THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

-BY ARPIT ADARSH

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
1. What is the significance of 14th July 1789?

Ans. On 14th July 1789,

i. The French Revolution started.

ii. The downfall of the Bourbon dynasty started.

iii. A group of people marched towards the eastern part of the city and
stormed the fortress prison, the Bastille.

2. Why was Bastille Fort hated by the French?

Ans. The Bastille Fort was hated by the French because it was a symbol of the
despotic power of the king.

3. What does OLD Regime mean?

Ans. The OLD Regime refers to the society and institutions of France before 1789.

4. What do you mean by Tithes and Taille?

Ans. Tithes – The Church extracted its share of taxes from the peasants, known as
Tithes.

Taille – All members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state. These
included a direct tax called Taille.
 5. Mention the names of the Philosophers, their books and the subject matter
of that book.

Ans. John Locke – In his ‘Two Treatises of Government’ sought to refute the
doctrine of the divine and absolute rule of the monarch.

Jean Jacques Rousseau – In his book ‘Social Contract’ proposed a government

based on a social contract between people and their representative.

Montesquieu – In his book ‘The spirit of the Laws’ proposed a division of power
within the government between the legislature, executive and judiciary.

6. Name the leaders who joined with the third estate during the Tennis Court
Oath.

Ans. Mirabeau (a noble) and Abbe Sieyes (a priest) joined with the third estate
during the Tennis Court Oath.

7. Who was the author of the pamphlet ‘What is the Third Estate’?

Ans. Abbe Sieyes was the author of the pamphlet ‘What is the Third Estate’.

8. What is the importance of 4th August 1789?

Ans. On 4th August 1789, the National Assembly passed a decree accordingly. The
steps taken by the National Assembly were:-

i. The feudal system of obligation and taxes were abolished.

 ii. The members of the Clergy were forced to give up their privileges.

iii. Titles were abolished and lands owned by the Church were confiscated.

9. What was Tennis Court Oath?

Ans. The representatives of the third estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for
the whole French nation. They declared themselves the National Assembly.

They assembled in the tennis court and swore for framing a constitution. This
commitment is referred to as the Tennis Court Oath.

They took oath to limit the powers of the monarch by creating a constitution for
France.

10.What were the basic features of the constitution of 1789?

OR

What were the achievements of National Assembly?

Ans. The achievements of National Assembly:-

i. It set up a constitutional monarchy in France.

ii. It abolished the feudal system of obligations and taxes.

iii. It was the duty of the state to protect each citizen’s natural rights.

iv. The Clergy were forced to give up their privileges.

 v. French were divided into two categories- Active and Passive citizens.

vi. The powers were separated and assigned to different institutions-

legislature, executive and judiciary.

vii. National Assembly got right to make laws.

11. Differentiate between Active and Passive citizens.

Ans. ACTIVE CITIZENS PASSIVE CITIZENS

i. They had right to vote. i. They did not have right to vote.

ii. About 4 million of a population ii. About 3 million men.

of 28 million who paid taxes.

iii. Men above 25 years. iii. Women, children and youth

Below 25 years.

12. Who abolished the monarchy of France for the first time?

Ans. Convention abolished the monarchy of France for the first time.

13. Who was the poet of the National Anthem of France?

Ans. Roget de Lisle was the poet of the National Anthem of France.
 14. When France became republic for the first time?

Ans. On 21 September 1792, France became republic for the first time.

15. Which period is known as the Reign of Terror? Why?

Ans. The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred as the Reign of Terror in France.

This was so because :-

i. Robespierre followed the policy of control and punishment

ii. All those whom he saw as being enemies of the republic (nobles,
clergy, members of other political parties, even members of his own
party who did not agree with his methods) were arrested, imprisoned
and then tried by a revolutionary tribunal.

iii. If the court found them guilty, they were guillotined.

16. When, where and why Louis XIV was executed?

Ans. Louis XIV was executed on 21 January 1793 he was executed publically at the
Place de la Concorde. He was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of
treason.

17. Why was directory failed?

OR

What was the problem of the directory?

Ans. When the directory came into power, it faced many problems including
widespread famine, civil war, internal corruption and war with neighboring
countries. There was also struggle for power within the directory between
royalists and radical revolutionaries.

18. Who did write the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizens’?

Ans. Olympe de Gouges wrote the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Woman and
Citizens’.

19. Write impact of the French Revolution on day to day life of people?

Ans. The French revolution affects the life of the French people in many ways.
Some of them are as follows:-

i. Change in dressing style and pattern due to equality and liberty.

ii. Freedom of Speech and expression was now a natural right.

iii. The revolutionary ideas of the French Revolution changed the language the
people spoke and the books they read.

iv. The freedom of the press and printing books and newspapers were
granted.

v. The abolition of censorship.

20. What were the political causes of the French Revolution?

Ans. The political causes were:-

i. The Emperor ruled with the principle of "DEVINE RIGHT THEORY OF

KINGSHIP”.

ii. The king was not answerable to anybody.

iii. The Legislature (Estate General) which was meant to help the Emperor was
not called since 1614 C.E.

iv. All the top posts were reserved upper classes.

v. The character behavior of the king and the queen.

vi. Louis XVI was lacked all the qualities that France wanted. Moreover he was
a hen-packed husband.

vii. Queen Marie Antoinette liked to control state affairs. That's why there was
mismanagement, misadministration and public dissatisfaction.

21. What were the social causes of the French Revolution?

Ans. The social causes were:-

The basic structure of the French society was one of the major causes.
There was no social equality in France. It was divided into two parts- privilege and
non-privilege. Within the privilege, there was a) clergy and b) nobles. Except these
two, all were under the non-privilege group.

At the same time, the peasantry, who made up the majority of the French
population, was struggling with poverty, hunger, and disease. Only they used to
pay taxes whereas the privileges, who were able to pay taxes, did not pay any tax.
This created a sense of inequality and injustice that influenced people to revolt
and helped to spark the revolution.

22. What were the economic causes of the French Revolution?

Ans. Economic causes were:-

i. Rise in the rate of interest by 10%.

ii. The involvement of France in many battles. This drained the financial
resources of France.

iii. The third estate was only estate who had to pay taxes which was very high.
Taxation was based on the principles nobles for fight, clergy for pray and
common for pay.

iv. The extra expenditure of the court and the royal features at the palace of
Versailles were maintained by the state treasury.

23. What were the philosophical causes of the French Revolution?

Ans. Philosophical causes were:-

i. The writing of the great philosophers like John Locke, Rousseau,

Montesquieu prepared the grounds instigated the French to fight against
the existing order.
 ii. John Locke- In his “Two Treaties of Government” sought to refute the
doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.

iii. Rousseau- In his book “Social Contract” proposed a government based on a

social contract between the people and their representatives.

iv. Montesquieu- In his book “The Spirit of the Laws” proposed a division of
power within the government between the legislature, executive and the
judiciary.

24. What were the immediate causes of the French Revolution?

Ans. The immediate causes were:-

i. The participation of France in the American War of Independence in favor of

British colonies to get independence from England totally ruined the
economic condition of France.

ii. The involvement of France in so many wars drained the financial resources
of France.

iii. Conveyed Estate General.

25. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution.

Ans. The French Renalutionary of liberty, fraternity and equality became inspiring
ideals that motivated political changes that took place all over Europe can be
traced to French Revolution.

i. The idea of liberty expressed in the declaration of the rights of man and
citizen laid to the formation of a new social order Liberty- Political and
Personal, became a universal need.
 ii. Personal liberty led to the abolition of serfdom and freed the peasantry of
from tyranny of the landed aristocracy in the church. It brought in the age
of capitalism.

iii. Political liberty of democratic rights found expression in abolition of

privileges and despotism of monarchs.

iv. The idea of the equality led to the end of the society based on privileges. It
led to increasing recognition of interests of masses. All individuals of
interests of the masses. All individual had rights became the new cangrage
of politics.

v. Another great legacy of French Revolution was the idea of Nationalism,

sovereignty of the people. The greatest effort was stating of mass
movements all over the world. This was the patent force in reshaping the
boundaries of Europe and South America.

vi. The revolution acted as the guiding force of the people of colonies.

26. What were achievements of the convention?

OR

What were the reforms of Robespierre?

OR

What were the reforms of Jacobin?

Ans. The achievements of the convention / Reforms of Robespierre / Reforms of

Jacobin were –
 i. Rabespierre's government issued laws. Placing a maximum ceiling on wages
and prices.

ii. Meat and bread were rationed.

iii. Peasants were forced to transport their grain to the cities and sell it at
prices fixed by the government.

iv. The use of more expensive white floor was forbidden; all citizens were
required to eat the pain degatite, a loaf made of whole- wheat.

v. Equality was also sought to be practiced the through forms of speech and
address.

vi. Instead of traditional Monsieur and Madame all French men and women
henceforth Citoyen and Citoyenne.

vii. Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks of
offices.

27. What were the contributions of the women in the French Revolution?

Ans. The contributions of the women in the French Revolution were:-

i. The right to vote and the demand for equal pay were the two most
significant demands made by women during the French Revolution.

ii. These demands were necessary because, at that time, women didn't have
access to education and training.
iii. Women played an important role in the French Revolution by founding a
number of political organizations and publications including "Republican
women" and "the society of revolutionary”.

iv. Olympe de Gouges was one of the most prominent women revolutionary
during the French Resolution.