Key individuals Flashcards
King Louis XVI
- Who was he?
- King of France from 1774 to 1792 and the last monarch before the French Revolution.
- Significance:
- His inability to manage France’s financial crisis and social unrest contributed to the fall of the monarchy.
- Executed in 1793 after being convicted of treason.
Marie-Antoinette
- Who was she?
- Queen of France, wife of Louis XVI, and originally an Austrian archduchess.
- Significance:
- Symbol of royal excess, her lavish lifestyle fueled public resentment.
- Executed in 1793 during the Reign of Terror after the fall of the monarchy.
Voltaire
Who was he?
* French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher.
* Significance:
* Believed humans were rational beings that should think for themselves and question institutions
* His writings, including Candide, were critical of the Church and monarchy, influencing revolutionary thought.
de Brienne
- Who was he?
- Archbishop of Toulouse and Finance Minister under Louis XVI.
- Significance:
- Tried to reform France’s financial system but failed, exacerbating the economic crisis that led to the Revolution.
Calonne
- Who was he?
- Finance Minister of France from 1783 to 1787.
- Significance:
- Proposed significant fiscal reforms, including increasing taille & stamp duty
Removing internal customs creating free trade - His inability to solve the financial crisis contributed to the Revolution.
Diderot
Who was he?
* French philosopher, writer, and art critic.
* Significance:
* Co-founder and editor of the Encyclopédie, a major work of the Enlightenment that spread revolutionary ideas about politics, science, and society. Promoting education allowing people to think for themselves
Lafayette
- Who was he?
- French nobleman and military officer who fought in both the American and French Revolutions.
- Significance:
- Played a crucial role in drafting the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
- Championed constitutional monarchy and was a key figure during the early French Revolution.
Mirabeau
- Who was he?
- French revolutionary and statesman.
- Significance:
- A prominent orator, he worked to moderate the Revolution and maintain constitutional monarchy.
- Influenced key events of the early Revolution before his death in 1791.
Thomas Paine
- Who was he?
- English-born political activist and writer.
- Significance:
- His works, including Common Sense and The Rights of Man, advocated for republicanism and democratic government.
- Played a significant role in both the American and French Revolutions, promoting Enlightenment values of liberty and equality.
Necker
- Who was he?
- Finance Minister for Louis XVI.
- Significance:
Reducing royal expenses
Transparency in finances
Removing venal officers
Compete Rendue
d’Orléans
- Who was he?
- French noble and cousin of Louis XVI, also known as “Philippe Égalité”.
- Significance:
- Supported the Revolution and voted for the execution of Louis XVI, despite being of royal blood.
- Executed during the Reign of Terror in 1793.
Rousseau
- Who was he?
- Swiss-born French philosopher and writer.
- Significance:
Social contract: people give the govt. their power so they should govern for the people
Montesquieu
- Who was he?
- French political philosopher.
- Significance:
- Believed in the separation of the legislature, executive, and judicial
Abbé Sieyès
- Who was he?
- French clergyman and political writer.
- Significance:
- His pamphlet What is the Third Estate? helped galvanise the early stages of the French Revolution by calling for greater representation for the common people.
- Played a key role in the formation of the National Assembly.
Charles Talleyrand-Périgord
- Who was he?
- French diplomat and politician.
- Significance:
- Served under several regimes, including Louis XVI, the Revolutionary government, Napoleon, and the Bourbon restoration.
- Helped shape French foreign policy, particularly during the Congress of Vienna.
