Name______

Chapter 19: The French Revolution and Napoleon

  1. Read the introduction to Chapter 19. Why do you think Marquis de Launay lowered the drawbridge to let the people of France into the Bastille?

Section 1: The French Monarchy in Crisis

  1. What name do historians give to the traditional political and social system of France?
  2. Describe the members and situations/circumstances of the following estates:

First Estate

Second Estate

Third Estate

  1. What was the population growth in France from 1715-1789?
  1. Why did population grow so fast?
  1. Explain why economic activity slowed down in the 1770s?
  1. What three reasons does the book give for France’s huge government debt?
  1. Explain how Louis XVI spent his time.
  1. How did Turgot temporarily ease the financial crisis in France?
  1. Explain why couldn’t Louis XVI force the nobles to pay more taxes?
  1. What did Louis XVI desperately summon in 1788?

Section 2: A Moderate Start to the Revolution

  1. When was the last time the Estates General had met?
  1. How did the Third Estate respond to Louis XVI’s assertion that the three estates meet separately?
  1. What was the major promise made by the Third Estate in the “Tennis Court Oath”?
  1. What prompted the people of Paris to storm the Bastille?
  1. What extraordinary event happened during the night of August 4, 1789?
  1. What two major ideals did the Declaration of the Rights of Man call for?
  1. What two things did the women who marched on Versailles force King Louis XVI to do?
  1. What did the Civil Constitution of the Clergy give the French government?
  1. What did the new revolutionary government do to raise money?
  1. What type of government did the Constitution of 1791 give to France?
  1. What great guarantee did it give to all citizens of France?
  1. Define émigrés:
  1. How did Louis XVI and his wife respond to the radical changes put forth by the National Assembly?
  1. Explain how seating arrangements in the Legislative Assembly of France reflected their political position. How do we use these terms today?
  1. What did the radical Jacobins want, and who was their leader?

Section 3: The Revolution Deepens

  1. How did European rulers respond to revolution in France?
  1. Why did many revolutionary leaders want a war against Austria?
  1. What did the Brunswick Manifesto threaten France with?
  1. What was the impact of the war against Austria and Prussia in France?
  1. What did a new administration (the Commune) vote to abolish in a new National Convention?
  1. What evidence did the Convention have for voting for Louis XVI’s execution?
  1. Why did other nations, like Spain and England, join the war against France?
  1. Where did uprisings against the revolution flare up within France?
  1. How did the National convention react to these varied domestic and foreign threats?
  1. Who led the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror?
  1. Approximately how many people were condemned to death during the Reign of Terror?
  1. List five things done by the Committee of Public Safety to recover during the war.
  1. List five ways in which daily life changed in the five years since the beginning of the French Revolution.

Section 4: The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

  1. Describe the setup of The Directory government established in 1795.
  1. What two battlefield experiences did Napoleon use to become a general at 27?
  1. How did his wife Josephine de Beauharnais help Napoleon’s career?
  1. How did Napoleon force Austria to withdraw from its war with France?
  1. How did Napoleon try to cut off Britain from its trade routes?
  1. What great British Admiral defeated Napoleon’s French fleet?
  1. How did Napoleon grab power in France?
  1. What personal attributes did Napoleon use to impress those around him?
  1. What two actions allowed Napoleon to secure power for “life”?
  1. What did the Napoleonic Code do and what revolutionary rights did it recognize?
  1. What revolutionary rights didn’t it reject?
  1. How did Napoleon strengthen the economy?
  1. Define lycées:
  1. Why were lycées so important and what major weakness did they have?
  1. Explain how Napoleon kept both the people of France happy and satisfied the pope in the Concordat of 1801?

Section 5: Napoleon in Triumph and Defeat

  1. What technique did Napoleon use to defeat the Austrians at Ulm?
  1. What non-military tactic did Napoleon use to keep enemies weak and divided?
  1. Define satellite states:
  1. Why was Napoleon not seen as a welcome liberator later on by conquered states?
  1. Where did Admiral Nelson win yet another important naval victory against Napoleon by capturing French ships?
  1. How did the Continental System blockade backfire against Napoleon?
  1. Define nationalism:
  1. Define guerrilla warfare:
  1. What did nationalist leaders urge the Prussian king to do to create greater loyalty among the middle and lower classes?
  1. What prompted Napoleon’s invasion of Russia?
  1. How many troops did Napoleon start with in June, 1812?
  1. Explain how Alexander I (and hence all Russians) responded to Napoleon’s attack on Russia?
  1. What did Napoleon find when he entered Moscow after winning his great victory (at Borodino)?
  1. What did this cause Napoleon to do?
  1. Approximately how many soldiers escaped with the Grand Army from Russia?
  1. Where did Napoleon go into exile after his defeat by Prussia, Britain, Austria and Russia?
  1. Who was installed as king in France after Napoleon’s defeat?
  1. How did Napoleon reclaim control of France during this time?
  1. Where was Napoleon finally defeated and where was he sent afterward?
  1. What three great ideals would the French continue to strive for?
  1. What did the French Revolution and Napoleon contribute to the growing spirit of in Europe?