French Revolution Practice Questions

1. "The French Revolution is most important for having 6. Which issue was a cause of the French Revolution?
changed subjects to citizens."
A) ineffective rule of Napoleon Bonaparte
B) nationalization of the Church
This statement emphasizes the shift from
C) outrage over the use of the guillotine by the
A) religious traditions to secular values Committee of Public Safety
B) divine right rule to people's participation in D) demand of the Third Estate for more political
government power
C) rural lifestyles to urban lifestyles
7. Which event is most closely associated with the French
D) private property ownership to government Revolution?
ownership
A) Council of Trent
2. One way in which the caste system in traditional India
B) Thirty Years’ War
and the Estates system of pre-revolutionary France are
similar is that C) Reign of Terror
D) Paris Peace Conference
A) occupations were attained by merit
B) social mobility was very limited 8. Which of these events related to the French Revolution
occurred first?
C) status was determined by education
D) impact on the daily lives of people was minimal A) Napoleon became emperor of France.
B) The Declaration of the Rights of Man was issued.
3. One way in which Robespierre and Louis XVI of France
are similar is that both C) Louis XVI called the Estates General into
session.
A) were removed from power during the French D) The Committee of Public Safety led the Reign of
Revolution Terror.
B) adopted ideas of the Congress of Vienna
9. One way in which Robespierre and Napoleon are similar
C) implemented policies of religious tolerance
is that they both
D) decreased government control of the economy
A) played an important role at the Congress of Vienna
4. Belief in the ideas of the Enlightenment and discontent
B) increased their power during the French
within the Third Estate were causes of the
Revolution
A) French Revolution C) were executed for treason by French monarchs
B) Counter Reformation D) led armies against the Haitians
C) Industrial Revolution
10. Under the Old Regime in France, the burden of taxation
D) Spanish Reconquista fell mostly on the
5. Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins are best known
A) monarchy B) clergy
for
C) nobles D) commoners
A) instituting the Reign of Terror
11. What was one effect of the French Revolution?
B) protecting freedom of religion
C) supporting the reign of King Louis XVI A) Differences between ethnic groups were
D) sending French troops to fight in the American eliminated.
Revolution B) Communism became popular.
C) Militarism was discouraged.
D) Nationalistic feelings were stimulated.
 French Revolution Practice Questions

12. Which revolution was caused by the factors shown in

this partial outline?

I. _______________________
A. Bankruptcy of the treasury
B. Tax burden on the Third Estate
C. Inflation
D. Abuses of the Old Regime

A) Russian B) Mexican
C) French D) Cuban
13. One major effect of Napoleon's rule of France was that
it led to
A) an increase in the power of the Roman Catholic
Church
B) massive emigration to the Americas
C) trade agreements with Great Britain
D) a restoration of political stability
14. At the Congress of Vienna (1815), the governments of
Europe reacted to the French Revolution and the rule of
Napoleon by attempting to
A) restore old regimes to power
B) spread the idea of democracy
C) encourage nationalist movements
D) promote the European free-trade zone
 French Revolution Practice Questions

15. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below and on your knowledge of social studies.

Which revolution resulted from the division of society shown in this diagram?
A) Puritan (1642) B) French (1789) C) Mexican (1910) D) Russian (1917)
Base your answers to questions 16 and 17 on the chart 17. During which revolution did these executions occur?
below.
A) French B) Russian
C) Chinese D) Cuban

18. A comparison of the actions of the Jacobins during the

French Revolution and the actions of the Bolsheviks
during the Russian Revolution indicates that
revolutions sometimes
A) occur in a peaceful manner
B) gain the support of wealthy landowners
C) ignore urban workers
D) bring radicals to power
19. What was a major cause of the French Revolution?
A) inequalities in the tax structure
B) economic success of mercantilism
16. Which statement is best supported by information C) failure of the Congress of Vienna
found in this chart? D) Continental System of Europe
A) Clergy were spared from the Reign of Terror. 20. Which factors protected Russia from control by
B) The Reign of Terror affected all classes equally. Napoleon’s army?
C) The Reign of Terror crossed social and A) religious and cultural similarities
economic boundaries. B) industrialization and modernization
D) Peasants were the most frequent victims of the C) geographic size and location
Reign of Terror.
D) political and economic instability
 French Revolution Practice Questions

21. Before the French Revolution, the people of France Base your answers to questions 24 and 25 on the
were divided into three estates based mainly on their drawing below and on your knowledge of social studies.
A) education level B) geographic region
C) social class D) religious beliefs
22. Which statement describes a similarity between the
French Revolution and the Bolshevik Revolution in
Russia?
A) The leaders in power before the revolutions
favored changing the political system in their
country.
B) Both revolutions were the result of government
denial of basic human rights and stressful
economic conditions.
C) Most of the revolutionary support was provided by
radicals from other countries.
D) The new democracies created by the revolutions
gave people greater representation in their
governments.
23. Which list of French leaders is in the correct
chronological order?
A) Louis XVI ®Napoleon ®Robespierre
24. Which conclusion can be drawn from this drawing?
B) Robespierre ®Napoleon ®Louis XVI
C) Louis XVI ® Robespierre ® Napoleon A) One group paid heavy taxes that supported the
other two groups.
D) Napoleon ®Louis XVI ®Robespierre
B) Hard work, prayer, and a good example allowed
for a stable government in France.
C) Peasants and professionals in this society were
gaining political and economic power.
D) French society emphasized the importance of
natural law and social equality.
25. This drawing illustrates conditions that contributed
primarily to the beginning of the
A) Protestant Reformation
B) French Revolution
C) Napoleonic Wars
D) European Renaissance
 French Revolution Practice Questions

26. The American and French Revolutions were turning Base your answers to questions 30 and 31 on the
points in global history because the results of these passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.
revolutions
"During the greater part of the day the guillotine had
A) led to the abolition of slavery
been kept busy at its ghastly work . . . . Every aristocrat
B) inspired other peoples seeking democracy and was a traitor. . . . For two hundred years now the people
independence had sweated, and toiled, and starved to keep a lustful
C) marked the end of European influence in the court in lavish extravagance; now the descendants of
Western Hemisphere those who had helped to make these courts brilliant had
D) demonstrated the need for strong international to hide for their lives."
peacekeeping organizations
30. Which generalization best summarizes the views of the
27. One of the main purposes of the Congress of Vienna author of this passage?
(1814–1815) was to
A) The common people of the nation deserved to be
A) promote the unification of Italy punished for violating the country’s laws.
B) preserve the German territories gained by Otto von B) The goals of fraternity, equality, and liberty were
Bismarck achieved in this period.
C) restore the power of the Holy Roman Empire C) The nobility was being punished for bringing
D) establish a balance of power in Europe after the benefits to the nation.
defeat of Napoleon D) Because of past abuses by the nobility, the
28. "Estates General Meet for First Time in 175 Years" common people staged a bloody revolt.
"National Assembly Issues Declarations of the Rights 31. Which event is referred to in this passage?
of Man"
A) French Revolution
"Reign of Terror Ends; Robespierre Dies"
B) Sepoy Mutiny
Which event in European history is most closely C) Protestant Reformation
associated with these headlines? D) Mexican Revolution
A) Puritan Revolution
32. The French people supported Napoleon Bonaparte
B) Hundred Years War because they hoped he would
C) French Revolution
D) signing of the Magna Carta A) adopt the ideas of the Protestant Reformation
B) restore Louis XVI to power
29. A major goal of the Congress of Vienna was to C) provide stability for the nation
A) establish democratic governments in all European D) end British control of France
nations
33. One way in which the Glorious Revolution in England,
B) maintain a balance of power in Europe the French Revolution, and the Iranian Revolution are
C) return Napoleon Bonaparte to power similar is that each revolution
D) create independent governments for Austria and
Hungary A) required foreign military intervention
B) resulted in a republican form of government
C) brought about religious freedom
D) challenged the role and power of the monarch
34. One important result of the French Revolution was that
A) France enjoyed a lengthy period of peace and
prosperity
B) the Church was restored to its former role and
power in the French government
C) political power shifted to the bourgeoisie
D) France lost its spirit of nationalism
 French Revolution Practice Questions

35. The French Revolution of 1789 and the Cuban 39. The main purpose of the Congress of Vienna (1815)
Revolution of 1959 were similar in that both were was to
caused primarily by the
A) return Europe to the conditions that existed
A) desire of the people to be free from foreign rule before the French Revolution
B) pressure of religious leaders for government B) establish strategies needed to rebuild Turkey's
reform economy
C) failure of the government to meet the needs of C) create a European Court of Justice
the people D) promote the ideas of the French Revolution
D) ambition of the upper class to attain wealth and 40. The French Revolution of 1789, the Chinese Revolution
property of 1911, and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 were
36. In France, which was a major result of the French similar in that these revolutions
Revolution?
A) were led by ruthless dictators
A) The King was restored to unlimited power. B) were motivated by a desire to overthrow a
B) The clergy dominated government. monarch
C) The middle class gained political influence. C) led directly to the establishment of communism
D) The tax burden was carried by the lower classes. D) established a higher standard of living for the
middle class
37. The French bourgeoisie supported the French
Revolution mainly because they 41. A primary cause of the French Revolution in 1789 was
the
A) believed in the theory of divine right of kings
B) were not allowed to own property under the Old A) increasing dissatisfaction of the Third Estate
Regime B) rise to power of Napoleon Bonaparte
C) resented their lack of political power under the C) actions of Prince Metternich
Old Regime D) execution of Louis XVI
D) wanted a communist form of government
38. Which statement is a valid generalization about the
immediate results of the French Revolution of 1789?
A) The Roman Catholic Church increased its power
and wealth.
B) The Revolution achieved its goal of establishing
peace, democracy, and justice for all.
C) The Revolution had little impact outside France.
D) The French middle class gained more power.
 Answer Key
French Revolution Practice Questions

1. B 37. C
2. B 38. D
3. A 39. A
4. A 40. B
5. A 41. A
6. D
7. C
8. C
9. B
10. D
11. D
12. C
13. D
14. A
15. B
16. C
17. A
18. D
19. A
20. C
21. C
22. B
23. C
24. A
25. B
26. B
27. D
28. C
29. B
30. D
31. A
32. C
33. D
34. C
35. C
36. C