-
Louis calls the estates together
Facing crippling debt, the monarch of France, King Louis XVI assembles the Three Estates. Louis wishes to raise the taxes on the citizens of France, but the law states that he can only do so with the approval of the Three Estates. However, what Louis did not predict was that the First Estate and the Second Estate would vote to only raise taxes on the Third Estate. This angers members of the Third Estate, who represent over 95 percent of the French population. -
The Start of The National Assembly
The third estate, the commoners, was seen as inferior, and suffered for having to pay heavy and large taxes and their role in government didn't make a big difference either. Due to this unfair treatment, the commoners, which comprised 96% of the population, led to an outbreak between the three estates. The failure to settle them down led to the third estate declaring a National Assembly. The king tried to close this down, forming the beginning of the Tennis Court Oath, (they moved). -
Storming of The Bastille
The National Assembly was a place where idea's and thoughts we're shared and they also had several supporters. The Assembly's political thoughts and expression's were shared and published by the press. This ultimately led to an outbreak as a debate got overboard, and the crowd released governmental prisoners who protested, in opposition to the crown. The crowd turned into a mob when the demand of removing the cannon and the release of gunpowder was unsuccessful. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
Inspiration from the ideals of the American Revolution, this was a document of the French Revolution and its history of human and civil rights. Written by the Marquis de Lafayette, these rights in the declaration were only awarded to men and had France's expectations for the future. There was still a distinction between those who could obtain these political rights and those who couldn't, also known as active citizens. This declaration failed to abolish slavery and see women as active citizens. -
The March on Versailles
Women were rioting in Paris due to scarcity and high price of bread, with the fear of famine throughout the Third Estate. The crowd grew to over 7,000 people. Foods, mainly grain, were intentionally kept from the poor for the wealthier's benefit. The trigger that set off this event was a royal banquet that was described as excessive, so it angered the commoners. The crowd walked 11 miles to confront King Louis, the insurgents forced them to return to Paris. The monarcists lost power as a result. -
The Constitution of 1791
A goal of the National Assembly was to write a constitution, so the first draft was discussed. An issue was the amount of power given to the king of France and Congress. The constitution was accepted by Louis XVI in Sept. 1791, and it eliminated institutions that were "injurious to liberty and equality of rights." It was distinguished between the passive citizens and the active citizens, and all women were disadvantaged in liberties and rights. Even freedom of speech, worship, and education. -
King Louis XVI's Death
King Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and made a big decision to escape from the capital with his family. The family passed Jean-Baptiste Drouet, a postmaster of a French town, who recognized King Louis from one of his portraits. 31 miles from their destination, the king was arrested, and his long-term goals of this escape will remain unknown. During the Legislative assembly, Louis's powers were suspended on Sep 21. On Jan 21, 1793, Louis was sent to the guillotine, and Marie was beheaded. -
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror, or The Terror, was a period of violence that occurred during the French Revolution and was stirred up between 2 political groups, the Girondins (moderate Republicans) and the Jacobins (radical Republicans). Robespierre was dictator, and he wanted to remove the reminisce of any previous monarchy government. Nobles and clergy were arrested and executed, all in one day. His goal was to create a totalitarian state, and he eliminated opposers. Robespierre was executed 7/27/1794. -
Structure of the Directory
The Directory was a five-person group,that depended on violence and was aiming to be another dictatorship. There were changes made like male suffrage would be replaced with limited suffrage, which was based on property. The wars lowered state's budget. If peace was achieved, the leaders had to confront the irritated soldiers. Their wealth & abuse of power increased their unpopularity. Napoleon staged its overthrow, it led to his Dictatorship, ending the republican stage of the French Revolution. -
The Concordat of 1801
During the French Revolution, action was taken to weaken the Catholic Church, like the National Assembly taking their property, and this disturbed people who were loyal to the church. The concordat was written to repair Napoleon's bond with the church, but the agreement was in France's favor. He used religion to unite his people and the government had strong power over the church; land wasn't returned. When Napoleon was crowned emperor, he took the crown from the Pope and placed it on his head. -
Napoleonic Code
Napoleon Bonaparte created the Napoleonic Code, a constitution where it addressed the state's secularism, equality, and liberty. It quickly spread throughout Europe, and his ideas were based on the French Revolution. This was a change for the French government since they hadn't had a set of laws yet, and it marked the end of feudalism. During the Napoleonic Wars, it adapted quickly to the countries occupied by the French. It was combined with Islamic law, as it had a lasting impact on law codes. -
Napoleon's Government
At 15yo, Napoleon Bonaparte, an Corsican, was sent to fight the Austrian military in Northern Italy, and with Austria agreeing to a treaty, this was the end to the first coalition that was against the French Republic. As his power grew, he was influenced by some techniques of the Ancient Régime in his absolute and effective government. He made necessary funds for labor force, banks, and more. He was fair, as he didn't just promoted people from upper classes. He then created the Napoleonic Code. -
The Confederation of the Rhine
Napoleon's goal was to have peace throughout Europe, mainly with Britain and Russia; war seemed inevitable with Napoleon's development of the Confederation of the Rhine with German states. This was supposed to be a barrier from any hostility from Russia, Austria, or Prussia against France. The Confederation was a military alliance, and for protection from France, other nations had to supply them with military personnel to support French armies. His members switched sides and this campaign failed -
The Continental System
Napoleon decided to do economic warfare, as he lacked the naval strength to invade Britain; a central force in providing alliances against the Napoleonic French. To weaken Britain's economy, Napoleon decided to embargo trade with Britain; known as the Continental System. This encouraged British merchants to engage in overseas trade, Napoleon ended up losing money since smuggling wasn't taxed. Many industries were shut down and food prices increased in continental Europe. -
The Abdication of Spain
The Kingdom of Portugal violated Napoleon's trade restrictions, so he decided to attack Portugal with Spain's approval. This led to an uprising against Charles IV; Mutiny of Aranjuez. Ferdinand VII, Charles's son, was succeeded to the throne after his father had to abdicate. Napoleon then forced Charles and Ferdinand to renounce the throne, and his brother Joseph Bonaparte was the king of Spain. This led to the Spanish War of Independence; Portugal & Spain had political and economic instability -
The Invasion of Russia
Napoleon demonstrates the significance of logic in military planning. With 680,000 soldiers, the Grand Armée was a large force. Cossacks, the Russian soldiers, used various tactics like burning towns, villages, and crops to prevent invaders. When Napoleon entered Moscow, he forced the Russian army to retreat, but they suffered from hyperthermia, scarcity, and constant attacks from the Cossacks. This was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars and European politics. -
The Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was the final battle of the French Revolution and the last battle Napoleon Boneparte ever fought in. The Battle of Waterloo was fought in present-day Belgium. Napoleon’s French forces were outnumbered by the combined armies of the English and the Prussians, led by British officer the Duke of Wellington. When Napoleon was defeated, the French throne was again given to King Louis XVIII.