Question 1

What was the primary cause of the French Revolution: Enlightenment ideas or economic hardship?

Accepted Answer

The revolution was a result of both factors working in sequence. While Enlightenment philosophers like Rousseau and Montesquieu provided the "blueprint" for a new society by introducing concepts like the social contract and separation of powers, the extreme economic misery served as the catalyst. The "Great Hunger," characterized by bread prices consuming up to 80% of a worker's income, gave the people the desperate courage to act on those high-minded ideas and dismantle the monarchy.

Question 2

Why was the voting system of the Estates-General considered rigged?

Accepted Answer

The Estates-General was composed of three groups: the First Estate (clergy), the Second Estate (nobility), and the Third Estate (the commoners, representing 98% of the population). Despite the massive difference in the number of people they represented, each estate received only one vote. This allowed the clergy and nobility to consistently outvote the commoners two-to-one, ensuring the elite could protect their tax exemptions and political power.

Question 3

What was the significance of the storming of the Bastille?

Accepted Answer

On July 14, 1789, a Parisian crowd stormed the Bastille fortress not necessarily to free prisoners, but to secure gunpowder and send a symbolic message against royal oppression. The event was a turning point because it demonstrated that the people were no longer afraid of the monarchy's military might. This act of violence triggered the "Great Fear" across the countryside, leading peasants to attack chateaux and destroy legal records of their feudal debts.

Question 4

What was the "Reign of Terror" and why did it happen?

Accepted Answer

The Reign of Terror was a radical phase of the revolution between 1793 and 1794, led by Maximilien Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety. It was intended to protect the new Republic from internal and external threats during a time of war and economic chaos. However, it resulted in the execution of approximately 16,000 people via the guillotine, eventually consuming the revolutionaries themselves as the quest for political "purity" led to the execution of anyone perceived as a moderate or a threat.

Question 5

How did Napoleon Bonaparte rise to power following the revolution?

Accepted Answer

Napoleon’s rise was made possible by the revolution's destruction of the old aristocratic order, which previously favored birthright over talent. As a young artillery general, he rose through the ranks based on merit. By the time the Reign of Terror ended and the subsequent government (the Directory) left France exhausted and economically broken, the nation was looking for stability, which allowed Napoleon to eventually seize control and establish his empire.

French Revolution: Was it Big Ideas or Hunger?

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