French Revolution: Questions Based on Provided Text

Conceptual Questions (Approx. 150)

1. What date is mentioned at the beginning of the lesson, describing the event in Paris?
2. What was the political climate of Paris described as on June 20, 1789?
3. Which group's representatives were denied entry into the Estates General?
4. What was the Estates General?
5. Where did the representatives of the Third Estate gather after being denied entry?
6. What did they vow in the tennis court?
7. What historical event is mentioned at the beginning as having a decisive impact on France and Europe?
8. What dynasty ruled France for decades, known for being despotic?
9. According to the text, what did the Bourbon rulers believe in?
10. What theory supported the despotic rule of the king?
11. According to the Divine Right Theory, from whom did the king derive his authority?
12. According to the Divine Right Theory, to whom was the king accountable?
13. When was the Estates General summoned for the last time before 1789, according to the text?
14. Which Bourbon king declared, "I am the State"?
15. Name the king who succeeded Louis XIV according to the text.
16. What put France and its people in misery under Louis XV?
17. What did Louis XV do to find money for his extravagance?
18. Who succeeded Louis XV according to the text?
19. What did Louis XVI not pay much heed to?
20. Who did Louis XVI believe the country was safe in the hands of?
21. Who constantly interfered in government affairs according to the text?
22. What was the queen's name mentioned?
23. What made the people unhappy regarding the king and queen?
24. Into how many estates was French society divided in the 18th century?
25. Name the first estate.
26. Name the second estate.
27. Name the third estate.
28. What was a popular saying among the common people about the estates?
29. Describe the Catholic Church in France according to the text.
30. What did the church own a large tract of?
31. Was the clergy exempted from taxes?
32. What tax did the clergy levy on common peasants?
33. What percentage of the total produce was remitted as tithe?
34. How did the common peasants feel about the clergy collecting tithe?
35. What positions did the nobles hold in government and army?
36. Were the nobles landowners?
37. How did the nobles live?
38. What did the nobles collect from the people?
39. According to an act of 1749, what tax had to be paid to the government directly?
40. What was Vingtième?
41. Were the first two estates exempted from Vingtième? How?
42. What did the priests and nobles do to maintain their rights?
43. What was 'Corvée'?
44. How many days a year did common people have to work without pay under Corvée?
45. What was 'Banalité'?
46. Name two things monopolized under Banalité.
47. What was 'Banvin'?
48. What was 'Péage'?
49. What was 'Terrage'?
50. What group comprised the third estate?
51. What were the common people also known as?
52. How did most of the third estate live?
53. What fraction of what they produced did farmers get?
54. What taxes were the third estate obliged to pay?
55. Name some unpaid and compulsory services the third estate had to perform.
56. When was performing military service compulsory for the third estate?
57. What public works did the third estate provide free service for?
58. When did a middle class emerge in French society?
59. What progress led to the rise of the middle class?
60. Where did new cities emerge?
61. How did people become part of the middle class through cities?
62. What type of trade made industrialists wealthy?
63. What were under the control of wealthy people?
64. Name some professions that were part of the middle class.
65. Did the middle class have to pay taxes? To whom?
66. What were the middle class not given despite their advancement?
67. What was the general feeling of the middle class?
68. In which decade did the French agricultural sector face a severe crisis?
69. What was the reason for the agricultural crisis?
70. What did the decrease in agricultural production lead to?
71. How much did the price of cereals increase between 1730 and 1789?
72. How much did wages increase during the same period?
73. What affected one third of the population adversely?
74. What caused a decline in livestock?
75. What agreement did France sign with Britain?
76. What was the impact of the trade agreement with Britain on import duties?
77. What effect did the influx of British products have on native artisans?
78. Who took to the streets against the government due to the economic crisis?
79. What did King Louis XVI do to overcome the economic crisis?
80. From whom did the king borrow huge sums?
81. What did the government issue in exchange for loans?
82. What discouraged bankers from lending more money?
83. What was one main reason the middle class opposed the government regarding taxation?
84. What did the middle class demand regarding taxation rules?
 85. What did French philosophers and their ideas do for the people?
86. Name Voltaire's profession(s) mentioned in the text.
87. What did Voltaire constantly criticise?
88. Why was Voltaire expelled from France?
89. Name Rousseau's profession(s) mentioned in the text.
90. What was the subject of Rousseau's work The Social Contract?
91. According to Rousseau, who created the king and for what purpose?
92. According to Rousseau, why had the king lost the right to rule?
93. What did Rousseau argue creates good citizens?
94. On what was Rousseau's ideas based?
95. What was Rousseau's famous quote about man being born free?
96. What did Rousseau's works inspire?
97. What did Montesquieu criticise?
98. What did Montesquieu advocate regarding monarchy?
99. Into how many branches did Montesquieu propose government powers should be divided?
100. Name the three branches of government Montesquieu proposed.
101. What was the purpose of dividing government powers according to Montesquieu?
102. What was Montesquieu's famous work?
103. What did The Spirit of Laws analyse?
104. What British philosopher's ideas had a decisive impact?
105. What was John Locke's famous work mentioned?
106. What did Two Treatises of Government reject?
107. What were the economists influencing the French people called?
108. Name two prominent Physiocrats mentioned.
109. Who was Turgot?
110. What was Turgot's aim?
111. What economic policies did Turgot's plans reflect?
112. What agricultural policy was important to Turgot?
113. What trade policy was important to Turgot regarding food items?
114. Whose unwillingness to cut back on spending resulted in enmity with Turgot?
115. What was the queen's name whose opposition led to Turgot's dismissal?
116. Who was appointed as the new advisor after Turgot?
117. What did Necker try to continue?
118. Why was Necker expelled?
119. Who else did Necker face opposition from?
120. What failed to improve the economic condition of France according to the text?
121. Who was the king forced to call again after Necker's expulsion?
122. Why did Louis XVI decide to summon the Estates General?
123. How long had it been since the Estates General was convened?
124. What arose when the Estates General was convened regarding its organisation?
125. How did the three estates meet in the Estates General?
126. What percentage of the French population was the Clergy?
127. How many members did the Clergy have in the House of Representatives?
128. Approximately how many people were in the nobility?
129. How many members did the nobility have in the House of Representatives?
130. What group constituted the majority of the population?
131. How many members did the common people have in the House of Representatives?
132. How was the membership of the first and second estates determined?
133. How were the members of the Third Estate determined?
134. What was the existing voting system in the Estates General?
135. Which houses supported the existing voting system? Why?
136. What did the new representatives of the Third Estate present?
137. Did King Louis XVI make preparations to resolve the problems presented by the Third Estate?
138. What was the main reason the king did not resolve the problems according to the text?
139. Why did the representatives of the Third Estate demand a meeting of all three estates together?
140. Did the first two estates agree to meet together?
141. On what date did the Third Estate declare themselves the real representatives of France?
142. What did the Third Estate call their assembly?
143. With whose support did Louis XVI close the hall where the assembly met?
144. What did the king do to the assembly hall?
145. Name the leaders of the Third Estate mentioned who met at the tennis court.
146. What did they declare they would not leave until?
147. What was the Tennis Court Oath later known as?
148. What was the session of the National Assembly later known as in history?
149. Whom did King Louis XVI dismiss just before the Fall of Bastille?
150. What did the provoked crowd seize in Paris?

Application Questions (Approx. 50)

1. Analyze the significance of the Tennis Court Oath scene described in the introductory part of the lesson.
2. Evaluate the statement "I am the State" by Louis XIV in the context of the despotic regime described.
3. Analyze and list down the reasons, based on the text, as to why the rulers of France became unpopular.
4. Analyze the meaning of the popular saying "Nobles fight, Priests pray, and the Commons pay" in the context of the French
social system described.
5. Analyze the social system in 18th century France and prepare a note based on the text.
6. Interpret the illustration on page 5 titled "Commoners crushed by Elites". What does it symbolize about French society?
7. Evaluate how the rise and discontent of the middle class decisively influenced the French revolution, using information from
the text, including the quote from Will and Ariel Durant.
8. Explain how the economic crisis, including agricultural problems and the trade agreement with Britain, contributed to the
popular uprising.
9. Discuss the influence of French philosophers (Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu) on the French Revolution, explaining how
their ideas, as described, challenged the existing order.
10. Analyze how Salons and Coffee Houses, as described, served as centers for revolutionary discussion and planning.
11. Evaluate John Locke's impact based on his work mentioned in the text.
12. Explain the significance of the voting system dispute in the Estates General and why the first two estates wanted to maintain
the old system.
13. Substantiate the statement "The Estates General was the cross-section of the French society," referring to its composition.
14. Evaluate the significance of the Tennis Court Oath as a pivotal event in the French Revolution.
15. Explain why the Fall of Bastille is considered the beginning of the French Revolution.
16. Discuss the impact of the reforms passed by the National Assembly, such as the abolition of slavery and taking away noble
powers, on the structure of French society.
17. Analyze the role of women in the French Revolution as described in the text, focusing on their actions and demands.
18. Discuss the contributions of Olympia de Gouges to the women's rights movement during the Revolution, based on her
actions and writings mentioned.
19. Explain how clothing became a symbol of protest during the Revolution, using the examples of sans-culottes and the
Phrygian cap.
20. Discuss the main ideas contained in the Declaration of Human Rights of France in 1789, as presented in the text.
21. Evaluate the significance of the Declaration of Human Rights as an important result of the French Revolution.
22. Discuss how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (referring to the French one) influenced the reforms of the National
Assembly, as suggested by the text.
23. Analyze the purpose and consequences of the Assignat currency based on the description provided.
24. Describe the period known as the Reign of Terror, explaining the context and the actions taken by the Committee of Public
Safety.
25. Explain the September Massacre as described in the text.
26. Discuss the role and impact of the guillotine during the Reign of Terror.
27. Compare and contrast the Jacobins and Girondists based on the information given about their political positions and social
backgrounds.
28. Analyze the reasons for the collapse of the Directory system, as described in the text.
29. Analyze the major consequences of the French Revolution as listed, such as the end of feudalism and changes in property
ownership.
30. Discuss how the French Revolution contributed to the concept of modern nationalism, based on the definition provided.
31. Evaluate the statement that the French Revolution laid the foundation of democratic governance based on Rousseau's idea
of sovereignty.
32. Discuss the influence of the French Revolution on national independence struggles in Asia and Africa.
33. Interpret Napoleon's quote: "I found the crown...placed it atop my own head" in the context of France after the Directory and
his rise to power.
34. Evaluate Napoleon's administrative reforms (Legal, Concordat, Educational, Economic, Military) and discuss how they laid
the foundation of modern France.
35. Analyze the significance of the Napoleonic Code as a legal reform.
36. Explain the terms of the Concordat between Napoleon and the Pope and its significance.
37. Discuss the aim and nature of Napoleon's educational reforms, particularly the establishment of lycees.
38. Analyze the economic reforms implemented by Napoleon, including the establishment of the Bank of France and currency
changes.
39. Explain the objective and strategy behind Napoleon's Continental System against Britain.
40. Analyze why Napoleon was not able to achieve complete success with the Continental System.
41. Discuss the context and significance of the Battle of Waterloo in relation to Napoleon's career.
42. Describe the purpose and key leadership of the Congress of Vienna.
43. Discuss the major decisions made at the Congress of Vienna regarding the restoration of monarchies and territorial
adjustments (implicitly shown by consequences).
44. Evaluate the impact of the Congress of Vienna on French dominance in Europe.
45. Analyze the symbolism of the 'Tree of Liberty' as described in the text.
46. Explain the significance of Tipu Sultan planting the Tree of Liberty in Srirangapatnam.
47. Using Map 2.1, identify France's neighboring states and explain how its central location might influence conflicts. (Requires
applying the map).
48. Using Map 2.2, identify and list the places where Napoleon established his dominion (areas under control or allied).
(Requires applying the map).
49. Based on the overall text, discuss why the French Revolution is considered one of the most important events in modern world
history.
50. Synthesize information from the text to explain the transition of government systems in France from the monarchy before
1789 to the Directory (Monarchy -> National Assembly -> National Convention/Committee of Public Safety -> Directory).