Key Concepts of the French Revolution and Industrial Era

Political Concepts of the French Revolution

• States General: The 1789 assembly of representatives from the three estates of the Old Regime (clergy, nobility, and third estate), tasked with approving the tax system.
• Girondists: A group of moderate bourgeois deputies in the 1792 French Convention who defended freedom and property rights.
• Jacobins: Radical club members who led France during the 1793 Republican Convention. Led by Robespierre, they prioritized equality over freedom and sought alliances with popular classes.
• National Sovereignty: A revolutionary concept stating that public authority resides in the nation—a distinct entity represented by a parliament elected via census suffrage—rather than the monarch.
• Constitutional Monarchy: A political system where the monarch's power is limited by a constitution and parliamentary decisions.
• Levée en Masse: The forced recruitment of citizens into military service, regardless of social class or status.
• National Convention: An assembly elected by universal suffrage to draft a new constitution following the 1792 proclamation of the French Republic.
• Concordat: A treaty regarding Church affairs established between a State government and the Holy See.

Ideologies and Historical Figures

• Anarchism: A socio-political ideology based on individual freedom, collective ownership, and the rejection of authority.
• Napoleon Bonaparte: A French general and emperor who spread revolutionary ideals through European conquests before his final defeats in 1814 and 1815.
• Holy Alliance: A mutual assistance treaty between European monarchs designed to suppress liberal revolutions through military intervention.
• Liberalism: A political system that emphasizes the rights and autonomy of the individual within society.
• Nationalism: A political ideology asserting the right of peoples to self-determination and the defense of their sovereignty.

The Industrial Revolution and Economic Principles

• Industrial Revolution: A series of economic and technological changes originating in mid-18th century England, leading to profound societal and economic transformations.
• Adam Smith: A British thinker who established the foundational principles of economic liberalism.
• Law of Supply and Demand: An economic principle where excessive production lowers prices and profits, prompting production cuts. Conversely, when demand exceeds supply, prices rise, encouraging increased production.
• Stock Exchange: A specialized institution for buying and selling company shares.
• Holding: A financial group that owns a controlling interest in various companies and banks.
• Karl Marx: A philosopher who denounced the exploitation of the working class and founded Marxist ideology.