French society before the revolution.
More specifically, the system of estates, social obligations, religious role of the church and the divine right of the king.
100
What were the Estates General?
A gathering of delegates from the three estates to advise the king.
100
July the 14th celebrates the attack on which building in Paris, 1789?
The Bastille
100
The National Assembly gathered WHERE after being locked out of their meeting hall?
A nearby Tennis Court
100
Who was Louis XVI's wife?
Marie Antoinette
200
Identify who was in each of the three estates.
First estate: Clergy
Second estate: Nobility
Third estate: Everyone else
200
When did Louis XVI summon the Estates General?
1788, 1789, 1790?
1789
200
In April of 1792, France declares war on TWO countries. Name both countries.
Austria and Prussia
200
What were the September Massacres of 1792?
The massacre of many prisoners of jails, including priests and nuns, by the Parisian crowd.
200
Who was Jean-Paul Marat?
A radical journalist and Jacobin, who promoted the use of violence to achieve political goals.
300
Who did the tax burden fall on most heavily within the ancien regime, AND name ONE tax that had to be paid.
Third estate. Many different taxes, main ones were the tithe, gabelle (salt tax), champart (feudal tax).
300
Why did Louis XVI need the Estates General to be convened? What issue was he trying to overcome?
He was trying to make changes to the taxation system within France, to relieve the huge debt that the government had gathered. The parlements refused to support any changes to the taxation system without representation from the estates, hence the need for the Estates General.
300
Why was the king's flight to Varenne important?
It showed the nation that the king had abandoned the revolution, and no longer deserved to hold his position of authority within France .
300
Name the main issue that priests/clergy faced with the requirements of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.
They had to swear an oath to the state (France), rather than to the Pope.
300
How did Maximilian Robespierre die?
Guillotine
400
What was the 'Diamond Necklace Affair' and how did it undermine the royal family?
The Diamond Necklace Affair revealed that Mary Antoinette had attempted to purchase an extremely expensive necklace, during the same period that bread prices were increasing and many members of the Third Estate were complaining about high taxation.
This undermined the royal family by supporting the concept that the royal family was out of touch with the realities of life experienced by the French people, and weren't capable of ruling the nation effectively.
400
What was the issue with how the Estates General voted?
The first and second estates would vote first, giving them a majority decision without the third estate participating, despite the third estate comprising of 99% of the population.
400
What were the August decrees?
The August decrees were wide-spread changes to the system of governance across France, that took away the rights and possessions of the nobility.
400
What was the Brunswick Manifesto?
An open letter/declaration released by the Duke of Brunswick that made it seem like King Louis XVI had requested help from foreign monarchs to regain his position and authority.
400
Name ONE enlightenment thinker and ALSO name his particular theory/beliefs.
Diderot: Subversive Power of Ideas
Voltaire: Questioning of Authority of the Royal Family
Rousseau: Social Contract
500
Explain at least THREE of the factors that led to the breakdown of the ancien regime (i.e. the revolution).
Some combination of these factors:
1. Heavy taxation burden on the third estate without adequate representation.
2. The rise in philosophes who questioned the right of the king and nobility to rule unjustly
3. Expensive foreign wars that had bankrupted France
4. Inefficient administrative system
5. Series of famines due to severe storms destroying crops
6. Other relevant factors.
500
Explain why the Estates General failed to achieve change within France and prevent the revolution from occurring.
Since the Third Estate did not have equal or fair representation within the Estates General, yet were the main agitators for change within French society, the Estates General failed to prevent the revolution from occurring.
500
Explain what the Reign of Terror was trying to achieve.
The Reign of Terror was trying to remove individuals who were against the revolution.
500
Who was Robespierre and what was his role in the Committee of Public Safety?
Robespierre was a member of the National Convention who became a key figure on the Committee of Public Safety. He was trying to ensure the safety of the revolution, by using the power of the Committee to remove any enemies of the revolution.