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Quizzes > History

French Revolution quiz: Test your knowledge of 1789-1799

Quick, free French Revolution practice test. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Susie EstradaUpdated Aug 25, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
Grade: Grade 10
Study OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art depicting a trivia quiz about the French Revolution for high school students.

This French Revolution quiz helps you check your grasp of events, causes, and key people, and see where to study next with instant answers. When you're done, try more questions about the French Revolution, browse world history trivia questions, or test yourself with a european history quiz.

Which social group in pre-revolutionary France paid most of the direct taxes like the taille?
Royal family
First Estate clergy
Second Estate nobility
Third Estate commoners
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The Tennis Court Oath pledged that deputies would not separate until they had done what?
Declared war on Austria
Written a constitution
Ended feudal dues
Abolished the monarchy
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Storming of the Bastille occurred on which date?
21 January 1793
10 August 1792
4 August 1789
14 July 1789
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The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen primarily affirmed which principle?
Natural rights and legal equality
Colonial mercantilism
Divine right of kings
Hereditary privilege
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The Women's March on Versailles in October 1789 was sparked largely by anger over what issue?
Bread shortages and high prices
Military conscription
Religious persecution
Colonial taxation
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The Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) required clergy to do what?
Adopt Protestant liturgy
Leave France for Rome
Abolish all monasteries immediately
Swear loyalty to the nation and constitution
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What was the immediate outcome of the Flight to Varennes (June 1791)?
A new constitution was abandoned
Louis XVI was arrested and his credibility collapsed
The king successfully reached Austria
The monarchy gained popularity
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The Brunswick Manifesto (1792) threatened Paris with harm if what occurred?
If assignats were issued
If the royal family was harmed
If feudal dues were abolished
If elections were held
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Which event marked the effective end of the monarchy on 10 August 1792?
Thermidorian Reaction
Storming of the Tuileries Palace
Festival of the Supreme Being
Execution of Marie Antoinette
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Which document by Olympe de Gouges challenged the exclusion of women from revolutionary rights?
Cahiers de doléances
Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen
Law of Suspects
Edict of Nantes
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The Cult of the Supreme Being was promoted by Robespierre as an alternative to which?
Islam
Judaism
Catholicism and the atheistic Cult of Reason
Protestant Calvinism
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What was a key goal of the Thermidorian Reaction in July 1794?
Dismantle radical institutions and end the Terror
Strengthen the Committee of Public Safety
Restore absolute monarchy
Intensify the Terror
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The Revolutionary calendar renamed months; which pair correctly matches a season?
Floréal as a snowy month
Brumaire as a foggy autumn month
Vendémiaire as midsummer
Thermidor as a winter month
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The Law of the Maximum addressed which problem?
Price controls on food and goods
Church appointments
Colonial governance
Military conscription exemptions
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Which revolt challenged the revolutionary government in western France in 1793?
Champ de Mars massacre
Vendée uprising
Flight to Varennes
Thermidorian Reaction
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Who authored the pamphlet What is the Third Estate?
Antoine Barnave
Camille Desmoulins
Honoré Mirabeau
Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès
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Which decree of 4 August 1789 primarily did which of the following?
Created the National Guard
Declared war on Prussia
Reinstated guilds
Abolished feudal privileges and dues
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What was the main function of the Committee of General Security during the Terror?
Manage economic planning
Police and internal security, including surveillance
Direct military strategy at the front
Oversee foreign diplomacy
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Which colony saw the 1791 slave revolt that intersected with French revolutionary policies?
Reunion
Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti)
Martinique
Guadeloupe
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The Phrygian cap symbolized what during the Revolution?
Liberty and emancipation
Clerical authority
Royal mercy
Military rank
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Study Outcomes

  1. Analyze the underlying causes and social dynamics that led to the French Revolution.
  2. Examine key revolutionary events such as the storming of the Bastille and the Reign of Terror.
  3. Interpret the roles and contributions of pivotal figures during the revolution.
  4. Evaluate the impact of revolutionary changes on modern political and social structures.
  5. Apply historical reasoning to assess the long-term consequences of the French Revolution.

French Revolution Quiz Review Cheat Sheet

  1. Social structure of pre-revolutionary France - France was split into three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners, creating dramatic class tensions. While priests and nobles sipped wine and enjoyed tax breaks, the Third Estate struggled to feed their families. This unfair system fueled fiery debates in salons and cafés!
  2. The Estates‑General of 1789 - Called by King Louis XVI, this assembly summoned representatives from all three estates for the first time in over 150 years. Frustrated by voting rules that silenced the Third Estate, reform-minded deputies broke away to form the National Assembly. Their bold move ignited the spark of revolution and changed politics forever!
  3. Storming of the Bastille - On July 14, 1789, revolutionaries attacked this medieval fortress-prison, freeing inmates and seizing munitions. It became a powerful symbol of toppling tyranny and rallying cry for freedom. Today, Bastille Day still marks the spirit of rebellion and unity in France!
  4. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen - Adopted in August 1789, this landmark document proclaimed liberty, equality, and fraternity as universal rights. It dismantled feudal privileges and inspired future human rights charters around the globe. Talk about revolutionary reading!
  5. Role of the National Convention (1792 - 1795) - This radical assembly abolished the monarchy and established the First French Republic. It navigated wars at home and abroad, rewrote the calendar, and tried a king for treason. The National Convention steered France through its most turbulent political makeover!
  6. The Reign of Terror - From 1793 to 1794, the Committee of Public Safety, led by Robespierre, carried out swift trials and mass executions to purge "enemies" of the revolution. Streets ran with fear (and frankly, a lot of guillotine drama). It's a stark reminder of how power can go too far in the name of ideology!
  7. Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte - Seizing the chaos left by revolution, Napoleon climbed the ranks and crowned himself Emperor in 1804. He exported revolutionary ideals across Europe, reformed laws with the Napoleonic Code, and carved out a continental empire. Talk about turning upheaval into opportunity!
  8. Impact on women's rights - Pioneers like Olympe de Gouges challenged male‑only declarations by publishing the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen. Though she faced backlash, her bold ideas planted seeds for gender equality debates still growing today. Feminist history, anyone?
  9. Economic factors behind the revolt - France's massive debt from wars and lavish royal spending crushed the national treasury, and the Third Estate bore the brunt with heavy taxes. Food shortages and soaring bread prices pushed starving Parisians to their breaking point. When people are hangry, revolutions are born!
  10. Revolution's lasting legacy - The French Revolution shattered the myth of divine monarchy and championed democratic government for the people. Its ideas of citizenship, rights, and secularism spread worldwide, inspiring movements for freedom and equality. Centuries later, its echo still vibrates in modern politics!
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