12 Questions
What was the primary reason the revolutionaries abolished feudalism in France?
To establish a new system of government based on the Declaration of the Rights of Man
What was the primary purpose of the Women's March on Versailles?
To protest the high cost of bread and demand food for the people
Why did the revolutionaries put power into the Committee of Public Safety (the Cops)?
To defend France from the threat of invasion by neighboring countries
What was the primary difference between the Jacobins and the Sans-culottes?
The Jacobins were upper-class revolutionaries, while the Sans-culottes were working-class revolutionaries
Why did the King and Queen attempt to escape France in disguise?
To seek help from their allies in neighboring countries to regain power
What was the significance of the Tennis Court Oath taken by the Third Estate?
It was a symbolic act of defiance against the monarchy and a commitment to creating a new constitution
What were the three estates (social classes) in pre-revolutionary France?
The clergy, the nobility, and the commoners
Which estate owned the most land but paid no taxes?
The First Estate (clergy)
What role did Jacques Necker, Louis XVI's financial expert, play in the events leading up to the French Revolution?
He suggested taxing the First and Second Estates to address the financial crisis
What was the primary reason for the financial crisis faced by Louis XVI's government?
Deficit spending and accumulation of national debt
Which group within the Third Estate was part of the bourgeoisie?
Bankers and merchants
What phase of the French Revolution was marked by the Reign of Terror?
The Reign of Terror (1793-1799)
Study Notes
The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815
- The French Revolution was a product of the Enlightenment Liberal Phase.
Social Classes in Pre-Revolutionary France
- The First Estate consisted of the clergy (130,000), who owned 10% of the land, paid no taxes, and ran schools, hospitals, and orphanages.
- The Second Estate comprised the nobility (350,000), who held government jobs, owned 25% of the land, and resented the absolute monarchy.
- The Third Estate was made up of:
- Bourgeoisie (bankers, merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, doctors, and professionals)
- Rural peasants (farmers, landless, urban workers) who earned low wages and paid nearly all the taxes.
Causes of the French Revolution
- Louis XVI inherited a bankrupt country from his father, who had spent heavily supporting the American Revolution.
- Louis XVI continued to spend excessively, leading to deficit spending and national debt.
Key Events of the French Revolution
- Jacques Necker, Louis XVI's financial advisor, suggested taxing the First and Second Estates, but was fired for his "radical" idea.
- The Estates-General, a three-branch legislative body, was convened for the first time in 175 years.
- Cahiers, notebooks listing grievances, were created.
- The Tennis Court Oath (1789) saw the Third Estate declare itself a National Assembly, vowing to create a constitution protecting the working class.
- The Assault on Bastille (1789) symbolized French independence from the monarchy.
- The Declaration of the Rights of Man stated that all men were "born and remain free and equal in rights," including freedom of religion and democracy.
The Reign of Terror (1793-1799)
- The Women's March on Versailles protested food shortages and demanded the King and Queen sign papers relinquishing their power.
- The National Assembly's reforms included selling land to reduce debt and establishing a limited monarchy through the Constitution of 1791.
- Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to escape, but were caught, charged with treason, and eventually executed.
- San-culottes (working-class revolutionaries) and Jacobins (upper-class revolutionaries) called for an end to the monarchy, leading to a wave of violence and emigration.
- The Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximilien Robespierre, defended France and drafted a new constitution, but soon became radical and dictatorial, leading to Robespierre's eventual trial and execution.
Explore the key events and phases of the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon from 1789 to 1815. Learn about the Enlightenment influence, the Reign of Terror, the social classes, and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
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