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Questions and Answers
What was a major contributor to France's financial crisis leading up to the Revolution?
Which of the following Estates held the most power and wealth in 18th-century France?
Which philosopher's ideas inspired the French people to demand change and liberty?
What event marked the beginning of the French Revolution?
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Who led the Radical Jacobins during the Reign of Terror?
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What event marked the end of the French Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic Empire?
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Study Notes
Causes of the French Revolution
- Financial Crisis: France was heavily indebted from the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.
- Social Inequality: The Estates-General system divided society into three estates: clergy, nobility, and commoners, with the first two estates holding most of the power and wealth.
- Enlightenment Ideas: Philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu spread ideas of liberty, equality, and democracy, inspiring the masses to demand change.
Major Events of the French Revolution
- Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789): A symbol of the absolute monarchy, the Bastille prison was stormed, marking the beginning of the Revolution.
- National Assembly (June 1789): Representatives of the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly, demanding a constitutional monarchy.
- Tennis Court Oath (June 20, 1789): Members of the National Assembly vowed to continue their work on a new constitution, defying King Louis XVI's orders to disperse.
- Reign of Terror (September 1793 – July 1794): Radical Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, executed thousands of perceived enemies of the Revolution.
- Rise of Napoleon (1796): Napoleon Bonaparte seized power, marking the end of the Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic Empire.
Key Figures
- King Louis XVI: The King of France who called the Estates-General, sparking the Revolution, and was eventually executed in 1793.
- Maximilien Robespierre: A radical Jacobin leader who dominated the Committee of Public Safety, overseeing the Reign of Terror.
- Napoleon Bonaparte: A military general who seized power, ending the Revolution and becoming Emperor of France.
Outcomes of the French Revolution
- Abolition of Feudalism: The Revolution ended the feudal system, establishing equality before the law.
- Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: A document proclaiming the fundamental rights of citizens, inspiring similar declarations worldwide.
- Rise of Modern Democracy: The French Revolution's ideas and ideals influenced the development of modern democratic governments.
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Description
Test your knowledge of the French Revolution, from its causes such as financial crisis and social inequality, to its major events like the Storming of the Bastille and the Reign of Terror, and its outcomes including the abolition of feudalism and the rise of modern democracy.
