The End of the Ancien Regime and the Constitutional Monarchy Flashcards

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1
Q

When did the Estates-General begin?

A

May 1789

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2
Q

When was the National Assembly formed?

A

17th June 1789

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3
Q

When did the Clergy join the National Assembly?

A

19th June 1789

Two days after its establishment

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4
Q

When was the Tennis Court Oath?

A

20th June 1789

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5
Q

What did the National Assembly promise never to disband until?

A

France had a new constitution.

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6
Q

When did the King recognise the National Assembly and permit voting by head?

A

27th June 1789, having declared it null and void at the seance royale on the 23rd June

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7
Q

Why was the King still not trusted despite recognising the National Assembly?

A

Rumours of plots to arrest deputies
30,000 troops stationed in and around Paris
Replacement of Necker with conservative Breteuil

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8
Q

What did the Parisian electors do on the 13th July 1789?

A

Set up the Commune to take control of the city following the breakdown of law and order.
Organised the establishment of a National Guard to police the city and protect Parisians from any action by the King

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9
Q

When was the Bastille stormed?

A

14th July 1789

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10
Q

When was the Great Fear?

A

July - August 1789

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11
Q

What happened in the Great Fear?

A

Peasants refused to pay tax
Peasants attacked homes of landlords
Grain stores looted

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12
Q

When did the National Assembly abolish feudal rights?

A

August 1789 - subsequently followed by the August Decrees

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13
Q

Why did the National Assembly abolish feudal rights?

A

To appease the peasants and prevent further rural disorder
To ensure that the peasants paid their state taxes
To further Enlightenment values

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14
Q

When was the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen” passed into law?

A

August 1789

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15
Q

What did the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen” do?

A

Summarised the revolutionaries ideals (L / E / F)
Provided a framework for the details of a new constitution
Promoted freedom of worship, expression and property ownership
Stated the power rested with the people

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16
Q

What happened during “The October Days”?

A

6000-7000 women marched from Paris to Versailles to confront the King, forcing him to accept the August Decrees and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.

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17
Q

Why were peasants across France suffering?

A

Bad harvest of 1788

Depression in the textile industry

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18
Q

Why were the August Decrees significant?

A

Ended noble power, abolishing venality and tax privileges
Committed the majority of the peasants to the new regime
Cleared the way for a national, uniform system of administration

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19
Q

Why did the National Assembly try to change the Church?

A

Associated with the Ancien Regime

Prospect of financial gain

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20
Q

Changes to the Church prior to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy

A

All church property nationalised (November 1789)

Anticipated that it would raise 400 million livres

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21
Q

When was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy passed into law?

A

12th July 1790

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22
Q

What did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy stipulate?

A

Reorganised the administrative structure of the Church
Bishops and priests were to be elected
Clergy would become paid state officials

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23
Q

Significance of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

A

Made the Church subservient to the state

eg. Oath

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24
Q

When did the King accept the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

A

December 1790

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25
Q

When did the Assembly decree the oath to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

A

November 1790

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26
Q

Impact of Church reforms

A

Large numbers of clergy fled abroad

Destroyed national unity, leading to counter-revolution and civil war

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27
Q

When did the King accept the Constitution of 1791?

A

September 1791

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28
Q

Features of the Constitution of 1791

A

Replaced an absolute monarchy with a constitutional one
Formed the Legislative Assembly, with elections every two years, creating a separation of powers (like USA)
King granted suspensory veto (everyone but taxation and constitutional matters)
King retains right to have his own cabinet of ministers
King now “King of the French”, rather than “King of France”

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29
Q

Conditions to be an active citizen

A

Male
Older than 25
Paid direct taxes equal to three days’ labour

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30
Q

What powers did the Constitution of 1791 grant the Assembly?

A

Make laws
Collect taxes
Decide on issues of war and peace

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31
Q

What powers did the Constitution of 1791 grant the King?

A

Appoint ministers

Suspensory veto

32
Q

What was the motivation behind administrative reform?

A

Decentralisation to prevent return too monarchial absolutism.

33
Q

Legal reforms of the Constitutional Monarchy

A

Tribunal de cassation - highest court in France
Justices of the Peace heard minor civil cases in each canton
Justice made cheaper, fairer, and more accessible - one of the most enlightened judicial systems in Europe
Standardised the legal system throughout France
Abolished the lettres de cachet

34
Q

Tax reforms of the Constitutional Monarchy

A
Centred around:
Land tax (contribution fonciere)
Commercial tax (the patente)
Abolished taxes from the ancien regime
Abolished tax farming
35
Q

What was the “Le Chapelier” law? (June 1791)

A

Forbid workers’ strikes and unions.

36
Q

Who benefitted most from the social changes of the Assembly?

A

The bourgeoise
August Decrees
Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
Le Chapelier Law

37
Q

What was the Feuillant Club?

A

Moderate wing of the Jacobins which broke away in July 1791 after Jacobins adopted a more radical position.

38
Q

Significance of clubs

A

Large membership
Diverse membership
Provided a platform for propaganda
Delivered petitions to the Assembly

39
Q

When was the flight to Varennes?

A

20/21 June 1791

40
Q

Where was the royal family first spotted?

A

Sainte-Menehould

41
Q

Who recognised the royal family?

A

Drouet

42
Q

What did the Assembly decide to impose upon Louis in response to his flight to Varennes.

A

A temporary suspension

43
Q

Significance of flight to Varennes

A

Showed how out of touch Louis was regarding the popularity of the Revolution.
Undermined constitution
Deepened political and social divisions
Spread calls for removal of King

44
Q

When was the Champ de Mars massacre?

A

17th July 1791

45
Q

How many people were killed at the Champs de Mars massacre?

A

50

46
Q

Significance of Champ de Mars massacre?

A

Radicals perceived it to be a betrayal of the Revolution by the moderates.
Convinced radicals that the revolution would only be enforced if driven by hard-liners, rather than moderates.

47
Q

When was the Declaration of Pillnitz issued, and by whom?

A

August 1791
Emperor Leopold II of Austria
Frederick-William III of Prussia

48
Q

What did the Declaration of Pillnitz state?

A

They were ready to use force to restore royal power in France.

49
Q

When did the Legislative Assembly first meet?

A

1st October 1791

50
Q

What did the Legislative Assembly do in its first meeting, and why were these measures rendered worthless?

A

Threatened seizure of emigre property unless they retuned before 1792
Demanded refractory priests take the oath of loyalty

Louis used his suspensory veto
Linked the monarchy with counter-revolutionaries

51
Q

Club in favour of war with Prussia and Austria?

A

Girondins
Argued that a successful conflict would rouse enthusiasm for the Revolution, showing the permanence of the new regime, and allow France to extend its revolutionary ideals abroad

52
Q

When was war declared and by whom?

A

20th April 1792 by France

53
Q

Who were the sans-culottes?

A

Working-class supporters of the political left wing.

54
Q

When was “La patrie en danger” issued, and in response to what?

A

11th July 1792, in response to French defeats in the war

55
Q

When was the Brunswick manifesto written?

A

July 1792

56
Q

What did the Brunswick manifesto reiterate?

A

Prussia and Austria’s support for the French monarchy.

57
Q

How many sans-culottes participated in the August Journee?

A

20,000

58
Q

When was the August Journee?

A

10th August 1792

59
Q

Events of the August Journee

A
Tuileries stormed
Swiss Guards massacred
King removed by Paris Commune
Distinction between active and passive citizens abandoned
Election of a Convention promised
60
Q

Who was made Minister of Justice following the August Journee?

A

Georges Danton

61
Q

Policies implemented by Danton

A

All laws on which the King had exercised the suspensory veto would immediately come into force.
Special tribunal set up on 17th August 1792 to prosecute traitors.
Refractory priests given two weeks to leave France or face deportation.
Compensation to former signerurs cancelled.

62
Q

What were the September Massacres?

A

Between 1,000 - 1,500 prisoners in Parisian jails killed by the sans-culottes, who feared counter-revolution with the Austrian/Prussian forces closing in on Paris.

63
Q

Outcomes of the September massacres

A

Confirmed fears of the moderates about the militancy of the sans-culottes.
Increased the divide between the Girondins and Jacobins, with the former blaming the latter for inciting this violent behaviour.
Showed the power of the Assembly to be weak
Increased the popularity of Danton and Robespierre

64
Q

Results of the National Convention elections in Paris

A

No Girondin candidates elected, due to their hostility towards the Commune and the actions of the sans-culottes.
Lots of support for Robespierre and Danton.

65
Q

Results of the National Convention outside of Paris

A

Seats split between Jacobins, Girondins and “the Plain”, unaffiliated deputies.

66
Q

When was the first meeting of the National Convention?

A

20th September 1792

67
Q

How did the National Assembly try to reform France in order to establish a constitutional monarchy?

A
Church
Political
Legal
Administrative
Social
68
Q

Example of church reforms of the National Assembly?

A

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

69
Q

Example of political reforms of the National Assembly?

A

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

70
Q

Example of social reforms of the National Assembly?

A

August Decrees
Active / passive citizenship
Le Chapelier law

71
Q

What caused the Great Fear?

A

Rumours of an “aristocratic conspiracy” by the King and the privileged to overthrow the 3rd estate

72
Q

What formally abolished feudalism?

A

The August Decrees

73
Q

Why didn’t the King immediately accept the Civil Constitution of the Clergy

A

He said that he needed ‘official word from Rome’ before doing so

74
Q

Date and result of the oath of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy

A

January 1791

50/50

75
Q

Significance of the storming of the Bastille

A

Showed that the King had lost control of Paris
Allowed the Assembly to draw up the new constitution, no longer under threat of being dissolved by the King
Louis no longer in a position to dictate the Assembly having lost the support of the Army
Led to the emigration of many nobles - 20,000 in two months - e.g Comte d’Artois