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Period: to
french revolution
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Meeting of the Estates General
he French economy was in chaos by the late 1780s. The decades of war had drained the treasury, and the country was nearly bankrupt. To raise maoney, Louis XVI decided that the people, including the French aristocrats, should pay more taxes. But the aristocrats blocked Louis XVI's plan. In desperation, Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General to address the economic crisis. In fact, when Louis called the meeting, the Estates General had not gathered in more than 170 years. -
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
Constituent Assembly confiscated church properties and also prohibited the taking of religious vows. They regarded the church as a form of public authority. This document went far toward setting up a French national church. Under its provisions the parish priests and bishops were elected by 50,000 electors. Archbishoprics were abolished, and all the borders of existing bishoprics were redrawn. All clergy received salaries from the state, and the average income of bishops was reduced. -
Louis XVI and his family attempt to flee paris
It was a significant episode in the French Revolution during which King Louis XVI of France and his immediate family were unsuccessful in their attempt to escape, disguised as the servants of a Russian baroness, from the radical agitation of the Jacobins in Paris -
Tricolor cockade made compulsory for men to wear
evolutionaries started wearing red, white, and blue cockades, or badges, to identify themselves as revolutionaries. The red and blue represented Paris, and the white represented the House of Bourbon. This cockade became a powerful symbol that its colours were later chosen for the French flag. La Marseillaise sung by volunteers from Marseilles on their arrival in Paris. Both the tricolor cockade and the song become a nationalist symbol as brings people closer to the idea of a French nation. -
Louis XVI is guillotined
he Convention put Louis XVI on trial for treason, and unanimously pronounced him guilty. As the revolution took hold in France, the ruling elites in other countries watched with growing fear. They were afraid that the events in France might inspire people in their own country to take similar actions. As a result, created threats. In response to outside threats and to ensure that the gains made during the revolution would not be lost, they executed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in 1793. -
Robespierre is guillotined and end of the Reign of Terror
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13 Vendémiaire
This is the name given to a battle between the French Revolutionary troops and Royalist forces in the streets of Paris. The battle was largely responsible for the rapid advancement of Republican General Napoleon Bonaparte's career. The Convention quickly realised that it was in severe danger. The defeat of the Royalist insurrection extinguished the threat to the Convention. Bonaparte became a national hero, and was quickly promoted to Général de Division. -
Battle of the Pyramids
Napoleon wins his Egyptian campaign with an army of 38,000. It was a battle fought between the French army in Egypt under Napoleon, and local Mamluk forces. It occurred during France's Egyptian Campaign and was the battle where Napoleon put into use one of his significant contributions to tactics, the massive divisional square. Actually a rectangle, the first and second demi-brigades of the division formed the front and rear faces, while the third demi-brigade formed the two sides. -
Leadership of Napoleon established under the Consulate
he Consulate was the government of France between the fall of the Directory until the start of the Napoleonic Empire. During this period, Napoléon, as First Consul had established himself as the head of a more conservative, authoritarian, autocratic, and centralized republican government in France while not declaring himself head of state. It was a new system of government for the Republic. Napoleon was able to transform the aristocratic constitution into an unavowed dictatorship. -
Napoleon escapes an assassination attempt
Threats against the life of Napoleon Bonaparte were not rare as his manner of ruling France did outrage many on all sides of politics. Royalists were the main plotters, although Napoleon preferred for political reasons to blame the rival Jacobins. Royalist plotters had positioned a horse and wagon bearing a barrel filled with gunpowder and shrapnel on the Rue Saint-Nicaise and lit the fuse as Bonaparte's carriage neared. Speed of the vehicle led to the bomb exploding seconds after he passed. -
Introduction of Civil Code (Code Napoleon)
he code forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs go to the most qualified. The Code, with its stress on clearly written and accessible law, was a major step in establishing the rule of law. Napoleon set out to reform the French legal system in accordance with the ideas of the French Revolution because the old feudal and royal laws seemed to be confusing and contradictory to the people. Code established important provisions regard the law -
Battle of Trafalgar21 Oct 1805
It was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle was the most decisive British naval victory of the war. British ships led by Lord Nelson defeated Napoleon`s French and Spanish ships. The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost. British victory spectacularly confirmed their naval supremacy. Nelson was killed. -
Joseph Bonaparte becomes king of Naples
Napoleon names his elder brother, Joseph Bonaparte, king of Naples, and appoints other family members to various other posts. He was the king of Naples, Sicily, Spain and the Indies. It is ironic to see how a republican like Napoleon, becomes a monarchist. He creates a law that only his family may rule France, hereditary comes into play. Joseph was a member of the Council of Ancients where he used his position to help his brother overthrow the Directory. He was a lawyer, politician, and diplomat -
Napoleon's Russian Campaign
Napoleon ignored the advice of his advisers and launched an invasion on Russia. Napoleon expanded his Grande Armée to more than 450,000 men. The Russians avoided Napoleon's objective of a decisive engagement and instead retreated deeper into Russia. Due to the Russian army's scorched earth tactics, the French found it increasingly difficult to forage food for themselves and their horses. The French suffered greatly in the course of a ruinous retreat, in the end fewer than 40 000 men were left. -
The Congress of Vienna
Although representatives from all the states which had participated in the wars were invited, the principal negotiations were conducted by the "Big Four," Britain, Russia, France, and Austria. The congress met to reconstruct the map of Europe and develop a balance of power that would prevent another massive take-over by one country. Objective resulted in the redrawing of the continent's political map, and undo changes made by Napoleon in Europe. Napoleon is replaced with Louis XVIII, a Bourbon.