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World History
French Revolution & Napoleon Study Guide
Mr. Wiggins
*The following terms and topics will potentially appear on the Unit Test. You are also responsible for the
assigned readings from the text. Do not rely solely on this as your primary tool of studying. Review all of your
class notes as well. Good luck!
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
What was the Old Regime? What were the three estates and what privileges did they, or did they not, have?
-How did the Old Regime motivate the French Revolution?
What were some of the social causes of the French Revolution?
Who did the people (Third Estate) blame for France’s condition?
Who were the bourgeoisie and why were they upset?
What grievance did the First and Second Estates have with the king?
Who were the king and queen of France during the time of the French Revolution?
From where did the queen of France hail from? Why was she called “Madame Deficit”?
What advice did Louis’s financial experts give him to help the French people.
What was the Estates General?
When the Estates General met, France was suffering from inflation, a governmental financial crisis, and famine.
Who was Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes? What did he do? For whom did he support?
Why was the Estates General traditionally undemocratic? How did it become more democratic during this time?
What was the National Assembly? From what estate was it formed? How did Louis react?
What was the Tennis Court Oath? What pledge did the participants make with this oath?
Why did the people of Paris storm the Bastille on July 14, 1789?
What was the “Great Fear” that swept across France? How did the peasants react to this “Fear”?
What was the main staple of the French? (hint: it comes with your baked potato soup at Panera)
REFORM & TERROR OF REVOLUTION
What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen? What other document did it strongly resemble?
-What was accomplished in this Declaration of the Rights of Man?
Who was Olympe de Gouges? What did she propose?
The National Assembly divided France into departments. What were these?
How did the National Assembly go about paying down the national debt?
-What was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy? What did it accomplish?
-How did the French Catholics react to this?
To where did Louis and his family attempt to flee? Why there?
The National Assembly passed a new constitution in 1791. It limited the authority of the king & setup a government that
was divided into three branches.
What was the Legislative Assembly? What three general groups made this up?
Who were the “émigrés”? What was their goal?
Who were the “sans-culottes”?
How did neighboring monarchies view what was happening in France?
What did the Declaration of Pillnitz call for? What two countries called for war on France? What was their goal?
Why did Louis welcome a foreign war at this time?
What group of people made up the Commune? What did they accuse Louis of?
-What did they do with the French monarchy position?
What was the purpose/goal of the National Convention?
-Members of this organization were elected by universal manhood suffrage. What was this?
Who were the Girondists?
Who were the Jacobins?
-Who were Georges-Jacques Danton, Maximilien Robespierre, and Jean-Paul Marat?
With what did the National Convention accuse Louis of? What was his punishment?
What new “device of death” was invented during this time?
The First Coalition was formed by Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, the Kingdom of Sardinia, Austria, & Prussia
-What was their goal?
What was the purpose of the Committee of Public Safety?
-What type of “new army” did they raise?
What group dominated the National Convention?
Who was Charlotte Corday? What did she do?
How did the National Convention systematically suppress all opposition?
What was the goal of Robespierre & his Committee of Public Safety? What did this period become known as?
-WHY?
-What happened to Marie Antoinette?
-Against whom was this Reign of Terror directed towards?
-What was the fate of Georges-Jacques Danton? Why?
-What was the fate of Robespierre?
What were some of the reforms of the National Convention?
In 1795, the National Convention drafted another constitution. This abolished the monarchy and established
the Directory (executive branch). How successful and popular was the Directory?
THE NAPOLEONIC ERA
What conditions was France under that allowed Napoleon to rise to power?
Where was Napoleon from originally? How did this affect his social life in the military school?
What military tactics/strategies did Napoleon use that set him apart from other generals?
How much early success did Napoleon have? How did the Directory view Napoleon because of this success?
What happened to Napoleon in Egypt? How did he explain it to the French people?
How did the French people view Napoleon?
Napoleon took control of the French government through a bloodless coup d’etat. What is a coup d’etat?
-This coup of 1799 made Napoleon dictator of France. How did the people view this?
-1799-1814 = the Napoleonic Era, or the Age of Napoleon
Napoleon reorganized & centralized the administration of France to give himself unlimited power. He created
an executive branch, made up of three conuls (the Consulate). Napoleon = First Consul
Napoleon submitted his revised constitution of his government to the people for a vote through a plebiscite.
What is a plebiscite?
What was the Napoleonic Code?
What was the Concordant, what did it accomplish, and what was Napoleon’s motivation for its passage?
What was especially significant at the coronation of Napoleon as Emperor? What did this demonstrate?
What country renewed the war against France in 1805 by organizing the Third Coalition?
What was the Battle of Trafalgar? Why was it significant?
What was the Continental System? What was its goal?
-How did the Brits respond to this Continental System?
What were some ways in which Napoleon reorganized Europe?
Because of his European dominance, a nationalist feelings swept across the continent. What is nationalism?
What was the Peninsular War? Who was it between? What was the outcome?
How did Russia eventually react to the French Continental system? What was Napoleon’s reaction?
-How did Napoleon’s Grand Army differ from Frances earlier citizen army?
When Napoleon invaded Russia, what strategy did the Russians employ to defeat the Grand Army? Was is
successful?
Under what conditions did the victorious European allies allow France to exist under following the fall of
Napoleon? Who did the allies install into power of France?
What were Napoleon’s Hundred Days? What happened to Napoleon on the 101st day of this period?
*ALSO, BE SURE TO STUDY THE QUESTIONAIRE ON THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA READING.