Question 1.
Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France?
Answer:
The following circumstances led to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France:
(i) Louis XVI was an autocratic ruler who could not compromise with his luxurious life'.
He also lacked farsightedness.
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(ii) When he ascended the throne, the royal treasury was empty. Long years of war had
drained the financial resources of France. Added to this was the cost of maintaining an
extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles.
(iii) Under Louis XVI, France helped thirteen American colonies to gain their
independence from Britain. The war added more than a billion livres to a debt credit,
lenders now began to charge 10% interest on loans So, the French government was
obliged to spend an increasing percentage of its budget on interest payments alone..
(iv) The state finally increased taxes to meet its regular expenses such as the cost of
maintaining an army, running government offices and universities.
(v) The French society was divided into three estates but the members of the first two
estates i.e., the clergy and the nobles were exempted from paying taxes. They
belonged to privileged class. Thus the burden of financing activities of the state through
taxes was borne by the Third estate.
(vi) The middle class that emerged in the 18th century, France was educated and
enlightened. They refuted the theory of divine rights of the kings and absolute
monarchy. They believed that a person’s social position must depend on his merit. They
had access to the various ideas of equality and freedom proposed by the philosophers
like John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu etc. Their ideas got
popularised among the common people as a result of intensive discussions and
debates in salons and coffee houses and through books and newspapers.
(vii) The French administration was extremely corrupt. It did not try to remove the age to
grievances of the French Common men.
(viii) Louis XVI had to call a meeting of the Estates General. On 5 May, 1789, Louis XVI
called an assembly of the Estates General to pass for modals for new taxes. This led to
the revolution of France.
Question 2.
Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which groups were
forced to relinquish power? Which sections of society would have been disappointed
with the outcome of the revolution?
Answer:
(i) The wealthy class of the third estate benefited the most from the revolution. Big
businessmen, court officials, lawyers, teachers, doctors and traders came under this
group. Earlier these people had to pay state taxes and they did not enjoy equal status.
But after the revolution they were being treated equally with the upper sections of the
society.
(ii) With the abolition of feudal system of obligation and taxes, the clergy and the nobility
became the same level with the middle class. They were being forced to give up their
privileges. Their executive powers were also taken away from them.
(iii) Those who belonged to the poorer sections of the society, i.e. small peasants,
landless labourers, servants, daily wage earners would have been disappointed with the
outcome of the revolution. Women also would have been highly discontented. People
belonging to First and Secong Estate were also disappointed.
Question 3.
Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world during the
nineteenth and the twentieth centuries.
Answer:
The French Revolution proved to be the most important event in the history of the world.
Its legacy can be described in the following points :
1. The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of the
French Revolution. These ideas became inspiring ideals for the political
movements in the world in the 19th and 20th century.
2. The ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity spread from France to the rest of
Europe, where feudal system was finally abolished.
3. Colonised people reworked on the idea of freedom from bondage into their
movements to create a sovereign nation state.
4. The idea of Nationalism which emerged after the French Revolution became
mass . movements all over the world. Now people started to question the
absolute power.
5. The impact of the French Revolution could be seen in India also. Tipu Sultan and
Raja Ram Mohan Roy got influenced by the ideas of the revolution. Hence we
can say that after the French Revolution people all over the world became aware
of their rights.
Question 4.
Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be traced to the
French Revolution.
Answer:
Some of the democratic rights which we enjoy today can be traced to the French
Revolution are as follows:
1. Right to equality which also includes equality before law, prohibition of
discrimination and equality of opportunity in matters of employment.
2. Right to freedom of speech and expression.
3. Right against exploitation.
4. Right to life.
5. Right to vote.
6. Promotion of the idea of fraternity by maintaining friendly relations with foreign
countries.
7. Right to education.
Question 5.
Would you agree with the view that the message of universal rights was beset with
contradictions? Explain.
Answer:
Yes, the message of universal rights was definitely beset with contradictions :
(i) Many ideals of the “Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen” were not at all clear.
They had doubtful meanings.
(ii) The French Revolution is unable to bring economic equality and it is the fact that
unless there is economic equality, real equality cannot be received at any area. The
Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen laid stress on equality but a large section of
the society was denied to it. The right to vote and elect their representatives did not
solve the poor man’s problem.
(iii) Women were still considered as passive citizens. They did not have any political
rights such as right to vote and hold political offices like men. Therefore, their struggle
for equal political rights continued.
(iv) France was still involved in holding and expanding. Thus, its image as a liberator
could not last for a long time.
(v) Slavery was still existed in France till the first half of the 19th century.
Question 6.
How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?
Answer:
The rise of Napolean can be explained as follows :
(i) The political instability of the Directory made the way for the rise of Napoleon
Bonaparte. Napoleon had achieved glorious victories in wars. Because of Napoleon's
achievement France realise that for a stable government a military dictator like him is
needed.
(ii) In 1804, he crowned himself as the emperor of France. He set out to conquer
neighbouring European countries, dispossessing dynasties and creating kingdoms
where he placed members of his family. Napoleon viewed himself as a moderniser of
Europe. He introduced many laws such as the protection of private property and a
uniform system of weight and measures provided by the decimal system.
(iii) The people of France thought that since Napoleon was the product of French
Revolution, hence that social wrongs injustices and aristocratic privileges would not be
restored in France again.
