Connecting Causes of the French Revolution
Because this system divided society into three unequal groups, the Third Estate grew frustrated leading them to demand change.
What are _________________?
Identify the connected causes ______________,
_________________, _______________
What are the Three Estates?
Connected causes: divided into unequal groups, 3rd estate grew frustrated, demanded change
Because France faced war and internal rebellion, leaders felt this extreme action was necessary to protect the revolution.
What is the _________________? Identify the connected causes ______________, _________________, _______________, _______
What is the Reign of Terror?
war, internal rebellion, extreme action, protect revolution
Because the Reign of Terror made people fear centralized power, France created this system designed to limit any one person from becoming too powerful by placing authority in five leaders.
What is the Directory?
Because France was unstable and people wanted order after the Directory, this type of leader rose to power through a coup in 1799.
What is a strong military leader (dictator/consul)?
Explain why France moved from inequality to Napoleon
#1 Which question is this?
Using at least four connected causes that you would list in your planning to explain how and why France moved from inequality under the Old Regime to Napoleon taking power.
→ __________
→ __________
→ __________
→ __________
What is Paper 2 Part A?
Inequality in the Three Estates led to conflict in the Estates-General, which caused the Tennis Court Oath; rising tensions and the firing of Necker led to the Storming of the Bastille; fear of enemies led to the Reign of Terror; backlash created the weak Directory, whose instability allowed Napoleon to take power.
Paper 2 Part B is about this and uses this structure and is worth this many points.
What is Support and challenge on a specturm with a support paragraph, challenge paragraph, and worth 20 points?
Frustration with inequality in the Three Estates led King Louis XVI to call this 1789 meeting, where disputes over fair voting made tensions worse.
What is ____________________?
Connected causes: ______________, ___________, _____________, _______________
What is the Estates-General?
Connected causes:
Frustration with inequality
King XVI call 1789 meeting
Disputes over fair voting
Made Tensions worse
Fear that enemies of the revolution were everywhere led this group, led by Robespierre, to take control and begin executions.
What is the _________________? Identify the connected causes ______________, _________________, _______________, _______
What is the Committee of Public Safety?
fear, led group, to take control, begin executions
In 1797, when elections brought gains for royalists and Jacobins, the Directory responded by doing this to maintain control.
What is throwing out/canceling the election results?
To bring stability and equality under the law after the chaos of the revolution, Napoleon created this uniform system of laws across France.
What is the Napoleonic Code?
You get this prompt on Paper 2 Part A,
Explain how inequality in the Three Estates helped start the French Revolution
What causes would you list in your planning?
You get this question on your Paper 1 Part B,
The Concordant of 1801 was a success. How far do you agree?
Write a support statement.
The Concordat of 1801 can be seen as a success because it restored stability between the French government and the Catholic Church, which helped gain the support of many French citizens who had been offended by earlier anti-religious policies.
When voting disputes in the Estates-General left the Third Estate powerless, they responded by making this pledge to create a constitution.
What is ____________________?
Connected causes: ______________, ___________, _____________,
What is the Tennis Court Oath?
Connected Causes: voting disputes in Estates General, left third estates powerless,
making a pledge to create a constiution
Because revolutionaries feared counterrevolution, this method of execution was used widely to eliminate suspected enemies quickly.
What is the _________________? Identify the connected causes ______________, _________________, ______________
What is the guillotine?
revolutionaries feared counterrevolution,
method of excecution used,
elimiated suspected enemies
Because the Directory feared losing power after election results, it used military force in events like this to remove political opponents.
What are coups (or a coup d’état)
Seeking to expand French power and spread revolutionary ideas, Napoleon won many battles, creating a vast empire across this region.
What is Europe?
You get this prompt for Paper 2 Part A, explain how France moved from Revolution to Napoleon taking power.
List at least 4 connected causes, you would put in your planning.
Answer: What is: Inequality → Estates-General conflict → Tennis Court Oath → Reign of Terror → weak Directory → Napoleon takes over?
You get this prompt on Paper 2, Part B,
“King Louis XVI was responsible for the outbreak of the French Revolution. How far do you agree."
Write a challenge statement.
However, King Louis XVI was not entirely responsible for the outbreak of the French Revolution because long-term issues like inequality in the Three Estates, economic crisis, and Enlightenment ideas had already created widespread discontent, meaning the revolution likely would have happened even without his actions.
This event, sparked by fear causing rising tensions after the Tennis Court Oath, showed the people were willing to use force against the monarchy.
What is ____________________?
Connected causes: ______________, ___________, _____________, ________________
What is the Storming of the Bastille?
Connected Causes: fear, rising tensions, Tennis Court Oath, people willing to use force
This event—the execution of the French king—intensified fear of foreign invasion and helped justify the extreme violence of the Reign of Terror.
What is the _________________? Identify the connected causes ______________, _________________, _______________, _______
What is the execution of King Louis XVI?
Ongoing instability and repeated political purges led to the creation of this second version of the government, which was still weak and unpopular.
What is the Second Directory?
Because France needed economic stability, Napoleon created this institution to regulate money and improve the economy.
What is the Bank of France?
You get this prompt for Paper 2, Part A, Explain how fear during the revolution led from the Reign of Terror to a new government.
List 5 causes you would list in your planning
You get this prompt for Paper 2, Part B
“The Flight to Varennes was a turning point that caused the French Revolution to become more radical.”
How far do you agree?
You give a support statement:
The Flight to Varennes can be seen as a turning point because King Louis XVI’s attempt to escape caused many people to lose trust in him, which led to increased support for a republic and more radical ideas within the revolution.
and a challenge statement:
However, the Flight to Varennes was not the only cause of radicalization because tensions and revolutionary ideas were already growing due to inequality, economic problems, and political conflict, meaning the revolution was becoming more extreme even before the king’s escape attempt.
Write an evaluation.
After considering both sides, the most compelling argument is that the Flight to Varennes was a turning point is more convincing because it directly caused a loss of trust in King Louis XVI, which led to a major shift in public opinion against the monarchy. While other factors had already created tension, this event transformed doubt into clear opposition, pushing many people toward more radical ideas like a republic. Therefore, although it was not the only cause of radicalization, it was the most immediate and decisive trigger in changing the direction of the revolution.
As France faced financial crisis, King Louis XVI fired this popular financial minister, angering Parisians and helping spark the violence of July 14, 1789.
Who is ___________________?
Connected Causes: ___________, ___________, ____________, ______________
Who is Jacques Necker?
Connected causes: France financial crisis, King Louis XVI fired minister, angered people, sparked violence
As executions increased resulting in fear spreading causing many revolutionaries turned against this leader, whose downfall ended the Reign of Terror.
Who is _________________?
Identify the connected causes ______________, _________________, _______________, _______
Who is Maximilien Robespierre?
Connected causes: executions increased, fear spreading, revolutionaries turned agains leader, downfall of Reign of Terro
Because the Directory was corrupt and unstable, these three men carried out the Coup of 18 Brumaire to seize power and end the government.
Who are Napoleon, Sieyès, and Ducos?
To create a stable, loyal society and train future government and military leaders, Napoleon established this system of
What are state-run schools primarily for boys. (lycées)
You get this prompt for Paper 2 Part A,
Explain why the Tennis Court Oath happened.
You make this list of causes in your planning and you write your paragraph.
You write this paragraph:
Inequality in the Three Estates caused deep resentment among the Third Estate because they bore the heaviest tax burden while having the least political power, which led to frustration when they were consistently outvoted in the Estates-General due to the unfair one-vote-per-estate system. This imbalance resulted in the failure of the Estates-General to address economic and political problems, which further triggered the Third Estate to declare themselves the National Assembly in order to represent the people of France. When King Louis XVI attempted to assert control by locking them out of their meeting hall, this action led to increased suspicion and anger, as the Third Estate believed the king was trying to stop reform. As a result, they relocated to a nearby tennis court, where these tensions and demands for change caused them to take the Tennis Court Oath, promising not to separate until they had written a constitution for France.
Now write a six sentence evaluation, which weighs the causes and picks the most important one!
Although several causes contributed to the Tennis Court Oath, some were more significant than others. Inequality in the Three Estates was a major long-term cause because it created widespread resentment, which led to demands for change among the Third Estate. The unfair voting system in the Estates-General further intensified this frustration, as it resulted in the Third Estate being consistently outvoted and ignored. This political deadlock caused the Third Estate to break away and form the National Assembly, showing a clear escalation in resistance. However, the most important cause was the king locking the Third Estate out of their meeting hall because this immediate action triggered the moment when they gathered in the tennis court and took a unified stand. Without this direct confrontation, the broader tensions may not have led to such a decisive and symbolic act of defiance.
You get this prompt for Paper 2 Part B.
The directory was a failure. How far do you agree?
Write a support statement, a challenge statement and an evaluation statement
Support Statement (agree it was a failure)
The Directory can be seen as a failure because it was weak and corrupt, which led to economic problems, lack of public support, and frequent use of military force to stay in power. Its decision to cancel election results and rely on coups showed that it could not govern effectively or democratically.
Challenge Statement (disagree / limited success)
However, the Directory was not entirely a failure because it restored stability after the chaos of the Reign of Terror and prevented another immediate dictatorship. It also kept the revolution going and maintained some of its changes, showing it had short-term success.
Evaluation Statement (final judgment)
Overall, while the Directory had some limited successes in stabilizing France, it was largely a failure because its corruption, instability, and reliance on force weakened the government, which ultimately led to Napoleon’s takeover; therefore, its inability to create lasting stability makes it more of a failure than a success.