Rapid Revision: The French Revolution (Class IX) Flashcards

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Bastille

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A fortress-prison in Paris attacked on 14 July 1789; its fall symbolised the start of the French Revolution and popular uprising against royal authority.

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Louis XVI

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King of France during the early revolution whose inability to solve the financial crisis and political deadlock led to loss of royal authority. He was tried and executed in 1793.

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Estates System

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The threefold social order of pre-revolutionary France: First Estate (clergy), Second Estate (nobility), and Third Estate (commoners). It structured privileges and tax burdens unequally.

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Third Estate

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The largest social group including peasants, artisans, and bourgeoisie; bore most taxes and led political demands for representation, forming the National Assembly.

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Tithe

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A church tax that required a portion of agricultural produce to be given to the clergy. It added to the economic burden on peasants during the pre-revolutionary period.

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Taille

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A direct tax on the commoners enforced by the state; nobles and clergy were often exempt, increasing resentment among the Third Estate.

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Subsistence Crisis

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A situation where crop failures, rising prices and unemployment make basic survival difficult for many people. It was a major factor that pushed the masses toward revolt in 1789.

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National Assembly

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Formed by the representatives of the Third Estate in 1789 to draft a constitution and check royal authority; it marked the political organisation of the revolutionary movement.

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Tennis Court Oath

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A pledge by members of the Third Estate in 1789, vowing not to separate until they had drafted a constitution. It symbolised unity and determination to limit the king's powers.

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Declaration of Rights

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The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) set out liberty, equality and legal rights as foundational principles of the new order. It influenced later democratic movements worldwide.

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Jacobins

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A radical political club that gained influence during the Revolution; they advocated for republicanism and were instrumental in pushing more radical policies during 1793–94.

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Robespierre

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A leading Jacobin who became the dominant figure during the Reign of Terror; he enforced strict measures and severe punishments to defend the revolution, later executed in 1794.

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Reign of Terror

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Period (1793–94) of extreme revolutionary repression marked by mass executions and political purges under Robespierre to protect the Revolution from enemies.

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Directory

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A five-member executive government set up after the fall of Robespierre; it was politically unstable and struggled to manage economic and military pressures.

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Napoleon

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A military leader who rose to power after the Directory, crowned himself Emperor in 1804, implemented administrative reforms and the Napoleonic Code, and reshaped Europe until his defeat in 1815.

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Napoleonic Code

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A legal code introduced by Napoleon that standardized laws across territories, emphasizing property rights, civil law uniformity and certain modern administrative reforms.

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Abolition of Slavery

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Slavery was abolished by revolutionary measures at times, reintroduced by Napoleon, and finally permanently abolished in French territories by 1848.

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Women's Participation

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Women played active roles in protests, political clubs and social struggles; the Revolution improved some legal rights but full political equality took much longer to achieve.

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Active Citizens

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Under the 1791 constitution, 'active citizens' were men over 25 who paid taxes and had the right to vote; many people remained excluded as 'passive citizens'.

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Triangular Slave Trade

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A three-way system linking Europe, Africa and the Americas, involving the transport of enslaved Africans to the Americas and goods back to Europe; it underpinned colonial economies and was contested during revolutionary debates.