Name:
Date:
The French Revolution
Film Guide
At the height of the 18th century, the most glorious kingdom in Europe would face a mighty foe--the power of its own people. One man would rise to inspire the nation to cast aside a hated King and Queen, and a new republic would be born in blood--the blood of the French Revolution.
1. The magnificent palace of Versailles, which was the seat of the French monarchy, was located _____ miles west of Paris.
2. List three words that describe Louis: ______, ______, and ______.
3. Who did Louis marry in the spring of 1770? ______
4. On their wedding night, Marie realized that Louis was not interested in ______.
5. Years of mismanagement by the French monarchy had left the French people ______and ______.
6. _____ years after the wedding of Louis and Marie, Louis XV (15th) died and Louis and Marie become the king and queen of France.
7. Did Louis XVI (the 16th) feel ready to be king? _____
8. In elite salons throughout Paris, people would discuss ideas such as liberty, control of one’s own destiny, and ______.
9. Louis’ decision to send money and troops to fight in the American war for independence plunged France into ______.
10. Marie’s wild hairdos, dresses, jewels, and shoes earned her the nickname Madame ______.
11. Louis and Marie were a laughingstock in France because for years they could not produce ______.
12. In France, the rising cost of flour led to a shortage of ______, the heart of the French diet.
13. While the people of France were going hungry, what was life like at Versailles? ______
14. Who paid the highest taxes in France under Louis XVI? ______
15. What problems arose in France as a result of the rising cost of bread? ______
______
16. To solve the financial crisis, Louis called a meeting of the ______. This was the first time they were called together in 175 years! By calling them together, Louis was admitting that he alone could not solve France’s financial difficulties.
17. What problem did the Third Estate have with the Estates-General?
______
______
Representation in the Estates-General (1789)
Classes / Representatives in Estates-General / Votes in Estates-General / Percent of populationFirst Estate
(clergy) / 300 / 1 / 3%
Second Estate
(nobility) / 300 / 1
Third Estate
(everyone else) / 600 / 1 / 97%
18. On June 20, 1789, the Estates-General took two revolutionary actions: First, they declared themselves a new ______. Second, in the Tennis Court Oath, they promised not to disband until they had written a ______for France. These actions were supported by Paris mobs, who demonstrated against the king.
19. By early July, Louis gathered ______to overthrow the new National Assembly.
20. To defend themselves, the people formed a new ______. Rioters raided armories and took weapons. To acquire gunpowder, the people stormed the ______, a symbol of the Old Regime.
21. What happened to the governor of the Bastille? ______
22. How did the deputies in the National Assembly respond to this violence? ______
23. What are the main ideas of the Declaration of the Rights of Man, drafted by the National Assembly? ______
24. On October 5, 1789, a group of primarily ______marched to Versailles to protest the shortage of bread.
25. When the people outside Versailles demanded that the King move to Paris to be closer to his subjects, the King did not immediately respond. What did the people do as a result?
______
______
26. Did the King eventually move to Paris? _____
27. By the middle of 1791, the National Assembly had written a constitution providing for a limited monarchy, meaning that the King would have to share power with the National Assembly. On June 21, 1791, the King and Queen disguised themselves as ______and escaped from Paris. Were they caught and returned to Paris? _____
28. Describe Robespierre. ______
29. The ______was a new killing machine used by the revolutionaries to punish anyone suspected of plotting to return Louis to the throne.
30. Fearing that members of the extended royal family that escaped to Austria would launch a counter-revolution, the National Assembly ______.
31. As Austrian and Prussian armies moved toward Paris, French anti-royalist mobs rioted. They accused the king of being in communication with the enemy. The French legislature then deposed the King and called for election of a National Convention. It was to govern France and draw up a new, more democratic constitution. Many groups in France supported the limited monarchy and wanted an end to all the excitement and change. This proved impossible, however, since too many groups were dissatisfied with the revolution and opposed the limited monarchy. Two such groups were the radical ______, led by Robespierre, and the moderate Girondists.
32. Robespierre soon decided that there was no room for Louis. The National Convention put him on ______for treason.
33. On January 20, 1793, the king was declared ______and ______.
34. In his newspaper, ______called for the heads of the enemies of the revolution. On July 13, 1793, Charlotte Corday ______because ______.
35. How was Marie punished? ______
36. The period of violent repression in France was known as the ______.
37. What happened during the Reign of Terror?
______
______
38. When Danton saw the revolution heading down the wrong path and wanted to bring it to a halt, how did Robespierre respond?
______
39. The Great Terror was the last stage of the Reign of Terror. Up to _____ people a month were killed.
40. On June 6, 1794, Robespierre declared a new religious holiday called ______.
41. How did people respond to Robespierre’s new holiday?
______
42. What happened on July 27, 1794?
______