test review for french Revolution Flashcards
What are the several classes of the people under the Old Regime?
The Three Estates:
- First
- Clergy
- Second
- Nobility
- Third
- Peasants, Bourgoisoie, and City workers
Describe the first estates
they were priveldged
high offices and exemptions from taxes
clergy owned 10 % of land in france. It also provided education and relief services to the poor. it contributed about 2 percent of its income to the government.
less than 1%
desribe the second estate
made up of rich nobles
they accounted for 2 percent of the population
the nobles owned 20 percent of land and paid almost no taxes.
the majority of the clergy and nobility scorned enlightment ideas as threats to status.
2 %
Describe the third estate
about 97 %
these three differed greatly in their economic conditions.
the bourgeoisie were bankers, factory owners, merchants, professionals, and skilled artisians. Often well-educated and believed strongly in enlightnement ideas of liberty and equality. they paid high taxes and lacked priveledges. they were entitiled to higher power.
the city workers were very poor and concered about price of bread
peasants form 80% of France’s total population. taxes in tithes, dues to land nobles, and taxes to king’s agents. resentful
Louis XVI
he was the cause of the revolution.
he inherited considerable debt from previous kings.
he borrowed heavily in order to help americans defeat the british monarch
doubled governments debt
Louis faced serious problems when government could not lend any more money.
louis had poor leadershop skills, less attention to advisers, and little patience for details of governing.
he procrastinatied spending money until he had practically no money left.
What is the estates general
Louis wanted to impose taxes on nobility.
the second estate forced him to call the Estates-General- an assembly of the reps from all three estates to approve it. In may 5, 1789.
each estate had one vote and first 2 estates could always outvote the third one.
this sparked national assembly.
Describe Louis VIII
he was Louis XVI’s brother and assumed the throne with this title. However the new king quickly became unpopular among subjects, especially the peasants. They suspected himof wanting to undo the Revolution’s landforms.
the news of louis troubles was all the incentive NApoleon needed to gain title of French empror once again.
Describe Danton
he was a Jacobin, a lawyer who was among the club’s most talented and passionate speakers.
He was known for devoting rights to poor French people.
Between 1793 and 1794, he wanted to end the reign of terror because it has achieved what it was supposed, now its getting out of hand.
he was guillotined because no one else was able to safely defend him.
Describe Horatio Nelson
In 1796, horatio nelson pinned down napoleon’s army and his naval forces, but napoleon got back to france before the news about his defeat did, so he remained popular.
In the battle of Trafalgar, Horatio defeats napolaeon, his most important battle (even though its defeat). It took place near griblatar. nelson was powerful commander, and he split the French fleet, capturing ships.
french defeat= it ensured supremacy of the British navy for 100 years.
forced napoleon to give up plans of defearing british. he looked for extravagant ways but failed.
Describe Robespierre
In 1793, he gains power and wanted to make a republic of virtue. he made the year of 12 months and 30 days, the metric system, and no sundays, because the church was dangerous and destroyed.
In july 1793, he led committe of public safety and led Reign of terror as a dictator, to protect Revolution from enemies. Remained true to the ideals of revolution. he killed those less radical than him.
In july 28, 1794, Robespierre is executed.
Describe Marat
He was a Jacobin called Jean-Paul Marat. During the Revolution, he edited a newspaper called L’Ami du people. In his editoriols, he called for the death of those who continued to support the king.
his writings stirred up the mood in France. he suffered from a painful skin diseases so he often bathed and wrote. In 1793, he died by charlotte corday.
napoleon
review my notes
Describe Alexander I during Napoleon’s reign
Napoleon’s most disastrous mistake came in 1812. even though Alexander I had become his ally,
he was the czar at the time of the invasion of Russia and defeated napoleonic forces during his invasion,
Describe duke of Wellington
around 1808, during the Penisula war to get the Spanish accept the continental system, the French invaded spain, but were defeated by the spanish guerillas and the British forces, led by Wellington, weakening France.
In 1815, Wellington led the British battle of of Waterloo, but the the British and PRussian defeated together the French.
