CBSE Class 9 Social Science Advanced The French Revolution Long Answer Questions Set 01

Long Answer Questions

Question 1. What was the impact of the French Revolution on France?
Answer:
1. End of absolute rule: the Revolution ended the arbitrary rule of the Bourbon kings and led to the establishment of a republic.
2. Social equality: the special privileges of the clergy and nobles were abolished and France was rebuilt on social equality.
3. Rights: the Declaration of the Rights of Man gave freedom and individual liberty to all, whatever their class or creed. All were given religious freedom.
4. Administration: many reforms were introduced and high posts in the state were opened to talented people.
5. Law: the Napoleonic Code introduced a uniform system of law, which was clear and simple.
6. Slavery and women's rights: slavery was abolished in the colonies in 1794 (revived in 1802 and finally ended in 1848), and some laws improved the lives of women, though they won the vote only in 1946.
In simple words: France became a more equal country with written rights and uniform laws.

Teacher's Note:
1. Divide the answer into political, social and legal effects.
2. Mention the abolition of feudal privileges for full marks.

Question 2. Write short notes on (i) French slave trade (ii) Reign of Terror (iii) Fall of Napoleon.
Answer:
(i) French slave trade: Slavery was common in the European colonies of the Caribbean and the Americas, where slaves worked on sugar, coffee, indigo and tobacco plantations. Slaves were in demand because they were available and cheap. French merchants bought slaves on the African coast, shipped them across the Atlantic and sold them to plantation owners. In 1794 the Convention ended slavery in the French colonies, but Napoleon revoked this in 1802; slavery was finally abolished in 1848.
(ii) Reign of Terror (1793-94): Robespierre, the head of the government, followed a policy of severe control and punishment. Ex-nobles, clergy and even members of his own party who disagreed with him were arrested, imprisoned and guillotined. Thousands were guillotined. He fixed maximum prices and closed churches. He was himself guillotined in July 1794.
(iii) Fall of Napoleon: Napoleon crowned himself Emperor in 1804 and conquered neighbouring countries, placing members of his family on the thrones. At first many saw him as a liberator, but soon his armies were seen as invaders. He was finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815.
In simple words: The slave trade supplied cheap labour, the Reign of Terror was rule by fear, and Napoleon's empire fell at Waterloo.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give each of the three parts a heading and a date.
2. Write 5 or 6 lines for each part.

Question 3. What was the importance of slavery to France?
Answer:
French colonies in the Caribbean, such as Martinique, Guadeloupe and San Domingo, produced sugar, coffee, indigo and tobacco on plantations worked by slaves. These products were sold in Europe at high profits.
Slave labour was cheap and easily available, so planters and merchants of French ports grew rich and the colonies added to the wealth of France. Because commercial interests were at stake, planters tried to protect slavery even after the Revolution and the debate in the Constituent Assembly (October 1790) split the members into two groups: the planters' Massaic Club and the Society of the Friends of the Blacks.
Thus slavery was economically important, even though it contradicted the ideals of liberty and equality.
In simple words: Slavery brought money from the plantations to France, which is why many people wanted to keep it.

Teacher's Note:
1. Make the contradiction with the ideals of the Revolution clear.
2. Give examples of colonies and of crops.

Question 4. Discuss the impact of abolition of censorship in France.
Answer:
Under the Old Regime the king's censors had to approve all books, newspapers and plays before they could be published or performed.
After the Declaration of the Rights of Man made freedom of speech and expression a natural right, censorship was abolished. The result was a flood of newspapers, pamphlets, books and printed pictures in the towns of France, which passed rapidly into the countryside.
They reported and debated the events and changes in France. Freedom of the press also meant that opposing views could be expressed, so people could join in public debate. This helped spread the ideas of the Revolution, though later governments (during the Terror and under Napoleon) again limited the press.
In simple words: Without censorship, newspapers and pamphlets spread revolutionary ideas and let people argue in public.

Teacher's Note:
1. Part of this answer comes from general history, as the chapter text only mentions freedom of speech.
2. State the cause first (the Declaration) and then the effect.

Question 5. How did the teachings of Rousseau lay the foundations of democracy?
Answer:
Jean Jacques Rousseau is regarded as the architect of the French Revolution. In 'The Social Contract' he argued that government is based on a contract between the people on one side and the ruler on the other.
If the ruler does not keep the contract, the people have the right to withdraw their loyalty and overthrow his tyranny. This replaced the divine right of kings with the idea that power comes from the people.
His belief that law should express the general will of all and that men are born free and equal became the basis of the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the sovereignty of the nation and equal rights for all citizens. These are the foundations of democracy.
In simple words: Rousseau taught that the people, not the king, hold power, which is the basis of democracy.

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the words 'social contract' and 'general will'.
2. Mention how his ideas appear in the Declaration.

Question 6. List the accomplishments of the National Assembly of France from 1789 to 1791.
Answer:
1. It took the Tennis Court Oath (20 June 1789) and declared itself the National Assembly.
2. It forced the king to accept its authority and to agree that his powers would be limited by a constitution.
3. On the night of 4 August 1789 it abolished feudal obligations and taxes.
4. It passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which proclaimed natural and inalienable rights such as life, liberty, equality before law and freedom of speech.
5. It completed the Constitution of 1791, which separated powers among the legislature, executive and judiciary and made France a constitutional monarchy.
6. It laid down that the National Assembly, indirectly elected by active citizens, would make laws.
In simple words: In two years the Assembly ended feudalism, declared rights and gave France its first constitution.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give the answer in dated points.
2. The Constitution of 1791 is the culmination.

Question 7. How did France become a constitutional monarchy?
Answer:
Louis XVI finally accepted the National Assembly after the fall of the Bastille and the revolts of 1789, and he agreed that his powers would be limited by a constitution.
The National Assembly completed the drafting of the constitution in 1791. Power was separated and assigned to different institutions: the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.
The Constitution vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. It began with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which established rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech and opinion and equality before law as natural and inalienable. The king remained head of the state, but his powers were limited by the constitution, so France became a constitutional monarchy.
In simple words: France kept its king, but a constitution limited his power.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention the three organs of government.
2. Note that this monarchy lasted only until 1792.

Question 8. Discuss the role of women in the revolutionary movement in France. When did women gain political equality in France?
Answer:
Most women of the Third Estate had to work for a living, had no access to education or job training and earned less than men.
To discuss and voice their interests, women started their own political clubs and newspapers. About sixty women's clubs came up in different French cities, and their main demand was that women should enjoy the same political rights as men.
In the early years the revolutionary government introduced laws that improved women's lives: state schools were set up and schooling was made compulsory for girls, they could no longer be forced into marriage, divorce could be applied for by both women and men, and women could train for jobs, become artists or run small businesses.
During the Reign of Terror, however, the government closed women's clubs and banned their political activities. Women fought for the vote through an international suffrage movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They won the right to vote in France only in 1946.
In simple words: Women formed clubs and demanded equal rights, but they got the vote in France only in 1946.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention both gains and setbacks.
2. The year 1946 is the answer to the second part.

Question 9. Give an estimate of the work of the National Assembly.
Answer:
Achievements: The National Assembly ended feudalism and the privileges of the clergy and nobles, issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man, and framed the 1791 constitution that limited the king's powers and separated the powers of government. It gave France a representative government for the first time.
Limitations: The constitution divided citizens into active and passive; only about 4 million of the 28 million people could vote, and women and the poor were excluded. The king kept the power of veto, and the problems of the common people were not solved, so unrest continued.
Overall, the Assembly's work laid the basis for the modern idea of equal rights and responsible government, though it did not give those rights to everyone.
In simple words: The Assembly's work was a big step towards liberty and equality, but it left out women and the poor.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give both achievements and shortcomings; the word 'estimate' means a balanced judgement.
2. Use the active and passive citizen point as the main criticism.