UNIT 2- 1789-1792 The Revolution, May- October 1789 Flashcards
What was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy ?
July 1790
⛪ Church Under State Control – The Church became a branch of the French government.
🗳 Election of Clergy – Bishops and priests were elected by the people, including non-Catholics.
💰 End of Papal Authority in France – The Pope lost control over the French Church.
💸 Confiscation of Church Property – The government took over Church lands to pay off national debt.
📜 Oath of Loyalty to the State – All clergy had to swear an oath of loyalty to the government.
Consequences-
Weakened catholic church, divided refactory and non-refactory priests, rural areas felt left out.
What were the judicial reforms during this period?
Equality before the law and elected judges.
What political reforms were introduced?
Active vs. passive citizens and a limited monarchy.
What economic and social reforms were enacted?
Abolition of guilds and standardised taxation.
What were the main political clubs during the revolution?
Jacobins (radical), Feuillants (moderate), Cordeliers (populist).
What was the Flight to Varennes?
Louis XVI’s attempted escape, undermining trust in the monarchy.
JUNE 1791
What occurred during the Champ de Mars Massacre ?
The National Guard fired on protesters demanding a republic.
July 1791
What was the Declaration of Pillnitz? when
Austria and Prussia threatened intervention, leading France to declare war in April 1792. More bluff than challenge.
1791
Who were the Sans-Culottes?
Radical working-class revolutionaries demanding a republic.
What happened during the Storming of the Tuileries ? when
The King was imprisoned and the monarchy was suspended.
(10 August 1792)?
What were the September Massacres ?
Mass executions driven by fears of counter-revolution.
1792
What occurred during the elections to the National Convention ?
The Republic was declared.
(September 1792)
What caused the flight to varenne?
Visit to St. Cloud May 1791
NA refused to let him visit.
Coblenz
Gathering spot in germany for counter-rev militiary activity.
Who disagreed w the War with Austria?
Robspierre
Brother of Marie Antionette, New found leader of HRE
Leopold II
Who agreed w the War with Austria?
Girondins
King+ Queen
Lafayette
When did they defeat the Autrians and Prussians? Where?
Sept 1792
Valmy
The Tennis Court Oath escalation
10th June, 3rd estate declares they will check credentials on their own.
A few days later, priests join them.
17th June, the 3rd estate claims they are the national assembly.
4 days later, the clergy voted to join the national assembly.
20th of June, Tennis Court Oath
Tennis Court Oath
June 20, 1789
in response to finding themselves locked out of their meeting hall in Versailles.
Included Jean-Sylvain Bailly, protestant Jean-Paul Rabaut Saint-Etienne, Carthusian monk Dom Chrisophe-Antoine Gerle.
Storming of the Bastille
Date-14th July
Cause- Rising bread prises, economic hardships and fear of royal conspiracies
Events- Afternoon- crowds gathered around the Bastille, a symbol of royal tyranny. Launay, the govenor, refused to surrender, and after hours of battling he surrendered. They killed and beheaded Launay.
Consequences- Undercurrent of violence created. Went unpunished so this was futher enhanced. Fear in aristocracy (Fligh to Varenne)
October days
5-6th October 1789
Causes:
🍞 Bread Shortages – Rising bread prices caused hunger and unrest.
👑 King’s Resistance to Reforms – Louis XVI hesitated to approve the August Decrees and the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
🥖 Rumors and Anger – Reports spread that royalist troops had insulted the new tricolor revolution flag at a royal banquet.
Events-
📍 5 October 1789 – Women’s March on Versailles
6,000–7,000 women, joined by some men and National Guards, marched from Paris to Versailles (about 20 km).
They demanded bread and action from the king.
🏰 6 October 1789 – The King’s Return to Paris
The crowd stormed the palace, killing royal guards.
They forced Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and their son to move to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, where they were kept under surveillance.
The August Decrees
📜 What? – Laws passed by the National Assembly to abolish feudalism and noble privileges in France.
🔹 Key Reforms:
Feudal dues & unpaid labor (corvée) abolished 🚫
Nobles & clergy lost special privileges ⚖
Equal taxation & access to public office 🗳
Church lost power to collect tithes ⛪
🔥 Consequences:
✅ Ended feudalism & class-based privileges
✅ Weakened the monarchy (Louis XVI resisted approval)
✅ Led to the Declaration of the Rights of Man
❌ Angered nobles & clergy (many fled France)
🛑 Impact: A key step in destroying the Ancien Régime and promoting equality.
The Great Fear
📜 What? – A wave of peasant revolts caused by rumors that nobles were plotting to crush the revolution.
🔥 Events:
Peasants attacked manors, burned feudal records, and looted estates.
Many nobles fled France (émigrés).
Led to the August Decrees (4 August 1789), which abolished feudal privileges.
⚖ Consequences:
✅ End of feudalism & noble privileges.
✅ Weakened the nobility, strengthening the revolution.
✅ Forced reforms, pushing France towards radical change.
