The French Revolution

Question 1

What were the causes of the French Revolution?

Answer 1

~France’s absolute monarchy: Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were unpopular due to their extravagant lifestyle, whilst French people were living terribly

~The Enlightenment: Criticised ‘ancien regime’ and spread their ideas using newspapers and pamphlets.

~Social divisions in France: Third Estate were unhappy that they were paying all the taxes, yet having no say in the economy

~Inspiration of the American Revolution

Question 2

What was an absolute monarch?

Answer 2

When someone has total control over a country and claimed he had a God-given right to rule, so he could do as he pleased

Question 3

What was the Enlightenment?

Answer 3

A movement of thinkers who valued reason and science above faith or authority as a basis of society

Question 4

Briefly explain the social divisions in France

Answer 4

First Estate: clergy, did not pay taxes

Second Estate: Nobility, did not pay taxes

Third Estate: Everyone else (well-off doctors to poor peasants), majority of population, did pay taxes like a taille

Question 5

What was the Estates General?

Answer 5

A kind of French parliament that was made up of three parts, each representing one of the three estates.

Question 6

When did the Estates General meet and how long had it been since they met?
What were they deciding?
What did each part want?

Answer 6

5 May 1789, since 1614
They were deciding how voting should work
The First and Second Estate wanted one vote for each estate so they could combine to outvote the Third Estate.
The Third Estate wanted one vote per member do that they could outvote the other Estates

Question 7

What did the Third Estate after waiting for a decision to be made during the Estates General meeting?

Answer 7

They got fed up and decided that they represented French people now and were called the National Assembly.

Question 8

What was the Tennis Court Oath?

Answer 8

It was the oath taken on the Versailles tennis courts, by the National Assembly, after they had been locked out of the meeting room with the Estates General.

They swore that they would stay together until a constitution had been written up

Question 9

What caused the Storming of the Bastille?

Answer 9

Tensions were rising due to high food prices and shortages

Question 10

What was the Storming of the Bastille and when did it occur?

Answer 10

14 July 1789
A large angry crowd attacked Bastille prison in Paris.
They did this as it symbolised the power of the ancien regime and the King.
The governor was captured and beaten to death

Question 11

Who were the sans-culottes and why were they important?

Answer 11

They were a mob in Paris
They continued to demand radical changes over the following years

Question 12

What did the National Assembly do after the Storming of the Bastille?

Answer 12

They passed many reforms:
~They abolished the feudal system, making everyone in France a citizen

~They passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in August 1789

~They passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Question 13

What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?

Answer 13

It declared that all men are born free and equal, all citizens have the right to liberty, property and security, everyone has freedom to speak, write and print what they want.

Question 14

What was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

Answer 14

Abolished tithes, seized all Church property, required all clergy to take an oath of loyalty to the revolution and removed the pope’s power over the French Church

Question 15

What was the slogan of the French Revolution?

Answer 15

Liberté, égalité, Fraternité

Question 16

When was France declared a republic and by who?

Answer 16

September 1792, by the National Convention

Question 17

When did Louis XVI die, and for what reason?

Answer 17

January 1793 by guillotine, for treason

Question 18

Committee of Public Safety:
-When was it set up?
-What were its aims?
-Who was its president?

Answer 18

-April 1793
-To save the revolution and destroy its enemies
-Robespierre

Question 19

What problems did the Committee of Public Safety face?
What was launched as a result of this?

Answer 19

-upper classes opposed the revolution
-Violent opposition to the revolution broke out in the Vendeé region
-Food prices continued to rise

Reign of Terror

Question 20

What did the Reign of Terror include?

Answer 20

1. Law of Suspects passed to punish anybody even suspected of betraying the revolution.
2. The rebellion in Vendeé was put down violently, killing nearly 250,000
3. Mass enlistment in the army to outnumber opponents and save the revolution from external threats
4. The Law of Maximum controlled rising prices for food and other goods. Harsh punishments were used on those found overcharging a citizen

Question 21

How did Robespierre die?

Answer 21

He was arrested and executed on 27 July 1794, due to him intensifying the Reign of Terror once all immediate danger had passed.

Question 22

What were the results of the French Revolution?

Answer 22

~Rise of Napoleon

~Spread of the revolution’s ideals: France’s slogan spread to other European countries and more people wanted a democracy. Power of monarchs was reduced

~Rise of the middle class and armies

~Impact of Ireland: inspired Irishmen to fight for the liberty of Ireland and caused one group to stage a revolution in 1798 (United Irishmen)

Question 23

How was the rise of middle class and armies a result of the French Revolution?

Answer 23

Nobility was reduced, as the middle class gained more political power. This was due to how European countries saw how successful the Revolution was and copied them