French Revolution

1.
Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest

in France.
Answer
The circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France

were:
→ Social Inequality: French society in the eighteenth century was divided into
three estates namely The Clergy, The nobility and third estates. First two
estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility enjoyed certain privileges by birth.
They were exempt from paying taxes. The Third estate comprises of
businessmen, merchants, Peasants and artisans, labours had to pay taxes to
the state.
→ Political Causes: Long years of war had drained the financial resources of
France. France had a debt of more than 2 billion livres. To meet its regular
expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army, the court, running
government offices or universities, the state was forced to increase taxes
which angered the people.
→ Economic Problems: The population of France also increased from 23

million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. Food grains were now in great demand.
The price of bread shot up. Wages did not keep pace with rising prices. This
led to subsistence crisis.
→ Strong Middle Class: A new middle class emerged educated and wealthy
during the eighteenth century. They believed that no group in society should
be given privileges by birth. Ideas of equality and freedom were put forward
by philosophers. The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively
in salons and coffee houses and spread among people.
→ Immediate Causes: On 5 may, 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly

of Estates General to pass proposals for new taxes. Third estates protested
against this proposal but as each estate have one vote, the king rejected this
appeal. They walked out of the assembly.
2. Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which

groups were forced to relinquish power? Which sections of society would
have been disappointed with the outcome of the revolution?
Answer
It was the richer members of the third estate who mostly benefited from the
French Revolution.
The clergy and the nobility were forced to relinquish (surrender) their power.
The poor class of third estate and women would have been disappointed with
the outcome of the revolution as the promise of equality, discussed during the
revolution was not given. The poorer classes had no right to vote.
3. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world
during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Answer
The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of
the French Revolution. These spread from France to the rest of Europe during
the nineteenth century, where feudal systems were abolished. It inspired the
Germans, Italians, and Austrians to overthrow their oppressive regimes. The
French Revolution inspired the struggling nations of Asia and Africa who were
groaning under the oppression of European colonialism. Tipu Sultan and
Rajaram Mohan Roy are two examples of individuals who responded to ideas
coming from French revolution.
4. Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be

traced to the French Revolution.
Answer
We can trace the origin of the following democratic rights we enjoy today to
the French revolution:
→ Right to Equality before law
→ Freedom of Speech and expression
→ Right against exploitation
→ Right to justice
5. Would you agree with the view that the message of universal rights was
beset with contradictions? Explain.
Answer
Yes, the message of universal rights was beset with contradictions:
→ Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to
participate in its formation, personally or through their representatives. - In
this line, it is stated that every citizen has the right to participate in the law
however only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3
days of a labourer’s wage were given voting right. The remaining men and all
women were classed as passive citizens and were deprived of voting rights.
Hence, the message of universal rights was not very clear. The Constitution is
only available for the rich. Women were totally neglected in decision making.
6. How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?
Answer
After Robespierre's rule came to an end a directory was formed to avoid

concentration of power in one individual. Members of the directory often
fought among themselves leading to total chaos and political instability. This
created a political vacuum in France. This was a conducive situation and
Napoleon Bonaparte took the reign of power as a military dictator.
Napoleon saw his role as a moderniser of Europe. He introduced many laws

such as the protection of private property and a uniform system of weights
and measures provided by the decimal system.

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1.

Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest

The circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France

→ Economic Problems: The population of France also increased from 23

→ Immediate Causes: On 5 may, 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly

2. Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which

4. Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be

Yes, the message of universal rights was beset with contradictions:

6. How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?

After Robespierre's rule came to an end a directory was formed to avoid

Napoleon saw his role as a moderniser of Europe. He introduced many laws

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