83 Short Answer Type Questions on the French Revolution

1. What do you understand by the word 'Revolution'?

The term 'Revolution' means a recognisable momentous change in any situation.
2. Describe the incident which sparked the Revolution.
The attack by the Third Estate on the Bastille State Prison (14th July 1789) and setting free the
prisoners sparked the 'Revolution'.
3. What activity of the French monarchy hastened the Revolution?
Extravagant lifestyle of the monarchy brought France to the verge of bankruptcy and hastened the
Revolution.
4. Who were the Sans-Culottes?
Sans-Culottes literally mean:
Those without knee breeches i.e., the common people of Paris.
5. When did the French Revolution take place?
The French Revolution took place on July 14, 1789.
6. What did the French Revolution of 1789 stand for?
The French Revolution of 1789 stood for the ideas of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
7. Explain the terms Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
The term Liberty means freedom, equality stands for being equal and fraternity stands for
brotherhood.
8. Why was the Bastille hated by all?
Bastille was hated because it was a symbol of the despotic power of the King.
9. What did the fall of Bastille signify?
The fall of Bastille signified the end of the autocratic rule of the monarch.
10. What was the immediate cause of rioting in Paris?
The high price of bread was the immediate cause for rioting in Paris.
11. What was the main idea of Rousseau's famous work 'Social Contracts?
Rousseau's famous, work the 'Social Contract' believed that governments should be based on the
consent of the governed.
12. Give any one significant role of the French philosophers in the outbreak of the
Revolution.

The most significant role of the philosophers was that they exposed the inefficiency of the monarch,
provided revolutionary ideas and inspired the people to fight for their rights.
13. What debt did France incur due to her involvement in the American War of
Independence?
The war added more than a billion livres to the French debt.
14. List the three Estates into which French society was divided.
Or
Name the three main social classes of 18th century France.
The Clergy, Nobility and the Third Estate or commoners, were the three Estates into which French
society was divided.
15. Which classes formed the privileged Estates?
The clergy and nobility constituted the privileged estates.
16. What were the privileges enjoyed by the clergy and nobility?
The clergy and nobility enjoyed exemption from paying redemption taxes to the state. They had
political rights and social status.
17. What special feudal privilege did the nobles enjoy?
The authority to extract feudal dues from the peasants was the special privilege that the nobles
enjoyed.
18. Name the special tax levied by the church on peasants.
Tithes was the special tax levied by the church on peasants.
19. What was the tax levied by the State called?
The tax levied by the state was called Taille.
20. List any three taxes levied on the Third Estate.
(i) Taille, (ii) Tithe, (iii) Indirect taxes like salt tax and road tax were some of the taxes levied on the
Third Estate.
21. What work did women of the Third Estate do?
Women worked as seamstresses or laundresses, sold fruits, vegetables and flowers at the market or
served as domestics.
22. Why the Third Estate was considered the unprivileged class?
The Third Estate was considered the unprivileged class because they had no political rights and
social status. They bore the burden of the state taxes.
23. List the names of at least three philosophers who inspired the Revolution.

John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Montesquieu, were philosophers who inspired the
Revolution.
24. Give the titles of books written by John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and
Montesquieu.
John Locke wrote the book 'Two Treatises of Government', Jean Jacques Rousseau, 'The Social
Contract and Montesquieu', 'The Spirit of Laws'.
25. What type of a society did the philosophers envisage?
The philosophers envisaged a society based on freedom, equal laws and opportunities for all. .
26. What ideas did john Locke propound?
John Locke propounded the ideas refuting the doctrine of divine and absolute rights of the monarch.
27. What was the philosophy of Montesquieu?
Montesquieu philosophy was based on the division of powers between the legislature, executive and
the judiciary.
28. What inspired the philosophers?
The American constitution and its guarantee of individual rights inspired the philosophers.
29. Which assembly in France alone had the authority to vote on new taxes?
The General Assembly alone had the authority to vote on new taxes in France.
30. Who constituted the Estates General?
The representatives of the 3 Estates 'constituted the Estates General. It was a political body.
31. When were the Estates General last convened?
The Estates General was last convened in 1614; prior to the reign of Louis XVI.
32. When and where did Louis XVI convene the assembly of the Estates General?
In Versailles, on May 5, 1789, Louis XVI convened the assembly of the Estates General.
33. The assembly of the Estates General denied entry to which sections of French
Society?
Peasants, artisans and women were denied entry to the assembly of the Estates General.
34. On what principle was voting conducted in the Estates General?
Each Estate having one vote, was the principle on which voting was conducted in the Estates
General.
35. What was the main aim of the National Assembly?

The main aim of the National Assembly was to limit the powers of the monarch and assign separate
institutions authority-legislature, executive and judicial.
36. What is a guillotine? Who invented it?
(i) A guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a person is beheaded. (ii)
Dr. Guillotin invented it.
37. List the name of the body formed by the representatives of the Third Estate.
National Assembly was the body formed by the representatives of the Third Estate.
38. When and where was the formation for the National Assembly announced?
The National Assembly was announced on June 20, 1789, in the hall of an indoor tennis court, in
Versailles.
39. Name two important leaders of the National Assembly.
Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes were two important leaders of the National Assembly.
40. Who was the author of the pamphlet 'What is the Third Estate?^
Abbe Sieyes authored the pamphlet What is the Third Estate?'.
41. What forced Louis XVI to accord recognition to the National Assembly?
Power of the revolting subjects forced Louis XVI to accord recognition to the National Assembly.
42. What was the important decree the Assembly legislated?
The Assembly passed a decree abolishing feudal system of obligations and taxes.
43. What was the main objective of the draft constitution of 1791?
The main objective of the draft constitution of 1791 was to limit the powers of the monarch.
44. What provision was made by the Constitution of 1791 for the election of the
National Assembly?
The Constitution of 1791 provided for indirect elections of the National Assembly.
45. Explain the term 'active citizens'.
Citizens who had the right to vote were called active citizens.
46. What were the pre-requisites for the status of an active citizen?
The pre-requisites were, 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.
47. What is meant by the term 'natural and unalienable rights'?
The term natural and inalienable rights means, rights that belong to each human being by birth
which could not be taken away.

48. List four rights mentioned in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
Rights mentioned in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen: Right to life, freedom of
speech, freedom of opinion and equality before law.
49. Name the song sung by the French revolutionaries. Who composed it?
The song sung by the French revolutionaries was 'Marseillaise'. It was composed by the poet Roget
de L 'Isle.
50. What is the national anthem of France?
The 'Marseillaise' song sung by the revolutionaries is the national anthem of France.
51. Name the popular political club of France.
The Jacobin Club was one of the most popular political clubs in France.
52. Name the leader of the Jacobin Club.
Maximilian Robespierre was leader of the Jacobin Club.
53. Who were the members of the Jacobin Club?
The less prosperous sections of the society were members of the Jacobin Club.
54. How did the Jacobins try to set themselves apart in their attire from the more
fashionable sections of French society?
To set themselves apian; from the fashionable sections of French society the Jacobins started
wearing long striped trousers similar to those worn by dock workers, and a red cap.
55. Explain the term republic.
Republic is a form of government where people elect the government including the head of the
government.
56. When was monarchy abolished and France declared a republic?
One Sept. 21, 1792 monarchy was abolished, and France declared a republic.
57. On what a charge was Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette beheaded?
Both Louis XVI and later Marie Antoinette were beheaded on charges of treason.
58. The 'Reign of Terror is referred to which period in French revolutionary history?
Reign of Maximilian Robespierre, from 1793-94 is referred to as the 'Reign of Terror.'
59. How were the guilty punished during the Reign of Terror?
The guilty were guillotined during the Reign of Terror.
60. List two significant laws enacted by Robespierre.

Robespierre enacted laws placing a maximum ceiling on wages, and prices and rationing of meat and
bread.
61. What was the most revolutionary social reform of the Jacobin regime?
Abolition of slavery in 1794 was the most revolutionary social reform of the Jacobin regime.
62. What is meant by the term 'Directory'?
The term 'Directory' refers to the executive board made up of five members.
63. What was the significance of the Rule of the Directory?
The Rule of the Directory was significant because its political instability paved the way for the rise of
the military dictator Napoleon Bonaparte.
64. What does a broken chain signify?
A broken chain signifies act of becoming free, as chains were used to fretter slaves.
65. What means did women use to voice their interests?
To voice their interests women started their own political clubs and newspapers.
66. Give the name of any one women's club.
The 'Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women' was the most famous women's club.
67. What was the primary demand of the Women's clubs?
The main demand of the women's clubs was that women enjoy the same political rights as men.
68. How could women's interests be represented?
Women felt their interests could be represented only if they had the right to vote and hold political
offices.
69. When did French women get voting rights?
After a long struggle in 1946.
70. List four commodities supplied by the French Colonies in the Caribbean.
The French colonies in the Caribbean were important suppliers of tobacco, indigo, sugar and coffee.
71. Define the term triangular trade.
The term triangular trade refers to the slave trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas.
72. Name two French ports which owed their prosperity to the slave trade.
The two ports which prospered on account of the slave trade were Bordeaux and Nantes.
73. What led to the triangular slave trade?

The shortage of labour in the French Caribbean colonies led to the triangular slave trade.
74. When was slavery finally abolished in the French Colonies?
Slavery was finally abolished in the French Colonies in 1848.
75. What was the most important legacy of the French Revolution?
The idea of liberty and democratic rights was the most important legacy of the French Revolution.
76. List the names of two Indians who responded to the ideas of Revolutionary France.
Tipu Sultan and Raja Rammohan Roy responded to the ideas of Revolutionary France.
77. Which factor contributed to the rise of Napoleon?
The political instability of the Directory contributed to the rise of Napoleon.
78. Give any two laws enforced by Napoleon to modernise France.
Laws enforced by Napoleon to modernise France were.
(i) He codified French Law which is known as the Napoleonic Code.
(ii) Established uniform system of weights and measures.
(iii) Passed laws for protection of private property.
79. What decisive factor led to the fall of Napoleon?
The ill fated Russian campaign led to the fall of Napoleon. During this war his army was decimated
due to excessive cold, by disease, lack of food and scarcity of clothes.
80. Napoleon was finally defeated in which famous battle?
Napoleon was finally defeated in the Battle of Waterloo.
81. Where was Napoleon imprisoned?
Napoleon was imprisoned in the Island of St. Helena.
82. Give the factors that made possible the 'Reign of Terror'.
The 'Reign of Terror' (1793-1794) became possible because of the overthrow of all familiar
established forms of government in France. Moreover, France at this time was faced with the double
menace of counter revolution at home and invasion from abroad.
83. Revolutions occur when the existing system becomes unbearable to vast majority
of people. Justify with the example of the French Revolution.
Yes, the French Revolution was the direct outcome of the oppressive despotic and autocratic attitude
of Louis XVI, the corrupt and inhuman behaviour of privileged Estates- the clergy and nobility.