haya.Learning made clear
Age of revolutions: Glorious, American and French sheet
6-mark answer frame

Describe the causes of the French Revolution and its impact on the world.

How to lay out the answer. Follow the frame, then write it in your own words.

  1. 1 · Open with the event. The French Revolution of 1789 ended feudal privilege in France and spread liberty, equality and fraternity.
  2. 2 · Unequal society. Society had three estates; the clergy and nobles enjoyed privileges while the Third Estate of commoners bore the taxes.
  3. 3 · Bankrupt treasury. The luxury of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette emptied the treasury; in 1789 the king called the estates to approve new taxes.
  4. 4 · New ideas. Voltaire, Montesquieu and Rousseau inspired people, and the American Declaration of Independence set an example.
  5. 5 · Events. The Third Estate became the National Assembly. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen became the preamble of the 1791 constitution. Later France became a republic.
  6. 6 · Impact on the world. Medieval structures fell; liberalism and nationalism spread across Europe and inspired Italy's unification. India's Preamble carries the same three ideals.
  7. 7 · Close in one line. Its slogan of liberty, equality and fraternity still guides democracies today.

Scoring tip: Split your answer: three causes, then three effects. Write the year 1789 and the three ideals in full.