The French Revolution

1. What was French Revolution?

1. French Revolution was the rebellion of the people against the anti- people, dictatorial policies
of the monarch.
2. It took place in 1789.
3. As a result of French Revolution, all individuals had rights and equality.
2. What were the slogans of French Revolution?

Equality, liberty and fraternity were the slogans of French Revolution.

3. What were the causes of the empty treasury under Louis XVI?

Why did King Louis XVI conclude to increases in the taxes?

France was already under debt when Louis XVI became the king. Long years of war had drained the
financial resources of France. Under Louis XVI France helped America in its war against Britain. The
war added more than a billion livres to the debt which had already risen to 2 billion livres. Lenders
who gave the credit began to charge 10% interest on loans. So the French government had to spend
most of its income on interest payments. To meet the regular expenses, such as the cost of
maintaining an army, the court, running government offices, the state was forced to increase taxes.

4. How was the French society divided in 18th century?

1. The French society in 18th century was divided into three estates. Clergy and the nobility
comprised the first and second estates respectively. They were the privileged sections of the
society. The most important of these was exemption from paying taxes to the state.
2. The third estates comprised all the common people. It included peasants, artisans, traders,
business man, lawyers, labours, servants etc. They constituted more than 90% of the total
population of France.
5. ‘Inequality was the major problem in French society’. Explain.

1. The 18th century French society was ridden with inequality. The first two estates enjoyed all
the privileges of the society. They were exempted from paying tax to the state.
2. Though they comprised less than 10% of the total population, they enjoyed around 60% of
the total landed property of France.
3. The third estate which comprised more than 90% of the total population was the unprivileged
sections of the society. In addition to the tax they had to pay to the state, they were to pay a
tax to the church.
4. The peasants were obliged to render services to the lord- to work in his house and the fields-
to serve in the army or to participate in building roads.
6. Name the two kinds taxes which the members of third estate had to pay.

Tithes and taille.

7. Why was there a subsistence crisis in France in 18 th century for most of the people?

1. The population of France rose from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789.

2. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains. But the production of the grains did
not increase during this period.
3. Consequently, the price of food grains rose up. But the wages of the people did not increase
with the increasing prices. This led to a subsistence crisis.
8. How did the middle class contribute to the French revolution?
The eighteenth century saw the emergence of a middle class. This class earned their wealth through
foreign trade and from the manufacture of silk and woolen textiles. In addition to merchants and
manufactures, the middle class included professionals such as lawyers or administrative officials. All
of these were educated and believed that no group should be privileged by birth. This class was
influenced by the French philosophers. It was this class who led the French revolution.

9. Mention the ideas about the rulers and the government given by the three famous French
philosophers. OR

What was the role of Philosophers and thinkers in the French Revolution?

The philosophers and thinkers believed that no group in a society should be privileged by birth. They
supported a society based on freedom and equal laws.

1. In his two treaties of Government, John Locke opposed the divine and absolute right of the
kings.
2. Rousseau in his book The Social Contract proposed a form of government based on social
contract between the people and their representatives.
3. In The Sprit of the Laws, Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government
between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.
10. What were the causes of the French Revolution?

1. There was inequality in France. The members of the third estate who comprised more than
90% of the people had a miserable life while the nobility and the clergy enjoyed many
privileges.
2. The king and the nobility led a luxurious life. They never cared for the welfare of the people.
3. The people had no share in decision making. The French parliament called the Estate General
had not been called for 175 years. Administration was corrupt and inefficient.
4. The philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau etc. instilled a revolutionary spirit among the people.
The stressed the need to remove social inequalities and to set up a new government
responsive to their needs.
5. The immediate reason was the high price of bread. People could not buy bread as their income
remained low.
11. How was the church responsible for the French Revolution?

The Church was another institution of France which exploited the people. The clergy, being the first
estate, enjoyed many privileges. The church had huge landed properties while the common people
had almost nothing. The members of the church were not only exempted form paying any tax to the
government but also they had the right to collect one tenth of the produce form every family as a tax.
The clergy lead a very luxurious life while the common people had a miserable life. Besides, the church
exercised many powers over the people. All such things annoyed the people and turned them against
the government and the church.

12. How did the peasants contribute to the outbreak of the French Revolution?

Majority of the people of France were peasants. They belonged to the third estate. They were the
unprivileged sections of the society. Their life was miserable. Although, they comprised around 90%
of the population, they had only 40% of the total land of France. In addition to the tax which they had
to pay to the state, they were supposed to give one tenth of their produce to the church. They faced
a subsistence crisis by the end of 18th century due to high price of bread. Under such circumstances,
they stared a rebellion in July 1789 in protest against high price of bread.

13. Trace the events which led to the French Revolution.

Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak revolutionary protest in France.

Why were the members of the third estate disappointed with the pattern of voting in the estate
general?

1. Representatives of the three estates had been called to attend assembly on May 5, 1789 to
consider and give approval to king’s proposal on new taxes.
2. In the past, voting in the Estate General had been conducted according to the principle that
each estate had one vote.
3. In this assembly, the members of the third estate objected to this method and demanded that
each member will have one vote each. This was one of the democratic principles put forward
by philosophers like Rousseau in his book social contract.
4. When the king rejected this proposal, members of the third estate walked out of the assembly
in protest and went to a tennis court and declared themselves to be the National Assembly.
They also decided not to disperse until a constitution is made.
5. While the National Assembly was busy making the constitution, the people in Paris started a
rebellion in protest against the high price of bread. On 14 July, 1789, the rebellious crowd
stormed and destroyed the Bastille.

14. Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which groups were forced to
relinquish power? Which section of the society would have been disappointed by the outcome of
the revolution?

1. The members of the third estate which comprised more than 90% of the population must
have been benefited from the revolution. This class comprised all the common people such as
peasants, artisans, merchants and the professionals.
2. The king, the nobility and the church were forced to give up power. The king agreed to follow
the constitution. The lands of the nobles and the clergy were confiscated and their privileges
ceased to exist.
3. Women and the poor people would have been disappointed by the revolution because the
new constitution did not grant them the right to vote.
15. What was the Estates General?

1. The Estate General was a political body to which the three estates sent their representatives.
Each of the three estates had one vote each.
2. New taxes could be introduced only after the Estate General gave its approval to the king’s
proposal.
16. Explain the role of Mirabeau and Abbe Sieye’s in the French Revolution?

1. Both Mirabeau and Abbe Sieye’s were great political thinkers.

2. They were the leaders of the National Assembly which was formed in 1789 after the failure of
the meeting of the Estate General.
3. Mirabeau was born in a noble family but was convinced of the need to end feudal privilege
enjoyed by the nobles. He brought out a journal, and delivered powerful speeches to the
crowds assembled at Versailles.
4. Abbe Sieye’s, originally a priest wrote and influential pamphlet called, ‘What is the Third
Estate?
17. What was the tennis court oath?
 1. Representatives of the three estates had been called to attend assembly on May 5, 1789 to
consider and give approval to king’s proposal on new taxes.
2. In the past, voting in the Estate General had been conducted according to the principle that
each estate had one vote.
3. In this assembly, the members of the third estate objected to this method and demanded that
each member will have one vote each.
4. The demand was rejected by the king. Consequently, they walked out and assembled in an
indoor tennis court and declared themselves the National Assembly and took an oath that
they will not disperse until a constitution is made.
18. Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be traced to the French
Revolution.

The following are the democratic rights we enjoy today.

1. Right to life
2. Right to equality
3. Right to freedom of speech
4. Right to freedom of expression
5. Right to freedom of religion
6. Right against exploitation.
Out of these democratic rights we enjoy today, the first four rights can be traced to the French
Revolution.

19. What land mark decision was taken by the national assembly led by the third estate in 1789?

The national assembly passed a resolution abolishing the feudal system of obligations and taxes.
Members of the clergy were forced to give up their privileges. Tithes were abolished and the lands
owned by the church were confiscated.

20. What reforms did the constitution of 1791 bring in France?

What were the features of 1791 constitution?

1. As per the constitution France became a constitutional monarchy.

2. The power of the monarch was limited and most of his powers were assigned to three
institutions- legislature, executive and judiciary.
3. The power to make laws was given to national assembly which was indirectly elected.
4. Only men above twenty five years who paid a tax minimum of three days wage had the right
to vote.

21. Give an account of the work of National Assembly (1789-91) of France.

Explain how the new political system of constitutional monarchy in France worked.

State the election process of the national assembly in France.

The constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly which was indirectly
elected. That is, citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the assembly. Not all citizens,
however, had the right to vote. Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3
days of a labourer’s wage were given the status of active citizens, that is, they were entitled to vote.
The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens.
22. Mention the basic rights given to the citizen by the constitution of France under the declaration
of Rights of Man and Citizen.

1. Right to life
2. Right to equality
3. Right to freedom of speech
4. Right to freedom of opinion

23. Explain the condition which led to the rise of Jacobeans.

What was the role of Jacobins in the French Revolution?

The constitutional monarchy, which came to power in 1791, did not give right to vote to every citizen.
Poor people and women were denied the right to vote. There fore, a large section of the society, were
not happy with the results of the revolution. Such people began forming political clubs. The most
successful of these clubs was that of the Jacobins. The Jacobins wanted the revolution to be carried
further. Maximilian Robespierre was their leader. In 1792; the Jacobins planned a revolt to end the
autocratic rule of the royal family. They stormed the palace, massacred the king’s guards and held the
king as hostage. Later the assembly voted to imprison the royal family.

24. Why is the period from 1793to 1794 referred as the reign of terror?

1. This period was ruled by Robespierre who followed a policy of severe control and punishment.
2. All those whom he saw as being enemies of the republic- ex- nobles and clergy, members of
other political parties etc. were arrested and tried by a revolutionary tribunal.
3. If the court found them guilty, they were guillotined.
25. What were the reforms introduced by Robespierre government?

1. A limit was placed on wages and prices.

2. Meat and bread were rationed.
3. The peasants were forced to sell their grains at a rate fixed by the government.
4. Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks or offices.
5. All men and women were now called citizen instead of sir and madam.

26. Explain any four causes for the fall of Jacobean government?

Jacobian government followed a policy of severe control and punishment.

All those whom Robespierre saw as enemies of the republic were arrested, imprisoned and then tried
by a revolutionary tribunal. If the court found them guilty, they were imprisoned.

Some of the reforms introduced by him were very unpopular. All were supposed to eat loaf made of
whole wheat. Churches were confiscated and they were converted into barracks. Such reforms were
disliked by many people.

Robespierre pursued his policies so relentlessly that even his supporters began to demand
moderation. Finally, he was convicted by a court in 1794, arrested and the next day sent to guillotine.

Describe the importance of the declaration of the rights of man in France.

27. Explain the role played by the political clubs of the French women in voicing their demands.
Mention any two of their demands.

What was the role of women in French revolution?

From the very beginning, women were active participants in the events which brought about so many
important changes in French Society. They hoped that their involvement would pressurize the
revolutionary government to introduce measures to improve their life. In order to discuss and voice
their interests women started their own political clubs and newspapers. About sixty women’s clubs
came up in different French cities. The Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women was the most
famous of them. One of their main demands was that women enjoy the same political rights as men.
Women were disappointed that the Constitution of 1791 reduced them to passive citizens. They
demanded the right to vote, to be elected to the national assembly and to hold political office. Only
then, they felt, would their interest be presented in the new government.

28. Describe the life of the French women before the revolution.

1. Most women of the third estate had to work for a living. They worked as tailors,
washerwomen, and sold fruit and flowers and vegetables in the market.
2. Many women were employed as domestic servants in the houses of prosperous people.
3. Most women did not have access to education or job training.
4. Working women had also to care for their families, that is, cook, fetch water, queue up for
bread and look after their children.
29. How were the lives of women changed after the revolution?

1. Schooling was made compulsory for all girls.

2. Parents could no longer marry their daughters against their will.
3. Divorce was made legal, and could be applied for by both men and women.
4. Women could now train for jobs, could became artists or run business.
30. What do you mean by the triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa and America?

The slave trade began in 17th century. The French merchants went to Africa and bought slaves from
the African chiefs. These slaves were packed in ships and taken to the Caribbean islands where they
were sold to the plantation owners. With the money they received for the slaves, they purchased
plantation products like sugar, coffee, tobacco and indigo. These goods were then taken to Europe
and sold there. Thus the slave trade was linked to three continents. It was called triangular slave trade.

31. What changes were brought in France after the fall of Robespierre government? How did it lead
to the rise of Napoleon?

The fall of the Jacobin government allowed the wealthier class middle class to capture power. A new
constitution was introduced which denied vote to non propertied sections of the society. It provided
for two elected legislative councils. Then they appointed a Directory, an executive made up of five
members. However, the Directors often clashed with the legislative councils, who often sought to
dismiss them. The political instability of the Directory paved the way for the rise of a military dictator,
Napoleon Bonaparte.

32. How was slavery abolished in France?

Through out the 18th century there was little criticism of slavery in France.

1. The National Assembly held long debates whether the rights of man should by extended to all
French subjects including those in the colonies. But it did not pass any laws, fearing opposition
from businessmen whose incomes depended on the slave trade.
2. It was finally the Convention which in 1794 legislated to free all slaves in the French oversees
possessions. This however turned out to be short term measure.
3. Ten years later, Napoleon reintroduced slavery.
4. Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.

33. How did the freedom of speech and expression under the revolutionary government in France
promoted the ideals of liberty and equality into every day practice?

Discuss the impact of the abolition of censorship in France.

The freedom of speech and expression under the revolutionary government in France promoted the
ideals of liberty and equality into every day practice.

One important law that came into effect soon after the storming of the Bastille in the summer of 1789
was the abolition of the censorship. In the old regime, all written material and cultural activities –
books, news papers, and plays- could be published or performed only after they had been approved
by the sensors of the king. Now the declaration of the rights of man and citizen proclaimed freedom
of speech and expression to be a natural right. Newspapers, pamphlets, books and printed pictures
flooded the towns of France from where they travelled rapidly into the countryside. They all discussed
and described the events and changes taking place in France. Freedom of the press also meant that
opposing views of events could be expressed

34. How would you explain the rise and fall of Napoleon?

In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself the emperor of France.

1. He set out to conquer neighbhouring countries, dispossessing dynasties and creating

kingdoms where he placed members of his family.
2. Napoleon saw his role as a modernizer of Europe. He introduced many laws such a protection
of the private property and the uniforms system of weights and measures.
3. Initially many saw Napoleon as a liberator who would bring freedom for the people.
4. But soon the Napoleonic armies came to be viewed everywhere as an invading force.
5. He was finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815.
35. Mention any two steps taken by Napoleon to modernize France.

1. He introduced many laws such as the protection of private property.

2. He introduced a uniform system of weights and measures.

36. What were the results of the French revolution for France?

What were the results of French Revolution?

The following were the results of the French revolution:

The revolution led to the end to the dictatorship of King Louis XVI. France became a constitutional
democracy according to the 1791 constitution.
Number of people including Louis XVI and his wife were guillotined.

Feudalism was abolished. The clergy and the nobles lost their feudal privileges.

The property of the church was confiscated and sold to the people.

The new government passed the rights of men and citizen according to which people got some basic
fundamental rights.

37. What was the impact of the French Revolution on the world?

Describe the legacy of the French Revolution to for the people of the world during the 19th and 20th
centuries.

The French Revolution was an important event in the history of the world. The overthrow of the
despotic government led by Louis XVI and the subsequent establishment of a constitutional monarchy
in 1789 is considered to be an important event. The following were the legacy of the French
Revolution.

1. Liberty- liberty consists of the power to do whatever is not injurious to others. The law has the
right to forbid only actions that are injurious to society. Every citizen may write, print or speak
freely.
2. Equality- every citizen is equal before the law. No special privileges should be given to anyone
based on his birth.
Freedom- the people have the right to be ruled by themselves. In other words, only a democratically
elected government has the right to form a government.