French Revolution: 17 flashcards

An assembly representing the three estates (clergy, nobility, commoners) of France. King Louis XVI called it in May 1789 to address the financial crisis and propose tax reforms.

A pledge taken by the Third Estate on June 20, 1789, vowing not to disband until France had a constitution. It marked the birth of the National Assembly.

The **Storming of the Bastille** — a Paris prison and symbol of royal tyranny. A mob seized it, signaling the uprising of the people.

A wave of panic and peasant uprisings across rural France (July–August 1789) fueled by rumors of aristocratic plots and bandit attacks, leading to attacks on manor houses and feudal records.

That all men are born free and equal in rights; it guaranteed liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. It became a foundational document of the Revolution.

A period of extreme violence led by Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety, during which thousands of suspected counter-revolutionaries were executed by guillotine.

A radical Jacobin leader and key figure of the Reign of Terror. He advocated for revolutionary virtue and terror, but was overthrown and executed in July 1794.

A device for execution by beheading, introduced during the Revolution as a more humane and egalitarian method (used for all classes). It became a symbol of the Terror.

King Louis XVI and his family's failed attempt to escape Paris and join counter-revolutionary forces. Their capture eroded trust in the monarchy and accelerated the move toward a republic.

A law that subordinated the Catholic Church in France to the state, required clergy to swear allegiance to the Revolution, and caused deep divisions among the population.

A radical political club that became the most influential during the Revolution. It advocated for a republic, universal male suffrage, and centralization of power. Robespierre was a leading member.

The government of France after the Thermidorian Reaction, consisting of five directors. It was corrupt and unstable, eventually overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799.

It ended with the rise of **Napoleon Bonaparte**, who seized power in the coup of 18 Brumaire (November 1799) and established the Consulate, eventually becoming Emperor.

First Estate: clergy; Second Estate: nobility; Third Estate: commoners (bourgeoisie, peasants, urban workers). The Third Estate paid most taxes but had little political power.

A fortress-prison in Paris that symbolized royal despotism. Its storming on July 14, 1789, marked the beginning of the Revolution.

A revolutionary assembly formed by the Third Estate in June 1789. It passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and ended feudal privileges.

A coup in July 1794 that overthrew Robespierre and ended the Reign of Terror. It led to the establishment of the Directory.