The French Revolution Flashcards
What were the causes of the French Revolution?
- How France was ruled
- The Enlightenment
- The system of taxation
- The influence of the American War of Independence
- Calling the Estates General
How was the way France was ruled a cause the French Revolution?
- In 1780s France was rules by King Louis XVI and his Austrian wife, Queen Marie Antoinette
- Louis was an absolute monarch which meant he made all laws; no democracy
- Believed God gave him the right to rule France. This idea is called the Divine Right of Kings
How was the Enlightenment a cause the French Revolution?
- In 18th Century, a group of intellectuals began to question the way countries were governed
- Enlightened thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltair began to criticise the way France was ruled
What three things did Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltair believe about the way a country was run?
i) The people, not God, gave the right to rule
ii) If a king didn’t rule well, the people should have the right to overthrow him and form a government (republic)
iii) Everyone is equal and no group should have special privileges
How was the system of taxation a cause of the French Revolution?
- People in France were divided into groups called estates
- The third estate paid all the taxes even though they could least afford it
- Because of this, they began to resent the privileges of the 1st and 2nd estates
How was the influence of the American War of Independence a cause of the French Revolution?
- As France fought in American War of Independence, returning soldiers brought back ideas of free speech and democracy.
- French were inspired by ‘Declaration of Independence’ which told them “all men are created equal”. This appealed to them because the ancien regime was so unequal
- Financial costs of helping the Americans brought France to near bankruptcy so they increased taxes, greatly angering the third estate
Describe the first estate
○Catholic clergy
○Paid no taxes
Describe the second estate
○Nobles
○Paid no taxes
Describe the third estate
○Bourgeoisie (businessmen), shopkeepers, tradesmen, peasants
○Paid taxes to king, church and nobles
How was the calling of the estates general a cause of the French Revolution?
- To pay for French involvement in A.W.O.I King Louis needed to increase taxes
- He wanted to tax the 1st and 2nd estates so he called a meeting of the General Estates to discuss it
- Meeting was held in May 1789
- They disagreed on how to vote. The third estate were locked out of the room and so they took the Tennis Court Oath – an agreement to stick together and form a National Assembly
What was the Estates General?
A type of parliament with men elected to represent each of the three estates
What is seen as the beginning of the French Revilution?
The National Guard, on 14 July 1789, stormed the Bastille Prison to steal their arms and ammo
What did the Declaration of the Rights of Man say?
a) the government’s power comes from the people not God
b) citizens had the right to free speech, freedom of religion and equal treatment under the law
What was the slogan of the French Revolution?
“Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”
OR
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
What was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?
This reduced the power of the Catholic Church in France. It gave the National Assembly the power to:
a) Confiscate church property
b) Force the clergy to take an oath to support the revolution
