QA French Revolution

The French Revolution

Q. What compelled Louis XVI to raise taxes in France?
Answer:

• Wars and Economic Crisis : In 1774, when Louis XVI ascended the throne, he found and empty treasure. The nation had gone into deep dept because of the fighting in the Seven Years War (1756-1763) and the Revolutionary War in America under Louis XVI. In this war, France helped the 13 American colonies to gain their independence from Britain. The war added more than a billion livers to a dept that had already risen to more than 2 billion livres.

• Debt Trap: 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.

• Extravagant Court: France under various kings had a extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles.

Q. What measures were taken by Robespierre to bring equality in the French Society?
Answer:
Measures are :

• Robespierre government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on wages and prices.

• 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 quality bread, a loaf made of whole wheat.

• Equality was also sought to be practised through forms of speech and address.

• Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks or offices.

• Equality was also sought to be practised through forms of speech and address.

Q. State the events that led to the formation of the National Assembly.
Answer:

• The Estates General was a political body of France to which the three estates sent their representatives. The voting in it had been conducted according to the principle that each estate had one vote.

• This time too when Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General, he decided to continue the same old practice.

• But the members of the Third Estate demanded that voting now be conducted on the democratic principle of one person, one vote.

• When the king rejected this proposal, the members of the Third Estate walked out of the assembly in protest.

• They assembled on 20 June, 1789 in the hall of an indoor tennis court in Versailles. These representatives of the Third Estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for whole French nation. They declared themselves a National Assembly.

Q. Trace the event which led to the fall of Bastille.
Answer:

• On 20th June the representatives of the Third Estate assembled in the hall.

• While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a constitution,

• After spending hours in long queues at the bakery, crowds of angry women stormed into the shops. At the same time, the king ordered troops to move into Paris.

• On 14 July, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille.

Q. Write three main features of the French Constitution of 1971.
Answer:

• Powers of the National Assembly: 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.

• Right to Vote: 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. The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens.

• Basic Rights: All the citizens were given some basic rights such as right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law. It was the duty of the state to protect each citizen’s natural rights.

Q. What was the Convention? Describe its role in France.
Answer:
The elected assembly formed in France in 1792 was called Convention.
Role in France :

• It abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.

• Hereditary monarch Louis XVI and his wife were sentenced to death Robespierre was elected President of the National Convention. He followed the policy of severe control and punishment. The French Revolution 19

Q. How was the French society organized? What privileges did certain sections of the society enjoy?

Answer:
(i) Division of the society into three Estate :

• The First Estate: It consisted of the clergymen and church-fathers.

• The Second Estate: It consisted of landlords, men of noble birth and aristocrats.

• The Third Estate: It consisted of the vast majority of the common masses, the landless peasants, servants, etc.

(ii) Heavy Burden of Taxes on the Third Estate: The members of the first two Estates were exempted from paying taxes to the state. So all the taxes were paid by the people of the Third Estate.

(iii) Wide Gap between People of Different Estates: Most of the people of the Third Estate were employed as labourers in workshops with fixed wages. The wages failed to keep pace with the rise in prices. So the gap between the poor and the rich widened.

(iv) No Political Rights: Out of the total population, the first and the second Estates had share of 2%. The remaining people belonged to the Third Estate. Although the upper two classes made up only a small fraction of the total population, yet they were the people who controlled the political and economic system of the nation. They enjoyed all the rights and privileges. The entire machinery of the government was designed to protect their interests and privileges.

(v) Unequal Distribution of Wealth : In the French society, peasants made up about 90% of the population. However, only a small number of them owned the land they cultivated. About 60% of the land was owned by nobles, the church and other richer members of the Third Estate.

Q. Explain the role of thinkers and philosophers in the French Revolution.

Answer:

(i) Influence of the Philosophers and Writers: There were many French philosophers and thinkers like John Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire and Mirabeau, who exposed the evils prevailing in the system. They infused people with the idea of liberty, equality and fraternity.

(ii) Charles Montesquieu (1689-1775): A nobleman by birth, he became a lawyer and a judge. In his book, “The Spirit of Laws”, he criticised autocracy and praised the democratic republic.

(iii) Francis Aronet Voltaire (1694-1778): Voltaire was another outstanding philosopher of the Revolution. He wanted the people to think about their material life on earth, and forget about heaven. He condemned the Church which supported the privileged class, and ignored the poor.

(iv) Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778): Rousseau is regarded as the architect of the French Revolution. In the famous book, “The Social Contract”, he proved that the government was the result of a social contract between the people and ruler

(v) John Locke: He was also a great political thinker. He wrote ‘Two Treatises of Government’ in which he sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and the absolute right of the monarch.

Q. Explain the role of Mirabeau and Abbe’ Sieye’s in the French Revolution. 

Answer:

Both Mirabeau and Abbe’ Sieye’s were great political thinkers.

They were the leaders of the National Assembly which was formed in 1789 after the failure of the meeting of the Estate General.

Mirabeau was born in a noble family but was convinced of the need to do away with a society of feudal privilege.

He brought out a journal, and delivered powerful speeches to the crowds assembled at Versailles.

Abbe’ Sieye’s originally a priest, wrote an influential pamphlet called, ‘What is the Third Estate?’

Q. Explain triangular slave trade carried on during 18th and 19th century.

Answer:

The triangular slave trade was carried between Europe, Africa and America.

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.

The exploitation of slave labour made it possible to meet the growing demand in European markets for sugar, coffee, and indigo.

Port cities like Bordeaux and Nantes owed their economic prosperity to the flourishing slave trade.

Q. Explain any five features of the Constitution drafted in 1791.

Answer:

The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected.

With the new Constitution the powers of govern the country were assigned to different institutions, i.e., the legislature, executive and the judiciary.

The judiciary and the legislature were elected by the people. 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.

Under this system the powers of the monarch were limited. Most of the powers were in the hands of legislatures.

The ministers were also answerable to the legislature. The king enjoyed the veto power.

Q. Describe the conditions of women during the period of French Revolution.

Answer:

Conditions of women during the period of French Revolution are :

From the very beginning women were active participants in the events which brought sfbout major changes in the French Society.

Most women of the Third Estate had to work for a living as seamstresses or laundresses. They even sold flowers, fruits and vegetables at the market.

They were employed as domestic servants in the house of prosperous people.

They started their own political clubs and newspapers in order to voice their interests.

They demanded the right to vote to be elected to the Assembly and hold political office.

They did not have access to education or job training. Only daughter wealthier members of the Third Estate could stay at convent.

Working women had also to take care of their families. Their wages were lower than those of men.

Q. Explain any five features of the Constitution of 1791 framed by the National Assembly in France.

Answer:

Features of the Constitution of 1791 :

It declared France a constitutional monarchy.

Powers of the king separated and assigned to the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

Laws to be made by the National Assembly.

Only men above 25 years of age, who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage, were entitled to vote.

Many rights were given to the people.

To qualify as an elector and as member of the Assembly, a man had to belong to highest bracket of taxpayers.

Q. Compare the political, economic and social conditions of France before and after the revolution.

Answer:

Before Revolution

After Revolution

Political Conditions :

(i)

France was under the rule of a monarch, Louis XVI.

France became a Republic.

(ii)

All the political powers were in the hands of the first two Estates.

Political powers were given to the Third Estate.

Economic Conditions :

(i)

All the taxes were paid by the people .of the Third Estates.

Taxes were levied according the to income and wealth. The right to votewas linked to taxes.

(ii)

The government was under heavy debt.

The economic condition of government improved.

Social Conditions :

(i)

People of Third Estate were discriminated.

All were given equal rights irrespective of the Estate.

(ii)

All the written materials and cultural activities could be published or performed only after an approval from the king.

The censorship on written materials and cultural activities was lifted. Now all were free to write and speak.