Class – IX – His – L – 1

The French Revolution

Q1. What were the main causes of the French Revolution of 1789?
OR
Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of
revolutionary protest in France.

CAUSES FOR THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

1)​ Political causes

Louis XVI came to power in 1774 at the age of 20.
a)​ Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France. So the
French treasury was empty.
b)​ Louis XVI helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their independence
from the common enemy, Britain.
c)​ France had taken a 3 billion Livers loan from moneylenders who began to
charge 10% interest.
d)​ To meet its regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army, the
court, running government offices or universities, the ruler was forced to
increase taxes.

2)​ Social causes (or) Division in the French Society

a)​ French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates-
Clergy, Nobility and Common People (that is big businessmen, merchants,
court officials, lawyers, peasants & artisans, landless labour & serpents) (I, II
and III Estates)
b)​ The members of the first 2 estates, that is,clergy and the nobility enjoyed
certain privileges by birth. The most important of these was exemption from
paying taxes to the state. Also, the church collected taxes called taille and
the nobles extracted feudal dues; from the people belonging to the 3rd
estate.
c)​ Thus, the burden of financing activities of the state through taxes was borne
by the third state alone.

3)​ Economic causes (or) The Struggle to Survive

a)​ The population of France rose from 23 million to 28 million in 1789. This led
to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains.
b)​ Production of grains was less because drought or hail reduced the harvest.
c)​ Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops. Owners of the
workshops did not increase the wages of workers.
d)​ This led to subsistence crisis (scarcity of food grains) which occurred
frequently in France.
​
4)​ Growth of Middle Class and influence from USA
a)​ The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of social groups, termed
the middle class, who earned their wealth through trade and professions.
b)​ They were influenced by the declaration of independence of the USA.
c)​ They were also influenced by fundamental rights given to the citizens of the
USA.
d)​ All of these were educated and believed that no group in society should be
privileged by birth
e)​ They also believed that French society should be based on freedom,
equality and equal opportunities for all.

5)​ Role of Philosophers in the French Revolution

a)​ John Locke, in his book the Two Treatises of Government, criticized the
doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.
b)​ Jean Jacques Rousseau, in his book Social Contract proposed a form of
government based on a social contract between people and their
representatives.
c)​ Montesquieu in his book The Spirit of the Laws, proposed a division of
power within the government between the legislative, the executive and the
judiciary.
d)​ The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively and spread
among people through books and newspapers.

Q2. Explain the circumstances under which Louis XVI finally

accorded recognition to the National Assembly.

OUTBREAK OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

a)​ Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General to pass his proposals to
increase taxes.The first and second estates sent 300 representatives each
and III estate sent 600 representatives. III estate representatives demanded
individual voting rights but the king refused to grant; so they walked out.
b)​ On 20 June they assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the
grounds of Versailles and declared themselves a National Assembly and
swore not to disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that
would limit the powers of the monarch. Mirabeau a noble and Abbé Sieyès,
a priest joined with III estate representatives
c)​ While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a constitution,
the rest of France was in tension. After spending hours in long queues at the
bakery, crowds of angry women stormed into the shops and looted the
stock.
d)​ At the same time, the king ordered troops to move into Paris. People of
Paris organized a militia and broke many buildings in search of weapons.
On 14 July, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille.
 e)​ In the countryside, rumours spread from village to village that the lords of
the manor had hired bands of brigands who were on their way to destroy the
ripe crops. Caught in a frenzy of fear, peasants attacked nobles’ houses,
looted hoarded grain and burnt down documents containing records of
manorial dues. A large number of nobles were killed and many fled to other
countries.
Faced with the power of his revolting subjects, Louis XVI finally accorded
recognition to the National Assembly.

Q3. Explain how the new political system of constitutional

monarchy in France worked.

FRANCE BECOMES A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

a)​ Constitutional Monarchy:-Louis XVI finally recognised the National Assembly

and accepted the constitution. On the night of 4 August 1789, the Assembly
passed a decree (law) abolishing the feudal taxes, privileges of Nobles and
Clergy, Tithes and confiscation of church properties.
b)​ The National Assembly:- completed the draft of the constitution in 1791. Its
main object was to limit the powers of the monarch. These powers were
separated and assigned to different institutions-the legislature, executive
and judiciary. This made France a constitutional monarchy.
c)​ Right to Vote:-The Constitution of 1791 vested the power of making laws to
the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected by active citizens. Active
citizens, who were above 25 years of age and paying taxes worth 3 days
wages of workers, were given voting rights. They voted for a group of
electors, who in turn chose the members of the National Assembly.
d)​ Power of National Assembly:- The National Assembly besides making laws
had power to keep control on both the king and the Ministers.
e)​ Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen:- The Constitution began with a
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. Rights such as the right to life,
freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law, were
established as natural and inalienable rights. These rights were granted to
only men.

Q4. Explain the events that led to the insurrection of 1792 in

France.

FRANCE ABOLISHES CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY AND BECOMES A

REPUBLIC

a)​ Louis XVI entered into secret negotiations:- Louis XVI had signed the
Constitution but he entered into secret negotiations with the King of Prussia
and Austria to put down the revolution. The National Assembly voted to
 declare war against Prussia and Austria. Thousands of volunteers joined the
army and it was a war of the people against kings and aristocracies.
b)​ Formation of political clubs:-The revolutionary wars brought losses and
economic difficulties to the people. As the Constitution of 1791 gave political
rights only to the richer sections Common people established Political clubs.
The most successful of these clubs was that of the Jacobins. . Their leader
was Maximilian Robespierre.
c)​ Members belonging to the less prosperous sections of society:- The
members of the Jacobin club belonged mainly to the less prosperous
sections of society. They included small shopkeepers, artisans such as
shoemakers, pastry cooks, watch-makers, printers, as well as servants and
daily-wage workers. Jacobins started wearing long striped trousers so they
came to be known as the sans-culottes, literally meaning those without knee
breeches.
d)​ Planning of insurrection:- In the summer of 1792 the Jacobins planned an
insurrection. Parisians who were angered by the short supplies and high
prices of food stormed the Palace of the Tuileries, massacred the king's
guards and held the king himself as hostage for several hours. Later the
Assembly voted to imprison the royal family.
e)​ Declaration of France as a Republic:- Elections were held. All men of 21
years and above got the voting rights. The newly elected assembly called
the Convention. On 21 September 1792 it abolished the monarchy and
declared France a republic.

THE REIGN OF TERROR

a)​ The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign of Terror because
Robespierre followed a policy of severe control and punishment. Ex-nobles,
clergy, members of other political parties, even members of his own party
who did not agree with his methods were arrested, imprisoned and
guillotined.
(The guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a
person is beheaded. It was named after Dr. Guillotine who invented it).
b)​ The Robespierre government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on
wages and prices. Meat and bread were rationed.
c)​ Peasants were forced to transport their grain to the cities and sell it at prices
fixed by the government. The use of more expensive white flour was
forbidden; all citizens were required to eat the equality bread.
d)​ Equality was also sought to be practiced through forms of speech and
address. Instead of the traditional Sir and Madame all French men and
women were addressed as Citizens.
e)​ Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks or
offices. Finally Robespierre was convicted by a court in July 1794, arrested
and on the next day sent to the guillotine.

A DIRECTORY RULES FRANCE

 a)​ The fall of the Jacobin government allowed the middle classes to seize
power. A new constitution was introduced which denied the vote to non-tax
paying men.
b)​ It provided for two elected legislative councils. These then appointed a
Directory, an executive made up of five members. This was meant as a
safeguard against the concentration of power in a one-man executive as
under Robespierre.
c)​ The Directors often clashed with the legislative councils, who then sought to
dismiss them. The political instability of the Directory paved the way for the
rise of a military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.

DID WOMEN HAVE A REVOLUTION? (OR) ROLE OF WOMEN IN FRENCH

REVOLUTION

a)​ Most women did not have access to education or job training. . They worked
as seamstresses or laundresses, sold flowers, fruits and vegetables at the
market, or were employed as domestic servants in the houses of prosperous
people. Their wages were lower than those of men.
b)​ From the very beginning women were active participants in the events of
revolution. They hoped that their involvement in revolution would provide
equality and basic rights as men. But women were not provided basic rights
and voting rights in the new constitution.
c)​ In order to discuss and voice their interests women started their own political
clubs and newspapers. About sixty women's clubs came up in different
French cities. The Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women was the
most famous of them. Their main demands were - equal political rights, right
to vote, right to be elected to the Assembly and to hold political office.
d)​ The revolutionary government introduced laws that helped improve the lives
of women. Education was made compulsory for all girls. Their fathers could
no longer force them into marriage against their will. Marriage was made
into a contract entered into freely and registered under civil law. Divorce was
made legal, and could be applied for by both women and men.
e)​ During the Reign of Terror, the new government issued laws ordering
closure of women's clubs and banning their political activities. Many
prominent women were arrested and a number of them executed. It was
finally in 1946 that women in France won the right to vote.​

Q5. How was slavery abolished in France?

THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

a)​ The slave trade began in the seventeenth century. French merchants sailed
to the African coast where they bought slaves from local chieftains. Slaves
were branded, shackled and packed tightly into ships for the three-month
 long voyage across the Atlantic and sold to plantation owners in America.
So this was known as a triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa and
the Americas.
b)​ Throughout the eighteenth century there was little criticism of slavery in
France. The National Assembly held long debates about whether the rights
of man should be extended to all French subjects including those in the
colonies. But it did not pass any laws, fearing opposition from slave traders
who paid huge tax to the French government.
c)​ One of the most revolutionary social reforms of the Jacobin regime was the
abolition of slavery in the French colonies. Robespierre passed a
Convention according to which in 1794 all slaves were freed in the French
colonies.
d)​ Ten years later, Napoleon reintroduced slavery. Slavery was finally abolished
in French colonies in 1848.

Q6. Explain the impact of the French Revolution on the life of the
people of French.

USE OF REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

a)​ The revolutionary governments took initiative to pass laws that would
translate the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity into everyday practice. In
1789 the revolutionary government abolished censorship and introduced
press freedom.
b)​ The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen proclaimed freedom of
speech and expression to be a natural right. Newspapers, pamphlets, books
and pictures were printed in the towns of France and they travelled to the
villages. They all described and discussed the events and changes taking
place in France.
c)​ The revolution also brought changes in the dress they wore, food they ate
and language they spoke.

Q7.How would you explain the rise of Napoleon ?

THE RISE OF NAPOLEON

a)​ In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France. He

conquered many neighbouring countries and placed members of his family
on the crown. Napoleon was seen as a moderniser of Europe.
b)​ He introduced many laws such as the protection of private property and a
uniform system of weights and measures provided by the decimal system.
c)​ Initially, many saw Napoleon as a liberator who would bring freedom for the
people. But soon the Napoleonic armies came to be viewed everywhere as
an invading force.
 d)​ He was finally defeated at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. He was taken to St
Helena where he died.

Q8. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples
of the world during the 19th and 20th centuries.
OR
“Ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important
Legacy of the French Revolution.” Explain the statement in the
light of the French Revolution.

LEGACY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

a)​ The idea of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of
the French Revolution. These ideas became an inspiring force for the
political movement in the world in the 19th & 20th centuries.
b)​ The ideals of freedom, equality before law and fraternity motivated political
movements in France and rest of Europe, where feudal systems were finally
abolished. For example: When people of the Third Estate demanded a
society based on freedom and opportunities for all, and abolishment of
censorship in 1789.
c)​ Colonised people reworked the idea of freedom from bondage into their
movements to create a Sovereign nation state.
d)​ The idea of Nationalism that emerged after the French Revolution started
mass movements all over the world and people began to question the
absolute power. For example: When the Jacobins planned insurrection to
abolish monarchy and later declared France a republic.
e)​ The impact of the French Revolution could be seen on India too. Tipu Sultan
and Raja Ram Mohan Roy got deeply influenced by the ideas of the
revolution.

Q9. What was the role of Jacobins during the French Revolution ?
During the revolution, political clubs became an important rallying point for people
who wish to discuss government policies and plans their own forms of action.The
most successful of these clubs was that of the Jacobins .
a)​The members of the Jacobin club belonged mainly to the less prosperous
sections of society. They included small shopkeepers, artisans such as
shoemakers, pastry cooks, watch-makers, printers, as well as servants and
daily-wage workers.
b)​ A large group among the Jacobins decided to start wearing long striped
trousers similar to those worn by dock workers.This was to set them apart
 from the fashionable sections of society, especially nobles who wore knee
breeches. Men wore, in addition, the red cap that symbolised liberty.
c)​ In the summer of 1792 the Jacobins planned an insurrection of a large
number of Parisians who were angered by the short supplies and high
prices of food. On the morning of August 10, they stormed the Palace of the
Tuileries, massacred the king’s guards and held the king himself as hostage
for several hours.
Later the Assembly voted to imprison the royal family. Elections were held. From
then on all men of 21 years and above, regardless of wealth, got the right to vote.

Q-1​ Name the two Political clubs started by the Women of the third estate.
Ans-​ The Society of revolutionary & Republican Women
Q-2​ Who was Olympe de Gouges?​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
Ans-​ Olympe de Gouges was one of the most important of the political 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.
Q-3​ Name the two port cities where slave trade flourished.​​ ​ ​
​
Ans-​ Bordeaux and Nantes.
Q-4​ Explain the policy of severe control and punishment followed by
Robespierre during his reign?​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​
Ans-​ All those whom he saw being enemies of the republic like- ex- Nobles and
Clergy, members of the 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.
If the court found them guilty they were guillotined.