30 French Revolution Quiz Questions and Answers

The French Revolution was a transformative and tumultuous period in France’s history that lasted from 1789 to 1799. It marked a turning point in the nation’s political, social, and cultural landscape and had a profound impact on the world at large. The revolution was fueled by a growing discontent among the common people due to social inequalities, economic hardships, and the absolute monarchy’s oppressive rule.

The revolution began in 1789 with the convening of the Estates-General, a representative assembly comprising three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the common people. The third estate, representing the commoners, broke away and formed the National Assembly, asserting its right to govern France.

In this article

• Part 1: 30 French Revolutionquiz questions & answers
• Part 2: Download French Revolution questions & answers for free
• Part 3: Free online quiz creator – OnlineExamMaker

Part 1: 30 French Revolution quiz questions & answers

1. In which year did the French Revolution begin?
a) 1776
b) 1789
c) 1799
d) 1804
Answer: b) 1789

2. What was the main cause of the French Revolution?
a) Economic prosperity
b) Social equality
c) Religious reforms
d) Political unrest and inequality
Answer: d) Political unrest and inequality

3. Which representative assembly was formed by the third estate after breaking away from the Estates-General?
a) National Assembly
b) Parliament
c) Legislative Assembly
d) Directory
Answer: a) National Assembly

4. The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, is considered a symbolic event of the French Revolution. What was the Bastille?
a) A royal palace
b) A military fortress and prison
c) A university
d) A prominent church
Answer: b) A military fortress and prison

5. Who was the King of France during the early years of the French Revolution?
a) Louis XIV
b) Louis XV
c) Louis XVI
d) Napoleon Bonaparte
Answer: c) Louis XVI

6. What was the motto of the French Revolution?
a) “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
b) “E Pluribus Unum”
c) “God Save the King”
d) “In God We Trust”
Answer: a) “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

7. The declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen, adopted in 1789, proclaimed the equality of all men and the rights of:
a) Kings and nobles
b) The clergy
c) The common people
d) Foreigners
Answer: c) The common people

8. What is the period known as when thousands of perceived enemies of the revolution were executed, often by guillotine?
a) The Renaissance
b) The Age of Enlightenment
c) The Reign of Terror
d) The Industrial Revolution
Answer: c) The Reign of Terror

9. Who led the radical phase of the French Revolution and was a prominent member of the Committee of Public Safety?
a) Marie Antoinette
b) Maximilien Robespierre
c) Louis XVI
d) Napoleon Bonaparte
Answer: b) Maximilien Robespierre

10. The French Revolution led to the abolition of which system that favored the nobility and clergy?
a) Serfdom
b) Feudalism
c) Capitalism
d) Mercantilism
Answer: b) Feudalism

11. Which royal couple was executed during the French Revolution, symbolizing the end of the monarchy?
a) Queen Elizabeth I and King James I
b) King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn
c) King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette
d) King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria
Answer: c) King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette

12. Which revolutionary document marked the end of the absolute monarchy in France?
a) The Declaration of Independence
b) The Magna Carta
c) The Tennis Court Oath
d) The Constitution of 1791
Answer: d) The Constitution of 1791

13. What was the name of the revolutionary tribunal responsible for conducting trials and executions during the Reign of Terror?
a) Court of Appeals
b) Supreme Court
c) Committee of Public Safety
d) Revolutionary Tribunal
Answer: d) Revolutionary Tribunal

14. Who became the leader of France after the French Revolution and later declared himself Emperor?
a) Maximilien Robespierre
b) Louis XVI
c) Napoleon Bonaparte
d) Georges Danton
Answer: c) Napoleon Bonaparte

15. The French Revolution led to the end of which estate-based society?
a) Caste system
b) Feudal system
c) Monarchy system
d) Military system
Answer: b) Feudal system

Part 2: Download French Revolution questions & answers for free

16. The French Revolution inspired other revolutionary movements across Europe and beyond. Which country saw a successful slave revolt inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution?
a) Russia
b) United States
c) Haiti
d) Italy
Answer: c) Haiti

17. The French Revolution officially ended with the rise to power of which French leader?
a) Louis XVI
b) Robespierre
c) Napoleon Bonaparte
d) Georges Danton
Answer: c) Napoleon Bonaparte

18. What was the name of the economic crisis that severely impacted France in the years leading up to the French Revolution?
a) The Great Depression

b) The Financial Collapse
c) The Estates Crisis
d) The Bread Riots
Answer: c) The Estates Crisis

19. Which Parisian prison was the focal point of the anger and frustration of the French people, leading to its storming during the revolution?
a) The Eiffel Tower
b) The Louvre Museum
c) The Bastille
d) The Notre-Dame Cathedral
Answer: c) The Bastille

20. Who wrote the influential pamphlet titled “What is the Third Estate?” that advocated for the empowerment of the common people during the revolution?
a) Maximilien Robespierre
b) Marie Antoinette
c) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
d) Abbé Sieyès
Answer: d) Abbé Sieyès

21. During the French Revolution, which group was formed to protect the revolution from internal and external enemies?
a) The National Assembly
b) The Estates-General
c) The Committee of Public Safety
d) The Directory
Answer: c) The Committee of Public Safety

22. What was the name of the French national flag that originated during the revolution, consisting of three vertical stripes: blue, white, and red?
a) The Union Jack
b) The Tricolor
c) The Stars and Stripes
d) The Red, White, and Blue
Answer: b) The Tricolor

23. The French Revolution brought an end to which monarchical dynasty that had ruled France for centuries?
a) The Tudors
b) The Plantagenets
c) The Habsburgs
d) The Bourbons
Answer: d) The Bourbons

24. What was the name of the civilian militia formed during the revolution to defend France against foreign invasion and to support the revolutionary government?
a) The Royal Guard
b) The Red Army
c) The National Guard
d) The Prussian Army
Answer: c) The National Guard

25. Which palace, located near Paris, was famously stormed by a mob of women during the revolution, leading to the royal family’s return to Paris?
a) The Palace of Versailles
b) The Louvre Palace
c) The Palace of Fontainebleau
d) The Palace of Saint-Cloud
Answer: a) The Palace of Versailles

26. Which political group during the revolution advocated for more radical and extreme measures, often leading to violence and radical policy changes?
a) The Jacobins
b) The Girondins
c) The Royalists
d) The Moderates
Answer: a) The Jacobins

27. The execution device used during the Reign of Terror to carry out thousands of beheadings was called the:
a) Guillotine
b) Chopping block
c) Executioner’s axe
d) Hanging scaffold
Answer: a) Guillotine

28. The “Women’s March on Versailles” in October 1789 was triggered by a shortage of which staple food item, causing widespread discontent among the populace?
a) Bread
b) Meat
c) Wine
d) Cheese
Answer: a) Bread

29. Who was the Austrian-born Queen of France, married to King Louis XVI, whose extravagant lifestyle and rumored extravagances fueled public resentment during the revolution?
a) Catherine the Great
b) Queen Victoria
c) Marie Antoinette
d) Empress Matilda
Answer: c) Marie Antoinette

30. What was the name of the document that outlined the rights and freedoms of the French people, inspired by the American Declaration of Independence and the Enlightenment ideals?
a) The Constitution of 1791
b) The Declaration of Independence
c) The Magna Carta
d) The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Answer: d) The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

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