French Revolution

Limited Monarchy

(Constitutional monarchy) system of government where monarch reigns as head of state but with power limited by real power lying in a legislature & court system.

The Great Fear

(Countryside) peasants & farmers attacked houses of their landlords because of feudal contracts

Bastille

(Paris) citizens stormed city prison "Bastille" for weapons

Third Estate

1 of 3 estates consisting of the commoners (rich merchants or poor peasants), majority of population, only granted one vote in Estates-General. Frustrated, the Third Estate declared sovereignty and named itself the National Assembly.

Reign of Terror

10 month period of oppression & execution during the late 1793-94. Organized by Robespierre & the Committee of Public Safety to suppress potential enemies of radical Revolution. Robespierre was arrested & executed in 1794-1795. His death silenced the Thermidorian Reaction & established Directory.

Tennis Court Oath

1789 oath sworn by members of the 3rd estate who just formed the National Assembly who were locked out of the meeting of the Estates-General. Meeting took place at a tennis court, pledged to remain together until a new constitution was drafted and passed.

Declaration of Pillnitz

1791 issued by Prussia & Austria announcing that they would bring in their military if the king was harmed (who at that time was trying to escape to Paris). Led to the declaration of war by legislative assembly leader Jacques-Pierre Brissot.

Jacques Necker

A banker, France's director of general finance in late 1770's, could only propose small efforts at eliminating costly inefficiencies, produced government budget.

Marquis de Lafayette

A nobleman who led French soldiers in American Revolution, dedicated to freedom & principles of Revolution, organized National Guard of armed citizens to protect revolution from attack by King.

Parlements

A set of 13 judicial boards that constituted the judiciary of France. Held power of recording royal decrees (if parlement refused to record an edict, the edict wouldn't be implemented in that district).

Bastille

An armory & state prison in Paris, mob of poor citizens destroyed Bastille in 1789.

Charles de Calonne

Appointed controller general of finance by king, replaced Jacques Necker. Proposed plan to shift tax from poor to wealthy, tax based off of land proportional to land values & lessen tax on peasants, French nobility refused to pay the taxes.

Estates-General

Assembly consisting of 3 estates: 1) Clergy, high-ranking members of Church privileged class, 2) Nobility, privileged class, 3) unprivileged class, peasants, and wealthy bourgeoisie merchants. 1st estate: controlled education, kept records of birth, death, and marriages, owned 20% of land, didn't pay taxes, subject to church laws not civil. 2nd: collected taxes as feudal dues, monopolized military and state apt, owned 20% of land. 3rd: largest population, no privileges, no exemptions, paid all taxes. Feuds occurred, 3rd estate declared sovereign National Assembly.

The Directory

Directory was formed to control executive responsibilities & appointments. Directory abused power.

Feudalism & Unfair Taxation

Feudal oppression & mismanagement of taxation, King Louis XVI appointed Charles de Calonne as general of finance in 1783, suggested taxing nobility, nobility refused.

Monarchy

Form of government where single person (king or queen from royal dynasty) holds control over policy & has power over all decisions.

Lazare Carnot

French soldier appointed by Committee of Public Safety, helped reorganize war against Austria & Prussia. Member of Directory, later removed during overthrow in Sept 1797.

Rifts in the Assembly

In National Assembly, rift formed between radical & moderate members, common workers began to feel "overlooked." King was caught in escape plan, assembly divided. Moderate Girondins= retained constitutional monarchy. Radical Jacobins= rid of king. Other European countries feared revolts, issued Declaration of Pillintz, Girondin assembly went to war with Austria & Prussia.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Issued by National Assembly in 1789, granted sovereignty to French, influenced by the ideas of Enlightenment, liberty= "natural" & "imprescriptible" (absolute, inalienable) right of man, "men are born and remain free and equal in rights."

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Issued by National Assembly in 1790, broke ties with Catholic Church, established church system & process for election of regional bishops. Pope, church officials angered, French Catholics opposed revolution.

August Decrees

Issued by the National Assembly in 1789, suppressed Great Fear, and allowed peasants release from their contracts.

Louis XVI

King of France 1774-1792, executed in 1793. Inherited debt left by grandfather, added to debt during American Revolution. Gave in to demands of Parlement of Paris & assemble Estates General—led to Revolution.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Led French army through Italy & reached Egypt. In Paris, lead a coup (illegal fight for power of government) against Directory in 1799, named himself "first consul" leader of France. Ended revolution.

Committee of Public Safety

Maximilien Robespierre= chair, National Convention gave dictatorial powers in 1793. Committee led off possession with impressive war effort & economy-salvaging initiatives. Robespierre began Reign of Terror in late 1793.

Estates-General

Medieval representative institution that hadn't met for 175 years until called upon by Louis XVI. Consisted of 3 estates (clergy, nobility, commoners), able to force parlements into accepting controller general of finance (Charles de Calonne's) tax decrees.

Jacques-Pierre Brissot

Member of Legislative Assembly & National Convention, believed in constitutional monarchy. Followers (Brissotins) became known as Girondins. Removed from National Convention after unsuccessful declaration of war on Austria and Prussia, died during the Reign of Terror.

Emanuel-Joseph Sieyes

Member of clergy, supporter of 3rd Estate, wrote pamphlet "What is the Third Estate?" in 1789.

Girondins

Moderates in National Convention, controlled legislative assembly until 1793 when Jacobins ousted power.

National Assembly

Name given to 3rd Estate after declaring sovereignty. Claimed to represent French population, dissolved in 1791 so new elections could take place under new constitution.

The Reign of Terror

National Convention= abolished monarchy, declared France a republic, tried to execute king. Created Committee of Public Safety, foreign forces invaded French lands. Citizens overthrew Girondin, appointed Maximilien Robespierre (Jacobins) to lead National Convention. Backed by Constitution of 1793, he created laws to make economy stable. 1793-1793, Robespierre executed over 15,000 people, removed foreign invaders. Was not justified for actions, arrested & executed.

Constitution of 1791

New constitution in 1791 established constitutional monarchy (limited monarchy) executive power answerable to legislative assembly. Under constitution, King Louis XVI could only temporarily veto legislation passed by assembly, voting in assembly restricted to upper & middle classes of French society, nobility was abolished.

Great Fear

Occurred during 1789 when rural peasants revolted against their landlords, caused chaos in the countryside.

Tuileries

Palace in Paris where King Louis XVI & his family were placed under house arrest after forcefully taken from their court at Versailles. The removal of the royal family to Paris was to allow people to keep a close watch on their actions.

Maximilien Robespierre

Political tactician led radical Jacobins in National Assembly. Chairman of Committee of Public Safety, during Reign of Terror made efforts to silence all enemies of Revolution to prevent invasion. Executed in 1794.

Jacobins

Radicals in the National Convention, secret meeting place in Jacobin Club (Paris). Led by Maximilien Robespierre, called for democratic solutions, spoke for urban poor & peasants. Took control of the convention & France in 1793-94. Fearing counterrevolutionary threats Robespierre publically executed people (Reign of Terror).

National Convention

Replaced Legislative Assembly, declared French monarchy abolished in 1792, declared France a republic. Originally dominated by moderates, later controlled by radical Jacobins in 1793.

Versailles

Royal palace built by King Louis XVI just outside of Paris. Home of the royal family & high government officials & select nobles. 1789, a mob of angry, hungry French women marched on Versailles, bringing the royal family back to Paris to deal with food shortage.

Directory

The executive branch established by constitution written during Thermidorian Reaction. Appointed by legislative assembly, election results were unfavorable in Directory, coordinated an overthrow of the assembly & controlled France until overthrown by Napoleon in 1799.

Bourgeoisie

The middle & upper classes of society (members of 3rd estate) wanted to end privileges given to people of higher classes. They represented modern voices in the revolution, represented by delegates in Estates-General & National Assembly.

Thermidorian Reaction

Thermidorian Reaction= governmental restructuring, creation of Constitution of 1795.

Sans-culottes

Urban workers & peasants, knee-breeches that the privileged wore= wish to distinguish themselves from the high classes. Mon mentality constituted most radical element of Revolution.

Marie-Antoinette

Wife of King Louis XVI, primary symbol of French royalty's extravagance & excess. Executed in 1793.