Chapter 19: French Revolution Ids for AP European History

Maximilien Robespierre

"The incorruptible;" the leader of the bloodiest portion of the French Revolution. He set out to build a republic of virtue.

Napoleon Bonaparte

(1769-1821) Emperor of the French. Responsible for many French Revolution reforms as well as conquering most of Europe. He was defeated at Waterloo, and died several years later on the island of Saint Helena.

Directory

(1795-1799) - The five-man executive committee that ruled France in its own interests as a republic after Robespierre's execution and prior to Napoleon's coming to power.

Trafalgar

(October 1805) Britain's Admiral Nelson destroyed the combined French and Spanish navies. Nelson was killed but invasion of Britain now became impossible.

French Parlements

13 law courts who were frustrated at reform's efforts. 18th century: defenders of "liberty" against the monarchy; having their own interests leads them to block new taxes

Olympe de Gouges

1755-1793 wrote "The Rights of Women" and argued that the law must be an expression of the general will (men and women)

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

1790 declaration by the French National Assembly creating a national church with 83 bishops, democratically elected clergy, and state-paid salaries

The Three Estates

1st estate= clergy, 2nd estate= nobility, 3rd estate= middle, working, lower classes

Vendeean Rebellion

A challenge to the revolutionary government in Western France, where counter-revolutionaries objected to the new military draft. It bloomed into counter-revolutionary violence, and the National Convention gave broad powers to the Committee of Public Safety to deal with the uprising. The uprising was quashed by slaughter.

Society of Thirty

A club composed of people from the Paris Salons, they were "Lovers of Liberty," and embraced enlightenment and American ideas of individual liberties, republicanism, and popular sovereignty. Lafayette returned from his duties during the American Revolution and joined the club.

Estates General

A council of representatives that advise the French king

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

A document drafted by the National Assembly promising all men their natural rights and the freedom of expression. No mechanism to enforce these rights

The National Assembly

A group of Third Estate delegates that broke ties with the Estates General. Drafted a constitution for France at the Oath of the Tennis court. Marked the first stage of the revolution.

The Tennis Court Oath

A promise made by the members of the National Assembly to stay together until they had written a constitution for France

Thermidorean Reaction

A reaction against the violence of the Reign of Terror after Robespierre was executed ( named after month of Thermidor); Terror began to decline and National Convention curtailed power of Committee of Public Safety

Declaration of Pillnitz

A statement agreed upon by Leopold II and Fredrick William II to intervene if Louis XVI was threatened by revolution

Elba

An island of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea Napoleon was exiled to

"We are bringing back the baker..."

Armed women in large mass marched to Versailles and demanded bread, made Louis XVI come back to Paris. So they brought back flour and sang this phrase over and over.

The Concordat

Arranged by Napoleon and the Pope in 1801, it was a deal made to reestablish recognition of Roman Catholicism within France after the dechristianization period. The Pope's part of the bargain was to recognize the accomplishments of the revolution.

Harvests of 1787 and 1788

Bad harvests in France that resulted in food shortages, rising prices for other necessities, and urban unemployment. The resulting misery was a contributing factor to the French Revolution.

Dechristianization

Campaign to eliminate Christian faith and practice in France undertaken by the revolutionary government.

The Grand Army

Combined French armies under Napoleon. Virtually destroyed during Napoleon's ill-fated Russian campaign

Bourgeoisie

Educated, middle class of France; provided force behind the Revolution

The Bastille, the Fall of the Bastille

French prison that became known as a symbol of the royal abuse of power, represented the torture of the lower class the the oppression they faced by their government. people tore down the bastille brick by brick. MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE FRENCH REV.

Georges Danton

French revolutionary leader who stormed the Paris bastille and who supported the execution of Louis XVI but was guillotined by Robespierre for his opposition to the Reign of Terror (1759-1794)

Marquis de Lafayette

French soldier who joined General Washington's staff and became a general in the Continental Army.

Girondins and the Mountain

Girondins favored a revolutionary war to free people living in absolutist states; the Mountains was a term given to the radical Jacobins because they sat upon a raised platform

Escape to Varennes

June 1791, failed attempt of Louis and the royal family to escape to the Austrian border; they disguised themselves but were caught and escorted back to Paris; big mistake on Louis' part because he was now seen as a traitor

Confederation of the Rhine

League of German States organized by Napoleon in 1813 after defeating the Austrians at Austerlitz. The league collapsed after Napoleon's defeat in Russia.

The Jacobins

Members of the 'Left-Wing' bourgeoisie class. Radical. Main Leader: Robespierre. He was also an influential deputy of the Committee of Public Safety during the 'Reign of Terror'

Italian and Egyptian Campaigns

Napoleon attacked Italy and Egypt instead of Britain (indirectly attacking Britain) - lost and fled

First Consul and Emperor

Napoleon directly controlled the entire executive authority of gov., influence over legislature, appointed members of bureaucracy, controlled army, and conducted foreign affairs; consul for life 1802, Emperor of France 1804- stabilized regime, provided permanence

Austerlitz

Napoleon tricks Austrians and Russians (allies) into attacking right flank. He then uses his left flank to cripple the Allied Army

Republican calendar

October 1793, National Convention introduced a new calendar, with Year I dating from the beginning of the republic on September 22, 1792, had 12 months with exactly 30 days each, consisting of 3 weeks of 10 days (goal was so that people didn't know what day was Sunday)

Law of General Maximum

Price controls placed on necessities by the Committee of Public Safety in an effort to curb inflationary prices. It did not work well.

Committee of Public Safety

The leaders under Robespierre who organized the defenses of France, conducted foreign policy, and centralized authority during the period 1792-1795.

National Convention

The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform.

"a nation in arms"

The result of the universal mobilization ordered by the Committee of Public Safety, the mobilization of 650,000 troops—the largest in European history up to that time. It was the term used to describe the first "peoples' army' and fought the first 'peoples' war' with appalling consequences. It is viewed as the precursor of 20th century war in which there are no innocents.

St. Helena

The small British controlled island where Napoleon was exiled to (for the second time) after his defeat at waterlo. He died here

Paris Commune

The small government in Paris who wanted to resist the conservative leaders of France and tried to form their own government

Gracchus Babeuf

a French politician and journalist during revolution who wanted to abolish private property and eliminate private enterprise.

The guillotine

a machine for beheading people, used as a means of execution during the French Revolution

Sans-culottes

a radical group made up of Parisian wage-earners, and small shopkeepers who wanted a greater voice in government, lower prices, and an end of food shortages

Vote by order or by head

argument over what type of voting at estates general; either each order would vote separately; each would have veto power over the other two, thus guaranteeing aristocratic control over reforms, or each person would have a separate vote

Temple of Reason

new name for the Cathedral of Notre Dame during the Radical Phase of the Revolution

The Civil Code

preserved most of revolutionary gains by recognizing principle of equality of all citizens before law, right of individuals to choose professions, religious toleration, and abolition of serfdom and feudalism, property rights still protected while employer interested safeguarded by outlawing trade unions and strikes, reflected revolutionary aspirations for uniform legal system, legal equality, protection of property and individuals

Germaine de Stael

prominent writer who refused to accept Napoleon's despotism and wrote works denouncing his rule, which were then banned.

"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"

slogan of the french revolution that inspired nationalist feelings and the goal of the revolution

Reign of Terror

the historic period (1793-94) during the French Revolution when thousands were executed

Napoleon's Continental System

was a counter to the British Orders Council. They said that they would take control of any ship that obeyed the British rule and blockade. This eventually put a hold on all trade with America during the war. This was important because many American ships were seized by the French due to the Continental System.

Abbe Sieyes

wrote "What is the Third Estate?"