IX.Chapter 1 The French Revolution.History.

Raman's Classes.

Chapter-1.IX.History

French Revolution.

Class Notes.

Dates /Events.

1774 - Louis XVI became the king of France ,faced empty treasury, and the growing discontent within the society of the Old Regime.

1789 - Convocation of Estates general ,The Third Estate formed National Assembly, The Bastille was stormed, Peasants revolted in the country side.

1791 - A Constitution was framed to limit the powers of the king and to guarantee the basic rights to all human beings.

1792-93 - France became a Republic, the king was beheaded.Overthrew of the Jacobin Republic, a Directory rules France.

1793-94 - Reign of Terror established by Robespierre.

1804- Napoleon became the emperor of France, annexed large parts of Europe.

1815 - Napoleon defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.

1848 - Abolition of slavery in French colonies.

1946 - Women in the France won the right to vote.

Glossary / Hard Words.

Livre - It is a unit of currency in France which is discontinued in 1794.

Clergy - It is a group of people invested with special function in the church.

Tithe - It is a tax levied by the chruch comprising one -tenth of the agricultural produce .

Taille - It is a tax to  be paid directly to the state.

Subsitence Crisis - It is an extreme situation where the basic means of  livelihood are endangered

Anoymous - Anonymous is one whose name remains unknown.

Manor - It is an estate consisting of the lord's land and his mansion.

Chateau - It is a castle or stately residence belonging to a king or a nobleman.

Marseillaise - It ,marseillaise is  the  National Anthem of France.

Convent - It is a building belonging to a community devoted to a religious life.

Sans-Culottes - They are those without knee breeches .

Old Regime - It is a term used to describe society and institutions of France before 1789.

Vocabulary.

Privileges- Immunity belonging to a class ,or special benefit.

Estate General-Political body to which the three estates sent their representatives.

Republic - It is a form of govt. where the govt. including the head of the govt. is elected by the people .There is no hereditary monarchy.

Aristocracy- They are people who born in the highest social class ,who have special titles.

Guillatine - It is a device consisting of  two poles and a blade  with which a person is beheaded

Directory - It refers to the executive board made up of five members.

Treason - It refers to the betrayal of one's country or  government.

Suffarage - It is right to vote in political elections.

Negroes - It is a term used for the indegenous people of  africa ,south of Sahara.It is a derogatory term not in common use now.

Militia - It is a rebel force opposing a regular army.

Jacobin - It was a political club comprising of less prosperous section  of  society including shopkeepers,artisans, pastry cooks and servants.

Envisage - To image what will happen in the future.

Grivance - Something that you thinks is unfair and that you complain or protest about.

Pamphlate - A very thin book with a paper cover containing information about a particular subject

Turmoil - A state of great anxiety and confusion.

Confiscate - To officially  take something away from somebody, especially as a punishment.

Negotitaion - A formal discussion between people who are reach to an agreement.

Insurrection- A situation in which a large group of people try to take political control of their own country with violence.

Tribunal - A type of court with the authority to deal with a particular problem or disagreement.

Society of Estates - It refers to the French society was divided into three estates or classes.

Active Citizen- Citizens that were entitled to vote.

Autocracy - State ruled by person with absolute authority.

Despotic- Person subject to no constitutional checks, tyrannous.

Democracy-Government by all the people ,usually through elected representatives.

Emanicpation- The act of freezing.

Revolution-A recognised momentous change in any situation .

Jacobin - A political club of people which was formed to discuss the government policies.

             Personalities

      1.Napoleon Bonaparte - He was a military dictator of France who crowned himself the Emperor of France in 1804.

      2. Maximilian Robespierre - He was a political leader of Jacobin club and founder of the Reign of Terror. He ruled over France from 1793 to 1794. Finally he was convicted by a court in July 1794, arrested on the next day guillotine.

     3.Camille Desmoulins- a revolutionary journalist who wrote about the liberty is happiness, reason, equality, justice and the declaration of Rights. He was shortly executed during the Reign of Terror.

     4.Jean Jacques Rousseau - He was a great philosopher who influenced the French society through his work The Social Contract.

     5.Abbe' Sieye's - He was a leader of the National Assembly which was created in 1789.He was also a priest who wrote an influential pamphlet called What is the Third Estate.

     6.Louis XVI - Ruler of France during the French Revolution. He belonged to the Bourbon Dynasty when he ascended the throne here was 20 years old in 1774.

     7.Marie Antoinette- She was an Austrian princess married to the ruler of France, Louis XVI

     8.Voltaire - (21November 1694 -30 May 1778)- He was a French enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit attacked the established Church.

    9.Montesquieu - He was a famous scholar and great philosopher of his times. He was deadly opposed to the theory of the Divine rights of king. His famous book was The Spirit of Laws proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, executive and the judiciary.

    10.Jhon Locke- In his famous book Two Treaties of Government Locke sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.

    11. Mirabeau - He was a notable member of the third estate. He was born in a noble family, but convinced of the need to do away with a society of feudal privileges.

    12.Jean Paul Marat - He was a revolutionary journalist of L'Ami du people (The Friend of the People),the French Revolution.

    13.Olympe de Gouges- (1748-1793) She was the most important of the politically active women in the revolutionary France who protested against the Constitution and Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen as they excluded women from basic rights that was entitled to everyone.

    14.Dr.Gullotine- He was the inventor who invented a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a person is beheaded.

    15.Roget de L Isle- A famous French poet who composed the Marsellies, the National Anthem of France.

    16.Tipu Sultan —Tiger of Mysore who gathered inspirations from the French Revolution.

    17.Raja Rammohan Roy — A great social reformer who banned the Sati Pratha responded to the ideas of the French

Revolution.

    18.Arthur Young- An Englishman who travelled through France during1787-1789 wrote a detailed description of his journey.

    19.Chaumette- A Jacobin politician.

    20.Jacques Louis David- He was a famous painter who made a preparatory sketch for a large painting for the Tanis Court Oath that was intended to be hung in the National Assembly.  

 

      Places

     1.Bastille - It was a fort in the eastern part of Paris, and was used as a prison. It was broken on 14th July,1789 by the angry mob.Storming of Bastille

     2.Versailles- It's an important place where the Royal families resided.

     3.Tularies- It's a name of Royal Palace where the king and queen lived.

     4.Santo Domingo- Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic and one of the Caribbeans oldest cities.

     5.Martinique — a rugged Caribbean island that is the part of the Lesser Antilles and an overseas region of France reflects a distinctive blend of French and West Indian cultures.

     6.Guadeloupe — A French overseas territory, is an island group in the southern Caribbean Sea. It is an insular region of France located in the Leeward Islands.

     7.Waterloo- Waterloo remains in the present day Belgium where the famous Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18^th June 1815 in which the famous resurgent Napoleon was finally defeated by the combined forces of Prussian army and Anglo Allied Army commanded by Duke of Wellington who brought an end to the Napoleon.

    8.Bordeaux — Its a French port city which gained much prosperity in the triangular slave trade between Bordeaux, African chieftains and Caribbean islands.

    9.Nantes- Its another French port city on the western coastal area famous slave trade.

   10.Saint Helena- Its a part of British Overseas territory is a remote volcanic outpost in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is famous as the famous as the place of Napoleon Bonapartes exile.

   11.Marseilles — Its a port city in Southern France. The place from where the volunteers sung the patriotic song composed by Roget de L Isle and marched into Paris. So the National Anthem of France got its name from the place known as Marsellies.

  12.Place de La Concorde- The place where the king Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were guillotined

   

       Inside Questions

         

     Q.What do you mean by Industrial Revolution ?

  Ans-The revolution brought by machines and tools around half of the 18th century i.e,1750 a.d. in England is known as Industrial Revolution. It first started in England and later on it ,started in different parts of the European countries .

    Q.When did the French Revolution take place ?

  Ans- On the morning of 14 July 1789, the French Revolution took place in the city of Paris .It began with the storming of Bastille the fortress prison that symbolically stood for the French Revolution.

   Q.Who was Marie Antoinette?

   Ans-Marie Antoinette was the queen of France ,since she was married to louis xvi . She was a beautiful Austrian princess.

   Q.Who were philosophers ,who impressed the French ?

   Ans-They were John Locke , Jean Jacques Rousseau and Montesquieu.

   Q.Name the titles of the book written by the famous philosophers ?

   Ans-(a) John Locke- ' Two Treaties of Government '.

   (b) Jean Jacques Rousseau-' The Social Contract  
   (c) Montesquieu- ' The Spirit of Laws'

   (d) Voltaire-

   Q.How did the philosophers were inspired the revolution by their books?

   Ans-John Locke through his famous book 'two treaties of government ' propounded the ideas refuting the doctrine of divine and absolute rights of the monarch.

    Montesquieu through his book ' the spirit of the laws ' proposed a division of powers between the legislature ,executive and the judiciary.

    Rousseau through his book "the social contract" proposed a govt. based on a social contract between the people and their representatives.

   Q.Why was Bastille hated by all ?

  Ans-Bastille was hated by all because it stood for the despotic power of the king.

   Q.What was the name of French parliament ?

   Ans-Estate General.

   Q.What is the meaning of term 'old regime'?

   Ans-The term 'old regime' usually used to describe the society and institutions of France before 1789.

    Q.Why was the gap between the poor and the rich widened in France ?

    Ans-Most workers in France was employed as laborers in workshop whose owner fixed their wages . but after increasement of price of bread,their wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices.so ,the gap between the poor and the rich widened.

  Q.What do you mean by 'the Estates General' ?

  Ans-The Estates General was a political body of France to which the three estates sent their representatives respectively 300,300 and 600 members. And each estate had one vote. It's meeting was called last in 1614

  Q.When did the agitated crowd storm and destroy Bastille ?

  Ans-On 14th july ,1789

  Q.When was the city of Paris in a state of alarm ?

  Ans-on 14th july,1789

  Q.When did the assembly at the time of louis xvi pass a decree Abolishing the feudal system of obligations and taxes ?

  Ans-On the night of 4th of August 1789.

  Q.How many members were representatives from the three estate ?

  Ans.1200 members were representatives from three estates. 300 representatives members each from 1st and 2nd estates. While 600 members were from the 3rd estates.

  Q.When did the National Assembly complete the drafting of the constitution?

  Ans.In 1791.

  Q.When did France become a constitutional monarchy ?

  Ans.in 1791 when the rulers had to administeraccording  to the constitution drafted by the national assembly.

  Q.What was the voting pattern of Estates General ?

  Ans.the voting pattern of Estates General was according to the principal that each estate has one vote.

  Q. What is meant by Tennis court oathe?

  Ans.When the proposal of voting pattern by the 3rd estate was rejected by the king then they assembled in the tennis court of Versailles and swore not to disperse till they had drafted a French constitution that would limit the power of monarch is called the tennis court oath.

  Q.When and where did the people of third estate assemble ?

  Ans.The people of 3rd estate assembled on 20 june in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of versaillers.The members of 3rd estates declared themselves as a National Assembly.

  Q.When was decree passed ?

Ans.decree passed on 4th of august 1789 by louis xvi to abolish the obligations and taxes of the feudal system .

  Q. When did the National Assembly complete  the drafting of the French constitution ?

  Ans.in 1791.

  Q.When did France become a constitutional monarchy ?

Ans.France became a constitutional monarchy in 1791 when the rulers had to administer according to the constitution drafted  by the national assembly .

  Q. Who were called the active citizens?

  Ans.Active citizens were the men above  25 year of age , who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer's wages and had right to vote .They were about 4 million of a population  of 28 million .

  Q.Who were called the passive citizens?

  Ans.the remaining men ,women ,children [below 25 years],who had not the right to vote were called passive citizens .

  Q. Which poet composed the national anthem of France , Marseillaise ?

  Ans.Roget de l'isle.

  Q.When was Louis XVI  executed  publicly at the place dela concorde ?

  Ans. On 21 january, 1793.

  Q. When was louis xvi sentenced to death and what were the changes ?

  Ans.Louis XVI was sentenced to death on 21st January,1793 on the charge of treason. The queen Marie Antoinette met with the same fate shortly after .

  Q.Where was louis xvi executed and with whom ?

  Ans.At the place of dele concorde with the queen Marie Antoinette.

  Q.Who established the reign of terror ?

  Ans.Maxmilian Robespierre.

  Q.For how many years did the reign of terror stand for ?

  Ans. For one year , 1793 to 1794.

  Q.When did the reign of terror end ?

  Ans. In 1794.

  Q.What did these political symbols stand for ?

  Ans.the different political symbole stood for different things :

  *The broken chain : the act of becoming free.

  *The bundle of rods and fasces : on rod can be easily broken , but not an entire bundle . strength lies in  unity .

  *The eye within a triangle radiating light : the all seeing eye stands for knowledge . the rays of the dun will drive away the clouds of ignorance .

  *Scepture : symbol of royal power.

  *Snake bitting its tail to form a ring :Symbol of eternity. A ring has neither beginning nor end .

  *Red Phrygian cap : cap worn by a slave upon becoming free.

  *Blue - white - red : the national colours of france .

  *The wigned woman : personification of the law.

  *The law tablet : the law is the same for all and all are equal before it.

  Q.Who was Olympe de gouges ?

  Ans. Olympe de gouges was one of the important of the politically active women In revolutionary france . she protested against the constitution and the declaration of rights of man and citizen as they excluded women from basic rights that each human being was entitled to . in1791, she  wrote a declaration of the rights of woman and citizen. In1793, she criticised the Jacobin government for forcibly losing down women's club .she was tried by the national convention , which changed her with treason. Soon after this she was executed.

  Q.What were the pieces of work for administration done during the reign of terror ?

  Ans.The pieces of work were :-

  (a)The government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on wages and prices.

  (b)Meet and bread were rationed.

  (c)The use of more expensive white flour was forbidden , all citizens were required to eat the pain d'e'galite [equality bread].

  (d)instead of the traditional monsieur and madame all French men and women were hence 4th citoyen and citoyenne [citizen].

  (e)Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks or offices.

  Q. How many members were in the executive of directory ?

  Ans. Five members.

  Q.Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?

  Ans.Napoleon Bonaparte was a famous personality one of the active member in the directory an executive made up of five members. He was emerged as a military dictator of France as the political instability paved his way.

  Q.When was the women in France given the right to vote ?

  Ans. In 1946

  Q.When did the slave trade begin ?

  Ans.In 17th century

  Q.Which was a triangular slave trade ?

  Ans. The slavery trade began among between Europe, Africa and the America was known as a triangular slave trade.the European got slaves from the africans chief and sent them to Carribeans countries.

  Q.Which sea ports were important for slave trading ?

  Ans. Bordeaux and Nantes

  Q.Which were the French colonies in America ?

  Ans.Martinique , Guadeloupe and San domingo.

  Q.Who crowned himself emperor of France in 1804 ?

  Ans.Napoleon Bonaparte

  Q.Name two Indian indivisuals who responded to the ideas coming from revolutionary France .

  Ans.Tipu sultan and Rajaram Mohan Roy.

  Q.Name the two philosophers of france who awakened the society about rights and laws .

  Ans. john Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

  Q.Who were sans-culottes ?

  Ans.Sans culottes were the Jacobins who started wearing long striped trousers similar to those worn by dock workers or those without knee-breeches.

  Sans- culottes men wore in addition the red cap that symbolised liberty.

  Q.Which were the basic rights set for in Olympe de geoges declaration?

  Ans.these were the basic rights for set for in the declaration of Olympe de geoges:-

  (a)Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights.

  (b)The rights of womenare as iberty,property,security,should be protected by all political association.

  (c)It resides in the nation with the union of woman & man.

  (d)The laws should be the expression of the general will all female & citizens.

  (e)If women is accused she will be arrested & detained in cases detemined by laws.

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             Exercise Questions/Answers

    Q.1 Describe the circumstance leading to the outbreak of Revoultion protest in France?

      Ans. (a)Unjust Taxation: The member of the 1st and 2nd Estates were exempted from paying taxes to the state.All the taxes were paid by the members of the Third Estate.

      (b)Social Disparity: In the 17th century,the French society was divided into three groups,called estate:

      The 1st Estate :Clergy

      The 2nd Estate :Nobility

       The 3rd Estate :Common people

 ,   Although the upper two classes made up only a small fraction of the total population,yet they were the people who controlled the political and economic system of the nation.

They enjoyed all the rights and privileges.The people belonging to the 3rd estate did not enjoy any political right.

      (c)The Rise of the Middle Class : The spread of industrial revolution led to the emergence of the Middle class.It was the class of businessmen,traders,bankers,manufacturers,

scholars,etc.The middle Class people became the leaders of the revolution.

      (d)Influence of the Philosophers and Writers: There were many French philosopher and thinkers like Montesquieu,Rousseau,Voltarie and Mirabeau,who exposed the evils prevailingin the system. They infused people with the idea of liberty,equality and fraternity.

      (e)Wide Gap Between The Rich and the Poor : The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to28 million in1789. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for foodgrains. Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand. So the price of bread,which was the staple diet of the majority rose rapidly. Most workers were employedas labourers in workshop whose owners fixed their wages.But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices.So the gap between the poor and the rich wided.

     Q.2 Which group or French society benifited from the Revolution?Which groups were froced to relinquish power?Which sections of the socitey would have been disappointed with theoutcome of the Revolution?

     Ans: People of the 3rd estate benifited the most from the revolution.These groups included peasants,workers,teachers,etc.

  Formerly they had to pay all the taxes, and they were humiliated both by the clergy and the nobles at every point,but after the Revolution,they began to e treated equal with upper sections of the socitey.The people of the 3rd estate were also given olitical rights

  People belonging to the upper classes-the 1st estate & 2nd estate,who enjoyed all the privileges had to relinquish power.Such people were the clergy and the nobelsThe special privileges as a result of the french revolution.Now the French society was organised on the basis of the social equality.

  The erstwhile privileged classes,i.e.,the clergy and the nobels would have been disappointed with the outcome of therevoluton because all the peivilegeswere taken away from them.

       Q.3 Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world during the 19th and the 20th centuaries.

      Ans.(a) It marked the end of fuedalism ,and brought in a new era of industrial capitalism.

      (b) Slogans of "liberty,equality and fraternity"found an echo in every part of Europe during the 19th centuary,and there was a chain of revolutions one after another.

      (c) The declaration of the right of man is the most famous charter of liberty in the whole world .it laid the foundation of a new social order based on liberty,equality,and fraternity{brotherhood of man}.It becomes the guiding star of the future revolution in almost all the countries of europe.

      (d) The French Revolution gave the term "nation"its modern meaning and promoted the concept of "nationalist"which inspired the people in poland ,Germany,netherlands and italy to establish nation -states in their countries.

      (e) The French Revolution had a great salutary effect on the ruling monarchs who took several measures to ensure people"s welfare by introducing many reforms.

      Q.4 Draw a list of democratic rights we enjoy today,whose origincould be traced to the French Revolution.

       Ans.Directly or indirectly, the origin of the French Revolution. liberty,equality and fraternity were the guiding principles of the French Revolution. In India,our consitution has grantedall the citizen six fundamental rights keeping in mind,the principle of liberty,equality and fraternity.We in India,enjoy the following Fundamental Rights:

     (a)Rights to Equality

     (b)Right to Freedom

     (c)Cultural and Educatinal Rights

     (d)Rights to Religious freedom

     (e)Rights against Exploitation

      (f)Rights to consitutional remedies

     Q5.How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?

      Ans.(a) Political instability:The rise of Napoleon Boaparte was also an indirect result of the French Revolution.As often happens in revolutions,there was political and economics instability in France,and there was a struggle for power.

  (b)New Constitution: After the fall of the Jacobin goverment,a new constitution was introduced.It provided for two elected legislative councils,and a directory.Howeve,the Directors often clashed with the legislative councils,who then sought to dismiss them. This clash was responsible for political instability.napolean took advantages of the situation ,and become a dictator with the help of the army.

  (c) Emperor of France : In 1840,Napoleon declared himself the empreor of france.He was a brilliant general and used his armies to conquer and dominate all the neighbouring countries countries except Britain and Russian.However,his successes were short-lived.Britain,Prussian,Austria and Russia jointly defeated him at Leipzig,and again at Waterloo in 1815. He was caputred,and sent a a prisoner to the Island ofSt.Helean where he died in 1812.

      Q6. Explain the achievements of Napoleon Bonaparte of France.

      Ans.(a) He wanted to modernise France by establishing new industries.

      (b)He promoted trade by building roads and canals.

      (c)He introduced many laws such as the protection of private property and uniform system of weights and measures provided by the decimal system.

      (d)He also established friendly relation with the pope.

      (e)A new constitution was framed,as a result of which four legislative bodies and three executive bodies were estblished.

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