1. Section One- The Old Order
The French Revolution
Section One- The Old Order

2. Estates
The estates were orders of French society that determined a person’s legal rights and status.
Members of the First Estate were the higher and lower Roman Catholic clergy.
Members of the Second Estate were the nobility.
Members of the Third Estate were the peasants, artisans, and the bourgeoisie.
The estate that had the most members but the least money, rights, and privileges was the Third Estate.

3. Causes of Unhappiness
peasants-increased cost of living and higher fees for equipment
artisans-higher prices
bourgeoisie-lack of political power
nobility- resented the king’s power and wanted to increase their own

4. King Louis XVI
Louis XVI faced a financial crisis because of the serious debt from wars and the extravagant court of Louis XV.
b. He called the Estates-General to tax the First and Second Estates.

5. National Assembly
Explain how the National Assembly formed out of the Estates-General. Members of the Third Estate wanted the estates to meet as one with delegates voting as individuals; they were locked out of the Estates-General; They took the Tennis Court Oath and formed the National Assembly; the king was forced to order the first two estates to join them.

6. Bastille
The fall of Bastille came about as a mob was seeking weapons to defend the National Assembly against a possible attack by the King’s army.

7. “Great Fear”
The “Great Fear” was the wave of violence throughout France that was sparked by the fall of Bastille.

8. Section Two- Constitutional Government
In the summer of 1789, the “Great Fear” swept France. Fearful nobles in the National Assembly were forced to pass many reforms.
The reforms were as follows:
Destruction of feudalism
Abolition of feudal dues
Abolition of feudal tithes
Taxing of nobility
Opening of government, army, church offices to any male citizen.

9. National Assembly
The National Assembly also composed The Declaration of Rights of Man and of Citizen, which stated the major principles that the reformers wanted.
King Louis XVI refused to accept either the reforms or the document, both of which weakened his power. In October 1789, an angry mob marched on Versailles, forcing the king and his family to return to Paris.

10. National Assembly
After the crisis was over, the National Assembly continued its work. To raise money, the Assembly voted to confiscate land owned by the Catholic Church and sell it.
The National Assembly passed also passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which turned the clergy into elected, paid officials. In response, Pope Pius VI, the leader of the Catholic Church, condemned the revolution.

11. New Constitution
The National Assembly passed a new constitution in1791. It kept the monarchy but also created a unicameral legislature, or one-house elected assembly.
The constitution was not popular, and the people of France remained deeply divided. Disagreements over the future of France sent the country into turmoil. Violence was widespread. In response, the royal family attempted to flee France and escape to Austria.

12. Émigrés
Although the king couldn’t escape from France, many nobles, called émigrés, did. They tried to convince leaders of other countries that the revolution also threatened their rule.

13. Austria
Concerned that Austria might try to reinstate Louis XVI, leaders of the French Revolution declared war on this country in 1792.
The “September massacres” were executions carried out against nobles and priests.

14. Section Three- Dawn of a New Era
The events at Valmy inspired the French revolutionaries because the French victory at Valmy saved Paris and ended the revolution from the armies of the European monarchies.

15. National Convention
The National Convention was called to create a new government for France.
The National Convention convicted Louis XVI of having “conspired against the liberty of the nation”.

16. Sans-Culottes, Jacobins, and Girondists
The sans-culottes saw themselves as heroes and heroines because they were the ordinary citizens for whom and by whom the revolution was waged.
The Jacobins were members of the National Convention who supported the sans-culottes and extreme radicals. They were also radicals.
The Girondists were members of the National Convention who wanted to protect the wealthy middle class. They were moderates.

17. Committee of Public Safety
The National Convention formed the Committee of Public Safety to direct the war effort against the army of Europe’s monarchies.
The Committee adopted conscription because the French armies were being defeated.

18. Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was the effort by the Jacobins to crush their opposition between July 1793 and July 1794.

19. Directory
The Directory was an executive council of five men set up to rule France after the fall of Robespierre.

20. Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte was popular in France because he was a successful young general in the French army.
Napoleon was able to accomplish his coup d’etat because he made an unannounced return to France during a politically uncertain time.

21. Section Four- Napoleon’s Empire
Napoleon set up a dictatorship in France.
Napoleon restructured the government and financial system of France in the following ways:
Replacement of local elected officials
Placing education under the control of the national government
Creating technical schools and universities
Creating the Bank of France
Requiring all citizens to pay taxes

22. Napoleonic Code
The Napoleonic Code was French law rewritten under Napoleon. It unified French laws, made them clear and consistent, and was based on Enlightenment ideas such as equality and tolerance.

23. Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1801 acknowledged Catholicism as the religion of the majority of the people of France.

24. Napoleon’s Empire
In building his empire, Napoleon first defeated Italy and Austria.

25. Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was very important because it removed the possibility of a French invasion.

26. The Continental System
The Continental System was Napoleon’s economic blockade against Great Britain, in which he ordered all European nations to stop trading with that country.
The Continental System failed because the British navy maintained control of the seas.

27. Nationalism
Nationalism is the yearning for self rule and a people’s own customs and traditions.
Nationalism was a threat to Napoleon’s empire because nationalist feelings led to resentment of French rule and revolts against Napoleon.

28. Downfall of Napoleon
Napoleon invaded Russia to punish them for withdrawing from the Continental System.
The invasion of Russia was a disaster because of the fire in Moscow, Napoleon’s delay before ordering a retreat, especially to Russian attacks in the bitter winter during the long retreat.

29. Downfall of Napoleon
The failed Russian invasion led to Napoleon’s downfall due to the destruction of most of Napoleon’s army and the opportunity seized by other nations to attack.

30. Hundred Days
The Hundred Days was the short period of time during which Napoleon again reigned as emperor after his surrender and abdication.

31. Waterloo
At Waterloo, Napoleon was finally defeated by the armies of Prussia, Great Britain, and the Netherlands under the command of the Duke of Wellington.