The document summarizes the key events leading up to the French Revolution. It describes the unequal system that existed with the First and Second Estates (clergy and nobility) paying no taxes while the Third Estate (ordinary people) paid all taxes. Ideas of the Enlightenment spread and questioned this unequal system. As France's financial problems grew, the king was forced to call the Estates General, but the Third Estate broke off and formed the National Assembly, seeking fair taxation and more power. This led to unrest and the storming of the Bastille prison, fueling the Revolution.

1. The French
Revolution

2. A country divided between very rich and very poor
ALL taxes were paid by poor people – rich people paid
NO taxes
Country was ruled by Louis XVI – an absolute ruler –
whatever he said was law!
Queen Marie Antoinette was hated by the French
people – reported to have said “let them eat cake”

3. Ancien Regime – the old
system of Government
where the King, Nobles and
Clergy had all the power
Lettre de cachet –
Allowed the King to
imprison anyone without
trial

4. The Three Estates were the three main groups in
French Society
1. First Estate – the Clergy of the Church – Bishops and
Cardinals. Paid No taxes.
2. Second Estate – Royalty and Nobility – King Louis and
his Lords. Paid No taxes
3. Third Estate – Ordinary People, The middle class (the
Bourgeoisie), workers and peasants. Paid ALL taxes

7. This refers to a period when many people began to
question old ideas and attitudes
People began asking - was it fair that rich people paid
no taxes?
Printing allowed enlightenment ideas to spread rapidly
Who is this man?

8. Power of the King should come from the People, not God
Governments should be based on reason and respect for
human rights
Everyone should be treated equally
These were all ideas that had influenced the American
Revolution

9. France had become short of money after helping
America gain its freedom
The nobles did not want to pay any more taxes and
demanded that King Louis call a Parliament to set new
taxes – this was known as the ESTATES GENERAL
First and Second estates felt they could control the
Third estate in this new system
They were wrong!

13. In France before the revolution the rich people paid the most
taxes
The Bourgeoisie was a type of French cake
Louis XVI was an absolute ruler
The enlightenment refers to the invention of the light bulb
The Queen of France was Queen Elizabeth 1
The first estate consisted of all the ordinary people of France
The second estate was made up of the nobility
A chateaux is a mansion belonging to a member of the
Nobility

14. Estates General An enlightment writer
Clergy Paid mostly by poor people
Bourgeoise Rich people
Enlightenment The Second Estate
Voltaire An earlier revolution
Louis XVI France’s Parliament
Taxes Another name for the Third Estate
America A time of new ideas
Nobles Taken by the Third Estate
Tennis Court Oath King of France

15. Sans Culottes means “without knee breeches” – they
were ordinary people who deliberately dressed
differently to the nobles.
They were happy with the new National Assembly and
wanted to defend it
When they heard a rumour that the King was going to
close down the National Assembly they attacked the
Bastille Prison in response

16. “Culottes”
“Sans Culottes”

19. So far the Revolution had led to:
◦ Reduction in the power of the first and second estates (clergy and
nobility)
◦ New freedoms for everyone
◦ Fairer tax system
◦ Release of wrongly jailed prisoners from Bastille
But some people wanted to get rid of the King completely –
these people were known as Jacobins and were led by
Maximillian Robespierre

20. Many Jacobins wanted to reduce the power of the Clergy
(First Estate)
A law was passed called the “Civil Constitution of the Clergy”
– this tried to bring the Clergy under the new government’s
control. This was condemned by the Pope and many Priests
refused to support it.

28. The execution of Louis meant that more countries joined the
war against France
In response Robespierre executed 40,000 people who he felt
were threats to the revolution
Laws were passed to raise a large army to defend France
Robespierre’s actions helped defend France but caused great
bitterness
Once the danger of war was over, Robespierre was executed

29. At Higher Level this question is worth 20 marks and
has NO hints

32. The Jacobins were led by Robespierre
Napoleon was a member of the First Estate
Tennis Court Oath was a tennis match between Robespierre
and King Louis
The Printing Press helped to spread the Enlightenment
The Second Estate contained all the Poor People of France
Britain helped France to execute Louis XVI
The Bastille was the name of one of King Louis’s Palaces
Napoleon became King of France in all but name
The National Flag of France is a tricolour