living like unfair treatment, violence, and no right to have your own opinion. Even though there were many negative parts during the revolution, in the end, the results for the revolution starting were met. People had freedom of speech, everyone was treated the same, and citizens worked together as they felt they had a common background.