French Revolution Chapter 23 Flashcards

Old Regime and Social Structure

• The Old Regime in France defined the political and social hierarchy before the French Revolution, consisting of three distinct estates: clergy, nobility, and commoners.
• The Estates represented a rigid class system that limited social mobility and maintained power among the elite.

Key Figures

• Louis XVI, the King of France during the Revolution, summoned the Estates-General in 1789 but failed to address demands for reform, leading to his execution in 1793 alongside his wife, Marie Antoinette.
• Marie Antoinette was criticized for her extravagance and resistance to reform, contributing to public disdain for the monarchy.

Revolutionary Assemblies and Events

• The Estates-General's calling in 1789 sparked the French Revolution; it was France's traditional assembly with representatives from all three estates.
• The National Assembly emerged from the Third Estate's demand for change, enacting the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789.
• The Tennis Court Oath was a commitment by the Third Estate members not to disband until they drafted a new constitution.

Social and Political Unrest

• The Great Fear was a period of panic among peasants in 1789, leading to widespread destruction of property associated with the aristocracy.
• The Legislative Assembly, established by the constitution of 1791, reduced the king's power and allowed the creation of laws and war declarations.

Radical Groups and Responses

• Emigres were nobles who fled France during revolutionary turmoil, hoping to restore the old regime.
• Sans-culottes were radical Parisian shopkeepers advocating for economic reforms and greater political representation.
• Jacobins were members of a radical political group that initiated the Reign of Terror under Robespierre’s leadership.

Reign of Terror

• Robespierre governed during the Reign of Terror (starting September 5, 1793), characterized by mass executions of perceived enemies of the revolution through the guillotine.
• The Committee of Public Safety, led by Robespierre, was responsible for aggressively eliminating both leftist and rightist opponents, leading to his own execution amidst backlash against his policies.

Rise of Napoleon

• Napoleon Bonaparte gained prominence through his military success during the revolutionary wars, eventually leading a coup that ended the revolution and established a French Empire.
• His rule featured significant reforms, such as the Napoleonic Code, which ensured legal equality for all male citizens and protected private property.

Key Policies and Agreements

• A plebiscite indicated popular support for Napoleon’s governance.
• The Concordat was an agreement between Napoleon and the Pope, recognizing Catholicism as the majority religion without requiring the return of confiscated church lands.
• Educational reform included the establishment of lycees, government-run public schools.

Notable Battles

• The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 was a significant naval engagement that affirmed British naval supremacy and impacted Napoleon's military strategies.