France Unit 1 Study Guide PDF

FRANCE UNIT 1 ; STUDY GUIDE DEFINITIONS: 1. Monarchy: The form of shared power between the King and the aristocrats. 2. Liberty: “The ability to do anything that doesn't harm others” 3. Equality: The ideology that everyone is equal before the law and should have e...

FRANCE UNIT 1 ; STUDY GUIDE DEFINITIONS: 1. Monarchy: The form of shared power between the King and the aristocrats. 2. Liberty: “The ability to do anything that doesn't harm others” 3. Equality: The ideology that everyone is equal before the law and should have equal opportunities 4. Fraternity: Sense of belonging and friendship; “being united by beliefs and nationality” 5. National Assembly: Revolutionary assembly formed by the third estate in France to show that the power lied with the people. 6. Reign of Terror: Extreme period of violence where thousands were executed by guillotine. 7. August Decrees: Set of 19 articles passed by the National Assembly. 8. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: Articles passed by the National Assembly that established the new system of government would be based on. 9. Compte Rendu: A financial report of France’s royal budget that Jacques Necker published in 1781. With aims to reassure the public and creditors. 10. September Massacres (Also known as the Journee): Mass killings of prisoners in Paris from September 2nd-6th, 1792. 11. The Napoleonic Code: A comprehensive legal reform. Standardized laws all across France and related to Enlightenment ideals, such as the protection of property rights and legal equality. (It covered many aspects) 12. The Concordat of 1801:  Compromise between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII to resolve conflicts between the French state and the Catholic Church that arised during the French Revolution. 13. The Coup of 1799 (Also known as The Coup of 18 Brumaire): A coup d’etat led by Napoleon Bonaparte that overthrew the French Directory, leading to Napoleons rise in power. 14. The Enlightenment: An intellectual movement that emphasized individualism and reason rather than tradition. QUESTIONS: 1. Explain why the monarchy was abolished in 1792. Financial Crisis: France was in severe poverty and debt due to the wars and unnecessary spending by the higher-ups. The government did not effectively manage these debts, leading to economic instability. Food Shortages: Poor harvests led to high bread prices and vast hunger among the public, leading to unrest and anger towards the monarchy. French Revolution: In 1789 the revolution began for the purpose of seeking liberty, equality, and fraternity. King Louis XVI’s Unpopularity: He was seen as out of touch with the common people. People hated his inability to solve or even address the crises (financial and social) within France. Counterrevolutionary Activities: People found out Louis XVI was conversing/plotting with other nations and saw it as betrayal. National Convention Ruling: On September 21st, 1792, the National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy. 2. Explain why Louis XVI was executed in 1793. Treason/Betrayal: He was found guilty of treason by the National Convention, with evodence that he was secretly communication with foreign nations like Austria. Flight to Varennes: His attempt to escape to Austrian Netherlands to get support from the Queens Austrian family was seen as a betrayal and showed his true opinion of how he rejected/disliked the revolution. Sans-culottes: Many radical groups demanded the king's execution. Influential Figures: Figures like Maximilien Robespierre and the radicalization of the revolution pushed the public to want the king to be executed to eliminate threats to the new republic.  Trial: The National Convention found Louis XVI guilty and sentenced him to death. 3. Explain why the National Constituent Assembly introduced the August Decrees. Abolish Feudalism: To do away with what was left of Feudalism End privileges like tax exemptions The Great Fear: (Stolen grain shipments, Nobles either looted or killed) Took place in the Summer of 1789 and widespread fear which made it clear reforms were needed. Revolutionary Ideals: The assembly wanted to show their loyalty to the people by further aligning with the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. 4. Explain why France experienced the ‘Reign of Terror’ between 1792 and 1794. Foreign Threats: There were many external threats from foreign nations to France, creating a sense of emergency and unease. Law of Suspects: Plan of action to deal with suspected opponents of the revolution and those who were believed to be hoarding food, but ultimately just led to the wrongful persecution of many. Economic and Food Instability: Food shortages and inflation continued which fueled public discontent. Extremist views of Sans-culottes and other revolutionary groups. Efforts to De-Christianize France (Just the want for Freedom of Religion). 5. Explain why Necker resigned in 1781. Faced strong opposition and dislikement from Nobility. Actions of taking out foreign loans seemed irresponsible. Inability to implement effective financial reforms. Publication of the royal budget, Compte Rendu, and lied about how bad France’s economy actually was. 6. Explain why Louis XVI issued the edict of 24 January 1789, summoning the Estates General. Severe Financial Crisis: France was in crippling debt from wars and lavish spending of the higher-ups. Increasing taxes wasn’t working anymore. Social unrest and dissatisfaction. The King was desperate for advice and solutions, so he summoned the Estates General which had not been since 1614 (175 years). 7. Explain why the September Massacres of 1792 happened. Fear of Counter Revolution: People feared political prisoners were aspiring together to plan a counterrevolutionary action in jail. Military advancements towards Paris: Armies were advancing towards Paris, so paranoia and a sense of urgency arised from the fear that the army might side with the political figures in prison. Public figures like Georges Danton were calling for extreme measures to protect the revolution. Revolutionary government struggled to maintain control. Radicalization of revolution led to extremist views. 8. Explain why the Assembly of Notables met in 1787. Financial Crisis. Reform Proposals. Seeking Support. Failure of agreements between the National Assembly and King Louis XVI. 9. Explain why Napoleon’s domestic policies were popular. Napoleonic Code: All laws throughout France were now made to be applied uniformly; now united, ensured equal rights before the law, protecting property rights, end to feudalism, right to proper trial, freedom of religion. (Formally established 1807). Reduced government corruption. Stabilized the economy (With projects like the Bank of France). Educational reforms. The Concordat of 1801: Improved relations between the Catholic Church and the government + restored stability surrounding religious policies. Public Works: Improved living conditions in Paris. 10. Explain why the insurrection of 10 August 1792 happened. Constant opposition of King Louis XVI towards revolutionary measures upset revolutionaries. War with Austria and Prussia: Declared in April 1792, this led to military defeats which were blamed on the king. 11. Explain why Napoleon’s coup of 1799 against the Directory was successful.  Public Support: Napoleon was very popular and admired due to his military success, even by other nations. The Directory was seen as corrupt and ineffective. Him and his allies, Sieyes and Talleyrand, planned the coup, ensuring strategical planning. Foreign and Internal Choas: The threat of foreign invasion and internal chaos was used to urge the need for a strong and capable leader. The coup had minimal resistance, and even those who didn’t support them at least acknowledged their good deeds/achievements. 12. How far did Napoleon’s domestic policies benefit the French people? Napoleonic Code Reduced government corruption Economic Stability Public Works: Investments into infrastructure like roads and canals; improved living conditions. Educational reforms. Religious improvements/policies. 13. To what extent was Napoleon’s military ability the reason for the ending of the Directory in 1799? His victories in Italy and Egypt reputed him as a military genius and successful leader. His military power allowed him to gain the support of political figures. His successes made him a national hero, a symbol of admiration and public support. 14. ‘The ideas of the Revolution were ignored by the Directory.’ To what extent do you agree with this view? Many of their actions betrayed the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Often used emergency powers to restrict freedom of press and assembly, which contradicted with the revolutionary ideals of liberty. Failed to address economic inequality. The Directory was infested by corruption. The Directory manipulated electoral processes and undermined democratic principles. 15. To what extent did the ideas of the Enlightenment cause the outbreak of the Revolution in 1789? Loss interest in Figures: The Enlightenment caused people to rethink the need for a King.  The things that the Church claimed and science said began to contradict, causing confusion and distanced some from the Church. Enlightenment thinkers started to consider logic over tradition, which led to them wanting a world ruled by a set of orderly laws. Monarchs did not like the language and ideas promoted. Inspired the thought of limited monarchy, freedom of speech, and equality. 16. How firmly did Napoleon establish his control over France as First Consul, 1799–1804? The new constitution centralized power to Napoleon, making him the most significant authority in the government. The peace treaty with Austria stabilized France after he defeated them in the war which solidified his reputation as a strong military leader. Implementation of the Napoleonic Code. Effective use of propaganda: The Moniteur was seen as the official French government newspaper and positively highlighted Napoleon, influencing public opinion. 17. To what extent was the Directory a failure? The Directory did not successfully address the core problems within France, although it did set the legal standards that were used later for Napoleons reforms, they were seen as mostly unnecessary. Continuance of the economic crisis with inflation and food shortages. France was repeatedly at war which drained resources. Established electoral processes which moved France further in the direction of a democratic society, but ultimately falsified election results. Used their military and governmental power to suppress the media and assemblies. Inability to address these issues led to the overthrowing of the Directory and introduction to Napoleon's government. 18. How far was the passing of the August Decrees in 1789 caused by ideas of the Enlightenment? Enlightenment figures criticized the Feudal system and noble privileges, the August Decrees abolished feudalism, aligning with the new ideals. The Enlightenment emphasized reason and logic, the August decrees were created for the aim to create a more equal and orderly society by eliminating traditional structures. 19. To what extent did Napoleon’s domestic policies change France in the period 1799–1814?  Reformed education by setting up lychee's throughout the country. Set up the Napoleonic Code which provided representation and coverage for many areas including, marriage, gambling, property, religious freedom, etc. Established the Bank of France and reformed the tax system which improved France economic stability. Promoted a better social system against birth-positions which allowed everyone to rise through ranks based on experience and ability. 20. ‘War caused the French monarchy to fall in 1792.’ How far do you agree? The wars between Prussia and Austria created a sense of urgency and unease, leading to crisis and instability. The fear of invasion heightened revolutionary behavior. Military defeats became reason for the public to feel dissatisfaction towards the army. 21. ‘The Concordat of 1801 was Napoleon’s greatest domestic achievement.’ How far do you agree? The Concordat of 1801 ensued National reconciliation between the French state and the Catholic Church which restored stability and peace from the past mistakes of the revolution. Although it helped reinstate the relationship between the two and gave Napoleon further support from Catholics, I believe there are more notable achievements in the Napoleonic Code. This code standardized all laws without France and set examples to other legal systems worldwide, it made education more accessible, improved economic, political, and social standards while also including focus on less conversed topics like, marriage, adoption, and gambling. 22. How far do you agree that the failure of the Estates General was caused by Louis XVI? The class structure of the monarchy that was normalized made it difficult for the third estate to properly propose their views. The initial summoning of the Estates General was for the reasoning that the King wanted to support on how to deal with the economic crisis in France which partially stemmed from the Monarchy’s lavish spending. Louis XVI lacked leadership and decisiveness, which prevented him from being able to present a comprehensive view on the direction needed to be taken to create efficient reforms. Since he did not want to address the issues of the third estate, leading to little representation and increased tensions—the Estate General was not able to effectively assess the needs of the third estate; causing nonbeneficial rulings.