Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
18 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
What were the French provinces? |
Old France was composed of provinces that were ruled by intendants. An intendant was supreme in all affairs but responsible to the king. A reform made by one could be overturned immediately by the next one. However, if they made a law that was against public opinion, it could not really be upheld (for example, Protestantism was outlawed). |
|
|
What were the conditions in France prior to the revolution? |
The poor were heavily taxed whilst the rich lived lavishly. The poor were obliged to work for free under feudal rules and owed feudal dues (despite not requiring protection anymore). This meant the land was poorly cultivated. |
|
|
What was the Estates General? |
An ancient assembly consisting of three different groups - the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. These groups represented the French population. They were reconvened to agree on a tax solution, however a solution was not likely as the nobility and clergy were tax exempt. |
|
|
What was the public opinion about their situation during the late 1700's? |
Many philosophers informed the people about tyranny and religion, as well as the concept of equality and a return to a natural state. The American Revolution also inspired the common people. |
|
|
How was the National Assembly and the National Guard formed? |
The outdated rules of the Estates-General gave each estate a single vote, despite the fact that the Third Estate (the commoners) was many times larger than the first two. Realising that its numbers gave it an advantage, the Third Estate declared itself the sovereign National Assembly. The members swore to not relent their efforts until a new constitution formed. The National Guard was formed to keep the peace |
|
|
What was the first violent act of the Revolution? |
In Paris, the citizens stormed the Bastille, the city's largest prison in order to secure arms. Elsewhere, peasants and farmers revolted against their feudal contracts by attacking manors and estates. This led to a new Declaration which established a judicial code and autonomy of the French people. |
|
|
What was the National Assembly's initial opinion about the monarchy? |
The NA still wanted a king and felt that he should still have a share in governing, which included veto powers that were suspensory but not absolute. |
|
|
Where did the terms left and right wing come from? |
These were the major parties of the NA and refers to which side of the president they were sitting on. The left (Jacobins) were more revolutionary and the right (Girondins) were more pro-monarch. |
|
|
What led to the people disliking the king? |
While massive poverty was present, the king's body guards held an opulent banquet and made fun of the NA. Rioters (who initially demanded bread) tried to invade the palace at Versailles. Lafayette managed to turn the riot into a demonstration and surrounded the palace rather than invade it. The royal family was escorted to Paris, making them feel like prisoners. The king tried to flee at one point and seek foreign aid, which many people felt was treasonous. |
|
|
What led to a rift between the Girondins and the Jacobins? |
When King Louis XVI was caught in a foiled escape plot, the radical Jacobins wanted to completely remove the king, whilst the Girondins wanted to return to a constitutional monarchy. |
|
|
What were neighbouring countries opinions about the French Revolution? |
Some neighbouring countries feared that the Revolution would spread beyond French land. In response, they issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, which insisted that Louis XVI return to the throne. French leaders interpreted this as hostile and declared war on Austria and Prussia. |
|
|
What finally led to the establishment of the French Republic? |
Conflict between King Louis XVI of France and the country's new revolutionary Legislative Assembly increased through the spring and summer of 1792 as Louis vetoed radical measures voted upon by the Assembly. Tensions accelerated dramatically on 1 August when news reached Paris that the commander of the allied Prussian and Austrian armies had issued the Brunswick Manifesto, threatening "unforgettable vengeance" on Paris should harm be done to the French monarchy. On 10 August, the National Guard of the Paris Commune and fédérés from Marseille and Brittany stormed the King's residence in the Tuileries Palace in Paris, which was defended by the Swiss Guards. Hundreds of Swiss guardsmen and 400 revolutionaries were killed in the battle, and Louis and the royal family took shelter with the Legislative Assembly. The formal end of the monarchy occurred six weeks later on 21 September as one of the first acts of the new National Convention, which established a republic on the next day. |
|
|
What finally led to the execution of Louis XVI? |
A secret cupboard containing proof of Louis' counter-revolutionary beliefs and correspondence with foreign powers was discovered in Tuileries Palace. He was brought to trail for treason and executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793. |
|
|
What countries was France at war with? |
Aside from being at war with Austria and Prussia, war was also declared on Great Britain and Holland. Holland because they wanted to liberate the Dutch and secure Belgium, and GB because it was was Holland's ally. Spain soon followed as it was an enemy of the revolutionary spirit. |
|
|
What began 'The Terror'? |
The war with Austria and Prussia was going poorly and the Girondins were blamed as they had a majority government. Enraged citizens overthrew then and installed the Jacobins and their leader, Maximilien Robespierre. |
|
|
How many people died during the Terror and how did it end? |
15000 people were executed by guillotine, and there was no freedom of speech or fair trials. Anyone could be denounced. It continued for a year When the French Army successfully removed the foreign invaders, Robespierre no longer had any justification for his extreme actions and was himself arrested and executed. |
|
|
What was the Thermidorian Reaction? |
The era after the ousting of Robespierre was known as the Thermidorian Reaction and a period of governmental restructuring began, leading to a new constitution and a slightly more conservative National Convention. The Directory was formed to control executive responsibilities and appointments. However, the Directory too began to be tyrannical and corrupt. |
|
|
What led to the end of the Revolution? |
French armies were making progress in every direction. When word reached Napoleon, an accomplished general, about the political upheavals in Paris, he led a Coup against the Directory. He named himself 'first consul' and the head of France. This began a fifteen year period of military rule. |
