History French Revolution
What was the tithe?
A 10% tax on income that went to the Church
What type of government was created by the Constitution of 1791?
A Limited Monarchy was created.
What was the Tennis Court Oath?
A declaration made by the delegates of the Third Estate that vowed that they would never leave the room until they had a constitution.
What caused the political crisis to escalate?
A horrible famine that hurt the poor the most
What was the National Guard and why did Lafayette form it?
A largely middle class militia organized in response to troops in Paris.
How much of the land in France was owned by the clergy?
About 10%
What percentage of the French population made up the Third Estate?
About 98%
What was the fourth phase of the French Revolution and what occurred during it?
Age of Napoleon; consolidated revolutionary change occurs.
Which types of people made up the bourgeoisie?
Bankers, merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and professors
Which group was at the top of the Third Estate?
Bourgeoisie (Middle Class)
Who made up the First Estate?
Catholic Clergy
What is deficit spending?
Deficit spending is the situation in which a government spends more money than it takes in.
By 1793, with whom was France at war?
France was at war with most of Europe including Great Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, and Prussia.
What action did the king take in June 1791? How was he recognized?
He attempted to escape and he was recognized by a man who held up a coin to the king's face.
What did Robespierre believe was necessary in order to achieve a republic of virtue?
He believed it could only be achieved through use of terror.
Why did Louis XVI accept their constitution?
He knew that when reform-minded clergy and nobles backed them, he would lose.
How did Louis XV complicate the financial problems of France?
He pursued pleasure before serious business.
Who was Jacques Necker? What reforms did he propose?
He was a financial expert and Louis XVI's advisor who proposed that the king reduce extravagant spending, reform government, and to abolish burdensome tariffs on internal trade. He also proposed the First and Second Estates.
What were some of the specific ways in which huge amounts of money were spent in France?
Huge amounts of money were spent on the seven Year's War, The American Revolution, and a lavish court.
Why did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy cause a problem between the revolutionaries of Paris and the peasants of the provinces?
It caused a problem because it opened up a huge gulf between the revolutionaries and the peasants.
What powers did the Legislative assembly have under the Constitution of 1791? How were its members selected?
It had the power to make laws, collect taxes, and decide on issues of war and peace. The members were elected by tax-paying male citizens over 25.
When did the Directory hold power?
It held power from 1795 to 1799.
When did the Reign of Terror occur?
It occurred between September 1793 and July 1794.
What did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) state?
It stated that bishops and priests would become elected, salaried officials, monasteries and convents would be dissolved, and it would end papal authority over the French Church.
Why did the National Convention turn on the committee of public safety?
It turned on them because the National Convention was weary of bloodshed and feared for their lives.
What was the Declaration of Pilnitz?
It was a document issued by the King of Prussia and the Emperor of Austria that threatened the radicals if they were to harm the royal family.
Why were the members of the Third Estate locked out of their meeting room? Why did the delegates of the Third Estate think that the room was locked?
It was being prepared for the king's arrival. They thought they were going to be dismissed by the king.
Why was the committee of public safety created? What type of power did they have? What actions did they take?
It was created to consolidate the war effort. They had absolute power. They were preparing France for an all-out war.
Between which two groups was the National Convention divided?
It was divided between the Jacobins and the Girodins.
When does Bastille Day occur?
July 14, 1789
What action did the National Convention take against Louis XVI and his wife? What happened to their son, Louis XVII?
Louis XVI and his wife were executed and their son was sent to prison and died there.
How did many clergy respond to the Enlightenment?
Many clergy condemned the Enlightenment for undermining religion and moral order.
To whom did the moderates of Paris look for leadership?
Marquis de Lafayette
Who led the committee of public safety? What was his nickname?
Maximillion Robespierre "The Incorruptible" led it.
Approximately, how many people died during the Reign of Terror, What percentage of those killed were nobles and clergy? What percentage were peasants or sans-culottes?
More than 17,000 were killed, 15% were nobles and clergy, and 15% were peasants and sans-culottes.
What did the people find after they broke into the Bastille?
No weapons
Were all rural peasants poor?
No; some were prosperous landowners who hired laborers to work for them.
Who made up the Second Estate?
Nobility
What was considered the revolutionary center?
Paris
Describe the events which occurred during the Great fear.
Peasants stole grain and burned manor houses to burn records of feudal dues.
What was the Paris Commune?
Radical group that replaced royalist government
Which group took control of the Legislative assembly in 1792? What action did they take?
Radicals took control and they issue a national convention.
Who was chief architect of the reign of Terror?
Robespierre
Who led the peasant rebellion against the government in the Vendee section of France?
Royalists (people who like monarchy) and priests led it.
What caused the Great Fear?
Rumors
Which group of people made up the bulk of the Third Estate?
Rural Peasants
Why weren't Necker's proposals effective?
Since he wanted to tax the First and Second Estates, the clergy and nobles forced the king to dismiss him.
What became the symbol of the French Revolution?
The Bastille
What changes were brought about by the Constitution of 1791?
The Constitution got rid of internal tariffs.
What type of government was created by the Constitution of 1795? How were the members of the legislature selected?
The Constitution set up a five-man directory and a two-house legislature elected by property-owning male citizens.
What was the third phase of the French revolution and what occurred during it?
The Directory; There was a reaction against extremism.
Who was the Jacobin?
The Jacobin was a radical political club with mostly middle class members.
Which group controlled the National Convention?
The Jacobins controlled it.
What was the first phase of the French Revolution? What occurred during it?
The Moderate phase; France became a constitutional monarchy and was controlled by the middle class.
What was the second phase of the French Revolution and what occurred during it?
The Radical phase; The Monarchy ended, the Reign of Terror began, and France was led by the poor.
What were the September massacres?
The September Massacres were attacks by angry citizens on prisoners.
What were the cahiers? What were some of the grievances they had listed?
The cahiers were notebooks listing the estates' grievances which included calls for reforms like fairer taxes, freedom of the press, or regular meetings of the Estates General.
Who sat on the right in the Legislative assembly?
The conservatives sat on the right.
What was the corvee?
The corvee was unpaid labor to repair roads and bridges.
What was the first step toward writing the constitution? Upon what document was it partially based?
The first step was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen and it was partially based on the Declaration of Independence?
What was the engine of the reign of terror? Who invented it?
The guillotine was the engine and it was invented by Dr. Joseph Guillotine.
What was the Estates General?
The legislative body consisting of representatives from all three estates
Who sat in the center in the Legislative Assembly?
The moderate reformers sat in the center.
Which group of people was satisfied with the Constitution of 1791?
The moderates (middle class) were happy.
What caused the financial crisis in France?
The mushrooming financial crisis was due in part to deficit spending.
Which of the three groups gained control of the Legislative assembly?
The radicals (left side) gained control.
Who sat on the left in the Legislative Assembly?
The radicals, or liberals, sat on the left.
Who made up the Third Estate?
The rest of the population (people who weren't clergy or nobility)
What rights were included in the Declaration of the Rights of Man?
The rights to liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression, to hold public office, and freedom of religion were included.
What caused the National Assembly to sit in an all-night session on August 4th? What privileges did they give up?
The storming of the Bastille and the Great Fear caused the session. They gave up old monarchial dues, exclusive hunting rights, special legal statuses, and their exemption form taxes.
What was the ancien regime?
The system of government from the Middle Ages until the French Revolution.
What was the traditional method of voting and meeting in the estates General? What was the usual outcome of this method?
The traditional method was to have each estate vote separately, usually resulting in the First and Second estates outvoting the Third Estate two to one.
What was the tricolor? Which was the first group to don it?
The tricolor was a red, white, and blue badge and it was first donned by the National Guard.
What was a key Enlightenment goal of the National Assembly?
The turning of the reforms of the August 4th session into law was a key Enlightenment goal.
Who were émigrés?
The émigrés were Nobles and Clergy who fled.
Why did the delegates of the Third Estate declare themselves as the National assembly?
They acted on the presumption that they were purposely locked out.
In addition to extravagant spending, what other factors led to the French Economic government?
They borrowed tons of money which forced the income the country made to go towards paying interest, and bad harvests caused food prices to rise.
Why did the philosophes of the Enlightenment target the Church for reform?
They criticized the Church because some members were idle, the Church interfered in politics, and the Church was intolerant of dissent.
Why did the Legislative Assembly declare war on Austria, Prussia, and several other European states? When did the fighting begin? When did the fighting end.
They declared war because they wanted to spread revolution and end tyranny. The fighting began in 1792 and ended in 1815.
What actions were taken by the National Convention?
They drew up a new constitution, took the nobles land and sold it, and abolished the nobility titles.
Why hadn't the French Kings assembled the Estates General for over 175 years?
They feared the nobles would use it to regain the feudal powers they had lost under absolute rule.
After Cardinal Richelieu and Louis XIV crushed the military power of the nobility, what rights did they give to the nobility?
They gave them the rights to top jobs in government, the army, the courts, and the Church.
Why were nobles willing to give up the aforementioned privileges?
They had already lost them.
Why did many nobles hate absolutism and resent the royal bureaucracy?
They hated and resented absolutism and the royal bureaucracy because they feared losing traditional privileges, especially their freedom from paying taxes.
Why did the people of Paris storm the Bastille?
They heard rumors and thought weapons were being stored there.
How did the reform-minded nobles use the Estates General?
They hoped it would offer a chance of carrying out changes like those that had come with the Glorious revolution in England.
What was the social background of the parish priests?
They often came from humble origins and were usually poor.
What types of taxes did the clergy pay?
They paid no direct tax (tax levied against a person), but they did pay indirect tax.
What social services did the First Estate provide?
They ran schools, hospitals, and orphanages.
What angered the city workers?
They resented the privileges enjoyed by their social "betters".
What changes in meeting and voting did the Third estate want?
They wanted all three states to meet at the same time and for votes to be counted "by head".
Why did the National assembly vote to take and sell church land?
They wanted to take and sell Church lands to pay off a huge governmental debt.
How were the delegates of the Third Estate selected?
They were elected by property owning men.
What caused the discontent among the peasants?
They were heavily taxed and many owed fees and services.
Why did the people become discontent with the Directory?
They were mad about war, corrupt leaders, and rising bread prices.
What was the social background of the High Church leaders?
They were usually nobles who lived very well.
Who were the sans- culottes? What did they want?
They were working-class men and women that wanted a republic
What steps would the French Government have to take in order to solve the financial crisis?
They would have to increase taxes, reduce expenses, or both.
Who were the poorest members of the Third Estate? How did they make a living?
Urban workers were the poorest and they made their living by being apprentices, journeymen, or servants, but sometimes they turned to begging and crime.
Who stormed Versailles on October 5th? Why? What action did they take against the king and his family?
Women stormed it because they were angry at the king. The crowd brought the king and his family back to Paris.
