Key Terms French Revolution

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A level History Flashcards on Key Terms French Revolution, created by Robin Connolly on 29/12/2016.
Robin Connolly
Flashcards by Robin Connolly, updated more than 1 year ago
Robin Connolly
Created by Robin Connolly over 7 years ago
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Resource summary

Question Answer
Ancien Regime French society and government before 1789
Intendants Officials directly appointed by and answerable to the crown who were mainly responsible for the police, justice, finance, public works and trade and industry
Generalities The 34 areas into which France was divided for the purpose of collecting taxes and other administrative functions; each area was under the control of a intendant
Livres France's currency (1 livre roughly 8p)
Tax farming A system where the government agrees a tax assessment figure for an area, which is the collected by a company that bids for the right to collect it
Venality The sale and purchase of certain jobs which could be inherited by descendents
Philosophes A group of writers and thinkers who formed the core of the French enlightenment
Guild Organisation that tightly controls entry into trade
Corvee Unpaid labour service to maintain roads, money could be replaced with labour
Parlements 13 high courts of appeal. All edicts handed down by the crown had to be registered by by the parliaments before they could be enforced as law
Diocese An area served by a bishop, made up of several parishes
Plurality The holding of more than one bishopric or Parish by an individual
Cahiers Lists of grievances and suggestions for reform drawn up by representatives of each estate and presented to the estates-general
Versailles The royal palace of the Bourbons and the seat of royal government built outside Paris by Louis XIV
Feudal dues Financial or work obligations imposed on the peasantry by landowners
Bourgeouise Middle-class urban dwellers who made a living through their intellectual skills or business practices
Serfdom A system in which people were the property of the landowner
Artisan A skilled worker or craftsmen
Sans-culottes Literally 'those without knee-breeches' those who wore trousers and were classed as workers. Later used to identify the more extreme urban revolutionaries
Deficit When expenditure is greater than income
Pays d'etats Areas that had local representatives of all three estates that contributed to the assessment and collection of royal taxes
Estates-General Elected representatives of all three estates of the realm. Only summoned in times of extreme national crisis
Notables Rich, powerful individuals; the elite who controlled the political and economic life of France
Politicisation A process in which people who were previously unconcerned with politics take an active interest in political issues which affect their daily lives
Marxist historians Those who interpret the Revolution as part of Marx's analysis of history as a series of class-based struggles, resulting ultimately in the triumph of the proletariat
Revisionist historians Those who reject Marxist analysis and provide a revised interpretation
Social interpretation An emphasis on changes in society- population trends, social class - as having a significant impact on the revolution
Voting by order Each estate votes separately on any issue. Any two estates together would outvote the third
Voting by head Decisions taken by the Estates-General would be agreed by a simple vote with a majority sufficient to agree any policy. This favored the third estate, which had the most deputies
Conservatives Those who did not want any reforms. They were deeply suspicious and skeptical for any social or political change
Liberals Deputies who were far more tolerant of differing political views and who supported a measure of cautious reform
Primary assemblies Meeting places for voters
Lettres de cachets Sealed instructions from the crown allowing detention without trial
Popular movement Crowds of politically active Parisians who periodically took to the streets to protest
Gardes-francaises An elite royal infantry regiment, many of whom deserted to join opponents of the king in July 1789
Journee Day of popular action and disturbance linked to great political change
Citizens' militia A bourgeoisie defense force set up to protect the interests of property owners in Paris. After the storming of the Bastille, it became the national guard
Menu peuple Used to describe ordinary people living in towns
Emigres People, mainly aristocrats, who fled France during the Revolution, many emigres joined foreign opponents of the Revolution
Counter-revoutionaries Groups and individuals hostile to the revolution, who wished to reverse any changes it made at the earliest opportunity
Hoarders Those who bought up supplies of food, keeping them until prices rose and then selling them at a large profit
Patriot party A loose group of progressive reformers, mainly nobles and bourgeoisie, who wanted changes to the political structure - a reduction in royal power in order to enhance their own positions
Canton An administrative subdivision of a department
Nationalised Taken in to state control
Assignat Bonds backed up by the sale of Church land that circulated as a form of paper currency
Suspensive veto The right to delay a measure proposed by the assembly
Republic A political system which does not have a hereditary head of state and where the supremacy of the people is recognized through mass democracy
Legislative power The power to make laws. In an absolute system this power belongs to the Crown, while in a democracy it rests with elected representatives
Executive power The power to make decisions relating to the government of a country
Decentralised Decision making devolved from the center to the regions of a country
Constitutional monarchy Where the powers of the Crown are limited by a constitution, aka a limited monarchy
Departments On 26 February 1790, 83 new divisions for local administration in France were created to replace the old divisions of the ancien regime
Commune The smallest administrative unit in France
Active citizens Citizens who, depending on the amount of taxes paid, could vote and stand as deputies
Passive citizens Approximately 2.7 million citizens who enjoyed the civic rights provided by the Declaration of the Rights of Man, but paid insufficient taxes to qualify for a vote
Laboureurs The upper level of the peasantry who owned a plough and hired labour to work their land
Biens nationaux The nationalised property of the Church as ordered by the decree of 2 November 1789
State monopoly A system whereby the State exercises total control over an industry and can set whatever price it wishes
Tax rolls Lists of citizens who had to pay taxes to the state
Laissez-faire Non-interference in economic matters, so that trade and industry should be free from state interference
Free trade Trade without the imposition of taxes and duties on goods
Collective bargaining Where a trade union negotiates with employers on behalf of workers who are members
Picketing The practice of strikers trying to persuade others to join in
Guillotine A machine introduced in 1792 for decapitating victims in a relatively painless way, became synonymous with the terror
Legislative assembly Came into existence in October 1791 and was the second elected Assembly to rule during the Revolution. It differed from the National/Constituent Assembly in that all members were directly elected
Annates Payments made by the French Church to the pope
National synod An assembly of representatives of the entire church
Avignon Territory controlled by the pope in southern France
Refractory priests Those priests who refused to take the oath
Conscription Compulsory military service
Physiocrats A group of French intellectuals who believed that land was the only source of wealth and that landowners should therefore pay the bulk of taxes
Centralisation Direct central control of the various parts of government, with less power to the regions
Insurrection An uprising of ordinary people, predominantly sans-coulottes
Inflation A decline in the value of money, which leads to an increase in the price of goods
Feuillants Constitutional monarchists, among them Lafayette, who split from the Jacobin Club following the flight to Varennes
Alter of the fatherland A large memorial to commemorate the Revolution
Martial law The suspension of civil liberties by the State in an attempt to restore public order when there is severe rioting and mass disobedience
Self-denying ordinance Members of the National Assembly were not permitted to stand for election to the new Legislative Assembly
Left Those seated on the left of the speaker of the Legislative Assembly favoring extreme policies such as removing the King and having a republic
Right Those seated on the right of the speaker of the Legislative Assembly and supporting a limited monarchy
Centre Those who sat facing the speaker of the Legislative Assembly favoring neither left nor right
Girondins A small group of deputies from the Gironde and their associates - notably Brissot
Parlementaire Judges who held hereditary positions on one of the thirteen parlements
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