MCQs on the French Revolution – Modern World History
Q1. What was the main cause of the French Revolution?
a) Economic crisis
b) Religious conflicts
c) Political ambitions
d) Social unrest
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Correct Answer: a) Economic crisis
Explanation: The main cause of the French Revolution was an economic crisis, characterized by heavy taxation, food shortages, and financial mismanagement by the monarchy. France had been continually involved in wars which had broken her economy. The luxurious life led by the French King Louis XVI and his queen had made the matter still worse. The people groaned under heavy taxes. The system was so faulty that only a fraction of the taxes could be realized as the people were too poor to pay the taxes while nobles and the clergy who could pay, were completely exempted from all the taxes. The economy became so bad that the French Government had almost reached a state of bankruptcy. Thus the shattered economy of France proved a major cause of the Revolution.
Q2. Which French estate was made up of the clergy?
a) First Estate
b) Second Estate
c) Third Estate
d) Fourth Estate
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Correct Answer: a) First Estate
Explanation: The First Estate in France was made up of the clergy, who held significant power and influence in society.
Q3. Which French estate was made up of the nobility?
a) First Estate
b) Second Estate
c) Third Estate
d) Fourth Estate
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Correct Answer: b) Second Estate
Explanation: The Second Estate in France was made up of the nobility, who held significant power and influence in society.
Q4. Which French estate was made up of the common people, including peasants, artisans, and merchants?
a) First Estate
b) Second Estate
c) Third Estate
d) Fourth Estate
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Correct Answer: c) Third Estate
Explanation: The Third Estate in France was made up of the common people, including peasants, artisans, and merchants, who bore the heaviest burden of taxation.
Q5. What event marked the beginning of the French Revolution?
a) The Estates General meeting
b) The fall of the Bastille
c) The Tennis Court Oath
d) The execution of Louis XVI
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Correct Answer: b) The fall of the Bastille
Explanation: The fall of the Bastille, a prison in Paris, on July 14, 1789, marked the beginning of the French Revolution.
Q6. Which document, adopted by the National Assembly, declared the rights of French citizens and became a cornerstone of the French Revolution?
a) The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
b) The French Constitution
c) The Napoleonic Code
d) The Edict of Nantes
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Correct Answer: a) The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Explanation: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted by the National Assembly in 1789, declared the rights of French citizens and became a cornerstone of the French Revolution.
Q7. Which radical political group played a significant role in the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror?
a) The Girondins
b) The Jacobins
c) The Royalists
d) The Moderates
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Correct Answer: b) The Jacobins
Explanation: The Jacobins were a radical political group that played a significant role in the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, advocating for the execution of the king and the establishment of a republic.
Q8. Who was the leader of the Jacobins and a key figure in the Reign of Terror?
a) Maximilien Robespierre
b) Georges Danton
c) Jean-Paul Marat
d) Louis Antoine de Saint-Just
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Correct Answer: a) Maximilien Robespierre
Explanation: Maximilien Robespierre was the leader of the Jacobins and a key figure in the Reign of Terror, which saw the execution of thousands of people deemed enemies of the Revolution.
Q9. Which event marked the end of the French Revolution?
a) The fall of the Bastille
b) The execution of Louis XVI
c) The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
d) The Reign of Terror
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Correct Answer: c) The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
Explanation: The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, who seized power in a coup in 1799, marked the end of the French Revolution.
Q10. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on European society?
a) The spread of nationalism
b) The decline of absolutism
c) The rise of democracy
d) All of the above
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Correct Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: The French Revolution had a major impact on European society, spreading nationalism, leading to the decline of absolutism, and promoting the rise of democracy.
Q11. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French economy?
a) The abolition of feudalism
b) The introduction of new taxes
c) The nationalization of industries
d) The establishment of a single currency
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Correct Answer: a) The abolition of feudalism
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the abolition of feudalism, which had been a major source of economic inequality and oppression in France.
Q12. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French government?
a) The establishment of a constitutional monarchy
b) The establishment of a republic
c) The establishment of a military dictatorship
d) The establishment of a theocracy
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Correct Answer: b) The establishment of a republic
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the establishment of a republic in France, with the monarchy being abolished and power being vested in the people.
Q13. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French legal system?
a) The introduction of the Napoleonic Code
b) The establishment of a common law system
c) The abolition of trial by jury
d) The introduction of the inquisitorial system
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Correct Answer: a) The introduction of the Napoleonic Code
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the introduction of the Napoleonic Code, a comprehensive legal system that replaced the patchwork of feudal laws and customs that had previously governed France.
Q14. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French education system?
a) The establishment of a national system of public education
b) The introduction of religious instruction in schools
c) The abolition of universities
d) The establishment of a single curriculum for all schools
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Correct Answer: a) The establishment of a national system of public education
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the establishment of a national system of public education, which aimed to provide equal educational opportunities for all citizens.
Q15. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French military?
a) The introduction of conscription
b) The establishment of a professional army
c) The abolition of the officer class
d) The introduction of new military tactics
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Correct Answer: a) The introduction of conscription
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the introduction of conscription, which required all able-bodied men to serve in the military for a certain period of time.
Q16. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French colonies?
a) The abolition of slavery
b) The establishment of direct rule by the French government
c) The introduction of new taxes
d) The expansion of colonial territories
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Correct Answer: a) The abolition of slavery
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the abolition of slavery in French colonies. Although it was briefly reinstated by Napoleon, the revolution ultimately contributed to the end of slavery in French territories.
Q17. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French legal system?
a) The introduction of the Napoleonic Code
b) The establishment of a common law system
c) The abolition of trial by jury
d) The introduction of the inquisitorial system
Show Answer
Correct Answer: a) The introduction of the Napoleonic Code
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the introduction of the Napoleonic Code, a comprehensive legal system that replaced the patchwork of feudal laws and customs that had previously governed France.
Q18. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French education system?
a) The establishment of a national system of public education
b) The introduction of religious instruction in schools
c) The abolition of universities
d) The establishment of a single curriculum for all schools
Show Answer
Correct Answer: a) The establishment of a national system of public education
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the establishment of a national system of public education, which aimed to provide equal educational opportunities for all citizens.
Q19. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on the French military?
a) The introduction of conscription
b) The establishment of a professional army
c) The abolition of the officer class
d) The introduction of new military tactics
Show Answer
Correct Answer: a) The introduction of conscription
Explanation: The French Revolution led to the introduction of conscription, which required all able-bodied men to serve in the military for a certain period of time.
Q20. Which of the following was a major impact of the French Revolution on European society?
a) The spread of nationalism
b) The decline of absolutism
c) The rise of democracy
d) All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: The French Revolution had a major impact on European society, spreading nationalism, leading to the decline of absolutism, and promoting the rise of democracy.