The French Revolution

NOTES
1.When did Louis XVI became the prince of france? Why did he find royal treasury
empty when he came to power?

Ans-In 1774, Louis XVI of the Bourbon family of kings ascended the
throne of France. He was 20 years old and married to the Austrian
princess Marie Antoinette. Upon his accession the new king found
an empty treasury. Long years of war had drained the financial
resources of France. Added to this was the cost of maintaining an
extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles. Under Louis
XVI, France helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their
independence from the common enemy, Britain. The war added more
than a billion livres to a debt that had already risen to more than 2
billion livres. Lenders who gave the state credit, now began to charge
10 per cent interest on loans. So the French government was obliged
to spend an increasing percentage of its budget on interest payments
alone. To meet its regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining
an army, the court, running government offices or universities, the
state was forced to increase taxes.

2.Describe the French society during the late 18th century

Ans-French society in the eighteenth century was divided

into three estates, which was clergy nobility and commons and
only members of the third estate paid taxes..
Peasants made up about 90 per cent of the population. However,
only a small number of them owned the land they cultivated. About
60 per cent of the land was owned by nobles, the Church and other
richer members of the third estate. The members of the first two
estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility, enjoyed certain privileges by
birth. The most important of these was exemption from paying taxes to
the state. The nobles further enjoyed feudal privileges. These included
feudal dues, which they extracted from the peasants. Peasants were obliged
to render services to the lord – to work in his house and fields – to serve
in the army or to participate in building roads.
The Church too extracted its share of taxes called tithes from the peasants,
and finally, all members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state.
These included a direct tax, called taille, and a number of indirect taxes
which were levied on articles of everyday consumption like salt or tobacco.
The burden of financing activities of the state through taxes was borne
by the third estate alone.

3.Why was the French society stugguling for survival in late 18 th century AD?

Ans-The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28

million in 1789. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for
foodgrains. Production of grains could not keep pace with the
demand. So the price of bread which was the staple diet of the majority
rose rapidly. Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops
whose owner fixed their wages. But wages did not keep pace with
the rise in prices. So the gap between the poor and the rich widened.
Things became worse whenever drought or hail reduced the harvest.
This led to a subsistence crisis, something that occurred frequently
in France during the Old Regime.

4.How did the philosophers made people aware of freedom in French society?

Ans-These ideas
envisaging a society based on freedom and equal laws and
opportunities for all, were put forward by philosophers such as John
Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. In his Two Treatises of Government,
Locke sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right
of the monarch. Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a
form of government based on a social contract between people
and their representatives. In The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu
proposed a division of power within the government between
the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.
The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively in salons
and coffee-houses and spread among people through books and
newspapers. These were frequently read aloud in groups for the
benefit of those who could not read and write.

5.Describe the starting or outbreak of the revolution

OR

How did the French people start revolt against king Louis XVI?
Ans-On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of the Estates
General to pass proposals for new taxes. A resplendent hall in
Versailles was prepared to host the delegates. The first and second
estates sent 300 representatives each, who were seated in rows facing
each other on two sides, while the 600 members of the third estate
had to stand at the back. The third estate was represented by its more
prosperous and educated members. Peasants, artisans and women
were denied entry to the assembly. However, their grievances and
demands were listed in some 40,000 letters which the representatives
had brought with them.
Voting in the Estates General in the past had been conducted according
to the principle that each estate had one vote. This time too Louis
XVI was determined to continue the same practice. But members of
the third estate demanded that voting now be conducted by the
assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote. This
was one of the democratic principles put forward by philosophers
like Rousseau in his book The Social Contract. When the king rejected
this proposal, members of the third estate walked out of the assembly
in protest.

6.Describe the constitutional monarchy in france?

Ans-The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in

1791. Its main object was to limit the powers of the monarch. These
powers instead of being concentrated in the hands of one person,
were now separated and assigned to different institutions – the
legislature, executive and judiciary. This made France a constitutional
monarchy. The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the
National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. That is, citizens
voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly. Not
all citizens, however, had the right to vote. Only men above 25 years
of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage
were given the status of active citizens, that is, they were entitled to
vote.

7.What was the importance of decleration of rights of men and citizens?

Ans-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, that is, they belonged to each human being
by birth and could not be taken away. It was the duty of the state to
protect each citizen’s natural rights.

8.Write some rights in the form of declaration of rights of men and citizens of the
French people?

Ans-1. Men are born and remain free and equal

in rights.
4. Liberty consists of the power to do
whatever is not injurious to others.
5. The law has the right to forbid only
actions that are injurious to society.
7. No man may be accused, arrested or
detained, except in cases determined by
the law.
5.All citizens will enjoy religious freedom
9.Explain the meaning of some important political symbol used during the French
revolution?

Ans-The broken chain: Chains were used to fetter slaves.

A broken chain stands for the act of becoming free.
The bundle of rods or fasces: One rod
can be easily broken, but not an entire
bundle. Strength lies in unity
The eye within a triangle radiating light: The allseeing
eye stands for knowledge. The rays of the sun
will drive away the clouds of ignorance.

Snake biting its tail to form a ring: Symbol of

Eternity. A ring has neither beginning nor end.

Red Phrygian cap: Cap worn by a slave

upon becoming free

Sceptre: Symbol of royal power.

Blue-white-red: The
national colours of France.
The winged woman:
Personification of the law.
The Law Tablet: The law is the same for all,
and all are equal before it.

10.Write a short note on Marseillaise city of france?

Ans-Among the patriotic songs they sang was the Marseillaise,

composed by the poet Roget de L’Isle. It was sung for the first time by
volunteers from Marseilles as they marched into Paris and so got its
name. The Marseillaise is now the national anthem of France.

11.write a short note on Jacobin club in france?

Ans-The most successful of these clubs was that of

the Jacobins, which got its name from the former convent of St
Jacob in Paris. Women too, who had been active throughout this
period, formed their own clubs. 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. Their leader was
Maximilian Robespierre. A large group among the Jacobins decided
to start wearing long striped trousers similar to those worn by
dock workers. This was to set themselves apart from the fashionable
sections of society, especially nobles, who wore knee breeches. It was a way
of proclaiming the end of the power wielded by the
wearers of knee breeches. These Jacabins came to be known as the
sans-culottes, literally meaning ‘those without knee breeches’. Sansculottes
men wore in addition the red cap that symbolised liberty.
Women however were not allowed to do so.

12.How did france abolish monarchy and became republic?

Ans-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 now
on all men of 21 years and above, regardless of wealth, got the right
to vote.
The newly elected assembly was called the Convention. On
21 September 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France
a republic. Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of
treason. On 21 January 1793 he was executed publicly at the
Place de la Concorde. The queen Marie Antoinette met with the
same fate shortly after.

13.Why is the period from 1793 to 1794 reffered to as reign of terror?

Ans-The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign of

Terror. Robespierre followed a policy of severe control and
punishment. All those whom he saw as being ‘enemies’ of the
republic – ex-nobles and clergy, members of 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. The guillotine is a device consisting of two
poles and a blade with which a person is beheaded. It was named
after Dr Guillotin who invented it. Robespierre pursued his policies so relentlessly
that even his
supporters began to demand moderation. Finally, he was
convicted by a court in July 1794, arrested and on the next day
sent to the guillotine.

14. What were the reforms introduced by Robespierre’s government?

Ans-Robespierre’s government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling

on wages and prices. Meat and bread were rationed. 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 pain
d’égalité (equality bread), a loaf made of wholewheat. Equality
was also sought to be practised through forms of speech and
address. Instead of the traditional Monsieur (Sir) and Madame
(Madam) all French men and women were henceforth Citoyen
and Citoyenne (Citizen). Churches were shut down and their
buildings converted into barracks or offices.

15.Why did directory failed to rule in france?

Ans-The fall of the Jacobin government allowed the wealthier middle

classes to seize power. A new constitution was introduced which
denied the vote to non-propertied sections of society. 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
the Jacobins. However, 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.

16.What was the condition of women in france before the revolution?

Ans-Most
women of the third estate had to work for a living. 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. Most women did not have access to education or
job training. Only daughters of nobles or wealthier members of the
third estate could study at a convent, after which their families
arranged a marriage for them. Working women had also to care for
their families, that is, cook, fetch water, queue up for bread and
look after the children. Their wages were lower than those of men.

17.What kind of role was played by women in the French revolution?

Ans-From the very beginning women were active participants in the events
which brought about so many important changes in French society.
They hoped that their involvement would pressurise the revolutionary
government to introduce measures to improve their lives. 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. One of theirmain demands was
that women enjoy the same political rights as
men. Women were disappointed that the Constitution of 1791 reduced
them to passive citizens. They demanded the right to vote, to be
elected to the Assembly and to hold political office. Only then, they
felt, would their interests be represented in the new government.

18.Which new laws were introduced by revolutionary government to improve

lives of women?
Ans-In the early years, the revolutionary government did introduce laws
that helped improve the lives of women. Together with the creation
of state schools, schooling 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. Women could now train for jobs, could
become artists or run small businesses

19.When and how did women in france get right to vote?

Ans-Women’s movements for voting rights and equal wages continued

through the next two hundred years in many countries of the world.
The fight for the vote was carried out through an international
suffrage movement during the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries. The example of the political activities of French women
during the revolutionary years was kept alive as an inspiring memory.
It was finally in 1946 that women in France won the right to vote.

20.What was the triangukar slave trade?

Ans-One of the most revolutionary social reforms of the Jacobin regime

was the abolition of slavery in the French colonies. The colonies in
the Caribbean – Martinique, Guadeloupe and San Domingo – were
important suppliers of commodities such as tobacco, indigo, sugar
and coffee. But the reluctance of Europeans to go and work in distant
and unfamiliar lands meant a shortage of labour on the plantations.
So this was met by a triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa
and the Americas. The slave trade began in the seventeenth century.
French merchants sailed from the ports of Bordeaux or Nantes to
the African coast, where they bought slaves from local chieftains.
Branded and shackled, the slaves were packed tightly into ships for
the three-month long voyage across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.
There they were sold to plantation owners.

21.How was slavery abolished in france?

Ans-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 businessmen whose incomes depended on the slave trade. It
was finally the Convention which in 1794 legislated to free all slaves
in the French overseas possessions. This, however, turned out to be
a short-term measure: ten years later, Napoleon reintroduced slavery.
Plantation owners understood their freedom as including the right
to enslave African Negroes in pursuit of their economic interests.
Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.

22.What were the changes came came into French society during the French
revolution?

Ans-One important law that came into effect soon after the storming of
the Bastille in the summer of 1789 was the abolition of censorship. In
the Old Regime all written material and cultural activities – books,
newspapers, plays – could be published or performed only after they
had been approved by the censors of the king. Now the Declaration
of the Rights of Man and Citizen proclaimed freedom of speech and
expression to be a natural right. Newspapers, pamphlets, books and
printed pictures flooded the towns of France from where they
travelled rapidly into the countryside. They all described and discussed
the events and changes taking place in France. Freedom of the press
also meant that opposing views of events could be expressed.
. Plays, songs and festive processions attracted large numbers
of people. This was one way they could grasp and identify with ideas
such as liberty or justice that political philosophers wrote about at
length in texts which only a handful of educated people could read.

23.What were the reforms introduced by Napoleon in france?

Ans-In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France.

Napoleon saw his role as a moderniser of Europe. He introduced many
laws such as the protection of private property and a uniform system of
weights and measures provided by the decimal system. 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. He was finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. Many of his
measures that carried the revolutionary ideas of liberty and modern laws
to other parts of Europe had an impact on people long after Napoleon
had left.

24.What is the important legacy of French revolution?

 Ans-The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important
legacy of the French Revolution. These spread from France to the
rest of Europe during the nineteenth century, where feudal systems were abolished.

Colonised peoples reworked the idea of freedom from

bondage into their movements to create a sovereign nation state. Tipu

Sultan and Rammohan Roy are two examples of individuals who
responded to the ideas coming from revolutionary France.

25.Who were inspired in India by French revolution?

Ans-Tipu Sultan and Rammohan Roy are two examples of individuals who
responded to the ideas coming from revolutionary France.