Key People

Question 1

Louis XVI

Answer 1

King of France from 1774 to 1793 born as an absolute monarch with total power and control ending with the monarch. Executed in 1793 after the attack on the Tuilleres and pressure from the Flight to Varenne and Brunswick manifesto.

Question 2

Marie Antoinette

Answer 2

Wife of Louis and known for her extravagant life style. Enjoyed lavish parties and betting. She was heavily involved in the Austrian Committee with her active support for war weakening the position of the monarchy.

Question 3

Turgot

Answer 3

Controller General from 1774-76, key reforms:
- cutting royal expenditure
- Reforms to make tax efficient
- Reform custom duties
Opposed French Involvement in the American War,

Question 4

Calonne

Answer 4

Controller general of France from 1783-87. France was on the realm of Bankruptcy and reforms included:

• Land Tax
• Stamp Tax Duty
• Tax on Landowners

Question 5

Brienne

Answer 5

Controller General who presented his economic and social reforms to the Paris Parlement:

• end venal offices
• new treasury
• education reforms
• codify the constitution

Question 6

Necker

Answer 6

Controller General of France from 1777-1781 and then between 1788- 1789. Dealing with early financial reform:

• reducing royal spending
• salaries rather than venal offices
• remove vingrieme on industry

Calling of the Estates General and manage the Kings agenda.

Question 7

Voltaire

Answer 7

Enlightenment writer who believed in freedom of expression, freedom of religion but a separation of the Church from state. Well known for attacking the dogma of the Catholic church and was influential to many of the bourgeoisie revolutionaries

Question 8

Montesquieu

Answer 8

French lawyer and enlightenment writer who articulated the theory of separation of power in which the state is separated in branches of separate and responsible government with independent powers.

Question 9

Rousseau

Answer 9

A very influential thinker and enlightenment writer who wrote about the power of government and attacked autocratic monarchies:
• Argues for a civil society where people are empowered to decide upon the state of their own morality.
• Argued that the General Will of the people should be represented in government

Question 10

Abbe Sieyes

Answer 10

Sieyes was influential in the revolution from 1789 through to Napoloen being named as the First Counsul.
• What is the Third Estate in 1789
• Drew up the reforms of the National Assembly and the new constitution
• Fled during the terror
• Became a member of the Directory
• Rose up against the directors in the Coup of Prairal
• Overthrow constitution in Coup of Brumaire
• Oversaw Napoleon accession to First Consul and Emperor

Question 11

Reveillon

Answer 11

Wall paper manufacturer who advocated that the de-regulation of the bread market would allow for lower prices enabling better business and reducing poverty. However, when he lowered the wages in his factory Parisians spoke out against him and attacked his family.

Question 12

Duc d Orleans

Answer 12

The owner of the Palais Royal which became the headquarters of the popular movement in he early revolutionary period where enlightenment thinkers advocated there reforms and influential people met to discuss issues.
Call to arms made here following the position of troops in Paris which they believed would come to threaten the position of the newly formed national assembly

Question 13

Bailly

Answer 13

A political leader in the early part of the revolution, he presided over the Tennis Court Oath and was the Mayor of Paris from 1789-1791. He was killed during the reign of terror.

Question 14

Lafayette

Answer 14

A commander of the National Guard. Prominent role in the end of the constitutional monarchy and the political negotiations. He was a relative moderate. He escorted the royal family during the October Days and was widely criticised during the Champs de Mars massacre.

Question 15

Pope Pius VI

Answer 15

The pope from 1775- 1779. He opposed the French revolution due to the suppression of the Catholic Church. The Pope was most influential in his opposition to the CCC, which led to the creation of the two churches of the French states- refractionary and constitutional.
He was expelled from the Papal States by French troops

Question 16

Robespierre

Answer 16

Radical Jacobin who was the leading member of the Committee on Public Safety. Ally of the Sans-Culottes and supporter of the Republic. He was an administrator of the terror in order to protect what he was as the values of the Republic and sovereignty of the people. Killed during the Coup of Thermidor.

Question 17

Comte de Mirabeau

Answer 17

Leader during the early stages of the French revolution. Favored a constitutional monarchy and opposed the increased powers of the sans-culottes and increasingly radical government.

Question 18

Drouet

Answer 18

French politician of the 1789 revolution who was heavily involved in

Question 19

Leopold II

Answer 19

Ruler of the Habsburg empire who supported the liberal causes of the Revolution as he believed that it would weaken the French threat against his own nation.

Question 20

Frederick William of Prussia

Answer 20

King of Prussia during his reign his country was weakened both internally and externally by the French Revolution. He opposed the enlightenment ideas.

Question 21

Duke of Brunswick

Answer 21

Commander of the Prussian Army whose manifesto through the French monarchy into crisis as it looked as if the monarchy was plotting with the Prussians to try and overthrow the revolution. Manifesto demanded the safety of the royals and a restoration of SOME powers

Question 22

Petion

Answer 22

French writer and politician who served as the second Mayor of Paris from 1791 to 1792. Deputy of the Estates General and National Assembly. Fierce republican who hated the old system of monarchy.

Question 23

Dumouriez

Answer 23

French general during the revolutionary wars. A key player in the Battle of Valmy which saw the French defeat the Prussians. He would go on to betray France and plot with Austria.

Question 24

Carnot

Answer 24

Member of both the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention. He had great military skill and when he joined the Committee of Public Safety he was given the task of reforming the army which led to victories against the Austrians.

Question 25

Charlotte Corday

Answer 25

A young royalist who murdered the Republican Marrat.

Question 26

Brissot

Answer 26

Leading member of the Girondin group who supported the calls for war in order to spread revolutionary ideas.

Question 27

Desmoulins

Answer 27

A revolutionary speaker and journalist who became secretary general under Danton. As more and more people were killed in the Terror he wanted to end it. Favored a republic.

Question 28

Danton

Answer 28

President of the Cordellier club, administrator of Paris in 1791, Minister of Justice 1792. Deputy of the Convention. Large revolutionary following and wanted to end the terror and the war.

Question 29

Hebert

Answer 29

Campaigned for revolutionary and wrote a revolutionary news paper. Attacked the monarchy and was a strong atheist who argued against the dogma of the Church.

Question 30

Marat

Answer 30

Head of the popular movement and key writer and delegate to the convention. Wanted to abolish the monarchy and hated privilege and seen as a key spokesman of the third estate.