U7- Vive la Revolution!

Question 1

What is the Old Regime?

Answer 1

The political and social system in France before the French Revolution, characterized by a rigid class structure (the Three Estates) and the absolute power of the monarchy.

Question 2

What are the Three Estates?

Answer 2

A hierarchical social structure in pre-revolutionary France consisting of the First Estate (clergy), Second Estate (nobility), and Third Estate (commoners).

Question 3

What is the First Estate?

Answer 3

The clergy, which enjoyed privileges and was exempt from taxes.

Question 4

What is the Second Estate?

Answer 4

The nobility, which also had exemptions from taxes and enjoyed significant social and political privileges.

Question 5

What is the Third Estate?

Answer 5

The commoners (peasants, workers, and the bourgeoisie), who bore the brunt of taxes and had few political rights.

Question 6

What is social and economic inequality in the Old Regime?

Answer 6

The deep disparity where the First and Second Estates enjoyed privileges, while the Third Estate was burdened with high taxes and had limited political influence.

Question 7

What were the economic crises leading to the French Revolution?

Answer 7

Economic hardships including bread shortages and high taxes imposed on the common people to finance the monarchy’s spending.

Question 8

What is an absolutist monarchy?

Answer 8

A form of governance in which the monarch holds absolute power, with no checks on their authority.

Question 9

Who was Louis XVI?

Answer 9

The King of France during the French Revolution, marked by financial crises and an inability to resolve political and economic problems.

Question 10

What was the impact of Enlightenment ideas on the French Revolution?

Answer 10

The Enlightenment provided philosophical tools to critique the Old Regime, emphasizing liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty.

Question 11

Who was Montesquieu?

Answer 11

A philosopher whose work advocated for the separation of powers in government, influencing the development of constitutional government.

Question 12

Who was Jean-Jacques Rousseau?

Answer 12

An Enlightenment thinker whose work argued that political authority should be based on the general will of the people.

Question 13

What was the French Revolution?

Answer 13

A period of radical social, political, and economic upheaval in France, leading to the overthrow of the monarchy.

Question 14

What were the causes of the French Revolution?

Answer 14

Economic hardships, Enlightenment critiques, and financial crises worsened by the monarchy’s debt.

Question 15

What was the Liberal Phase of the French Revolution?

Answer 15

The first phase marked by the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.

Question 16

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

Answer 16

A foundational document articulating the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Question 17

What was the Radical Phase of the French Revolution?

Answer 17

The second phase characterized by the Reign of Terror and mass violence led by Maximilien Robespierre.

Question 18

What was the Reign of Terror?

Answer 18

A period during the Radical Phase where the government used extreme measures, including mass executions, to protect the revolution.

Question 19

What was the Thermidorian Reaction?

Answer 19

The period following the fall of Robespierre, marked by the end of the Reign of Terror and the rise of more moderate leaders.

Question 20

What was the Directory?

Answer 20

The five-member executive body that governed France after the fall of Robespierre, marked by corruption and instability.

Question 21

What was the Napoleonic Era?

Answer 21

A period in which Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power, establishing himself as the ruler of France and spreading revolutionary principles.

Question 22

What is the Napoleonic Code?

Answer 22

A legal code established by Napoleon that institutionalized several revolutionary principles, influencing legal systems worldwide.

Question 23

What were the key outcomes of the French Revolution?

Answer 23

Legal reforms like the Napoleonic Code, weakening of the French monarchy, and the spread of revolutionary ideas across Europe.

Question 24

How did Enlightenment ideas influence the French Revolution?

Answer 24

Enlightenment ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity were central to revolutionary slogans and goals.

Question 25

What were the limitations and contradictions of the French Revolution?

Answer 25

The Revolution descended into authoritarianism and largely ignored women’s political rights despite its Enlightenment ideals.

Question 26

What is the legacy of the French Revolution?

Answer 26

It reshaped Europe by challenging traditional monarchy, spreading republican ideals, and inspiring movements for democracy and human rights.