Study Guide: French Revolution, Napoleon, and the Congress of Vienna
French Revolution
1. What were the 3 classes in the Old Regime (what were they named and who was in each? Who had to pay the
taxes?)
1st Estate: Roman Catholic Church, owned 10% of the land and contributed 2% of its income to the government
2nd Estate: Wealthy nobles, made up 2% of population and owned 20% of the land and contributed 0% to the
government
3rd Estate: Made up 98% of the people in France and the largest group within this Estate were the peasants.
They paid more 50% of their income to taxes.
2. Who ruled France in the Old Regime? Louis XVI
3. What year did the French Revolution start? 1789
4. How did each of these causes lead to the French Revolution?
a. Old Regime: The Third Estate wanted to wield more power and have a say in government. They wanted
to pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people.
b. American Revolution: The French were inspired by the success of the American Revolution.
c. Enlightenment: New views about power and authority in government were spreading among the Third
Estate. The people began questioning long-standing notions about the structure of society and using
words like equality, liberty, and democracy.
5. Why did King Louis XVI call the Estates-General? Louis put off dealing with the emergency of cutting expenses
and increasing taxes until France faced bankruptcy. The 2nd Estate forced him to call the Estates-General to get
approval for tax reform.
6. What was the Estates-General? An assembly of representatives from all three estates
7. What did the 3rd Estate want when they locked themselves into the Tennis Court? The Third Estate found
themselves locked out of the National Assembly. They broke down a door to an indoor tennis court, pledging to
stay until they had drawn up a new constitution.
8. What event became a symbol of the French Revolution (like our 4th of July)? Bastille Day
9. Why did the women of Paris march on Versailles? In October of 1789, approximately 6,000 Parisian women
rioted over the rising price of bread. They broke into the Royal Palace.
10. What did the Declaration of the Rights of Man do? A famous document that guaranteed citizens equal justice,
freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. However, did not include woman.
11. Who were the Radicals and what did they want? Most were just men and women of the middle class joining a
political club. However the most radical clubs in 1792 made violent speeches about removal of the king and
establishing a republic.
12. Who were the Conservatives and what did they want?
13. What happened to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? They were beheaded on the guillotine
14. What was the Reign of Terror? Maximlien Robespierre governed France nearly as a dictator and this period was
known as the Reign of Terror. He wanted to wipe out every trace of France’s past monarchy and nobility. It is
believed that as many as 40,000 were killed.
15. Who was in charge of France during the Reign of Terror? Maximilien Robespierre
16. What government took over after the Reign of Terror? Napoleon Bonaparte
17. What was the end result of the French Revolution? (who no longer had power, and who was rising in power?)
Napoleon pretended to be the constitutionally chosen leader of a free republic and brought stability to France.
Napoleon
18. What was the one country Napoleon never invaded? Russia
19. What was nationalism and how did Napoleon influence its rise? Many of the territories occupied by Napoleon
during his Empire began to feel a new sense of nationalism. During the occupation, Napoleon destroyed and
disallowed many nations’ individual cultures, and the people of these nations greatly resented this. As a result,
Napoleon's conquests spurred a new nationalism in the occupied nations, particularly in Germany and Italy, at a
level that had never previously existed.
20. What was the Napoleonic Code and why is it still important today? Although the code gave the country a
uniform set of laws and eliminated many injustices, it actually limited liberty and promoted order and
authority over individual rights. The code took away some rights that women had won during the
Revolution.
21. Who led a revolution in Haiti, and what did Napoleon do as a result of that revolution? Toussaint L’Ouverture
22. How did Napoleon help bring order and stability back to France? (Give 4 examples)
Equal opportunity in government based on merit
Equal taxation
Religious tolerance
Created code of law
Set up a National Bank
Public Education
23. How did the following events lead to the downfall of Napoleon?
a. Continental System: a decree ordering a blockade—a forcible closing of ports—to prevent all trade and
communication between Great Britain and other European nations, This was supposed to make
continental Europe more self-sufficient. It was also intended to destroy Britain’s commercial and industrial
economy.
b. Peninsular War: Spain ignored the Continental System. Napoleon sent troops to Spain and lost about
300,000 men to guerillas. These losses weakened the French Empire.
c. Invading Russia: Napoleon’s thirst for power led to an attack on Russia. The Russians used the scorched-earth
policy, burning grain fields and killing livestock so as to leave nothing for the enemy. Napoleon took his soldiers into
battle during the harshest months and lost many of his men due to hunger, exhaustion, cold, and from wounds.
24. What is the legacy of Napoleon (in other words, what do we remember him for today?)
Military genius
Brilliant administrator
His code of law and some reforms