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Louis XIV Takes the French Throne (Part 1)
King Louis XIV took the French throne on 14 May 1643. At the time, the King, who "owned all of the bodies and properties of 19 million subjects", hadn't reached his fifth birthday.
When King Louis XIV was nine, noblemen and members of the Paris Parlement rose against the French monarchy. The uprising was the beginning of the Fronde - a multi-year-long civil war.
During the Fronde, King Louis XIV did not live in great dignity or luxury. -
Louis XIV Takes the French Throne (Part 2)
King Louis XIV faced "poverty, misfortune, fear, humiliation, gold and hunger". As a consequence of the brutal uprising, King Louis XIV continued to hold a grudge against multiple groups.
Jules Marazin was the appointed proxy ruler of France while young King Louis XIV was growing up. Marazin passed away on 9 March 1661. The next day, King Louis XIV took absolute power and responsibility. His bold claims were made in part because he viewed himself as God's representation on Earth. -
Louis XIV Takes the French Throne (Part 3)
King Louis XIV was known as the "Sun King" throughout his reign of power. From the early 1660s through the 1710s, King Louis XIV brought power back to the monarchy in a period of great prosperity (except the end). During his reign, France greatly excelled in various fields of science and art; so much so that France had transitioned into a leader within Europe. -
Thomas Hobbe Publishes The Leviathan (Part 1)
Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher and royalist with educational roots dating back to Oxford University. His book The Leviathan noted that the natural state of humans was anarchy: strong over weak. The Leviathan wrote that life for most was "solitary, poore (poor), nasty, brutish and short". In order to remove fear, The Levithan suggested that people would give up their rights in order to receive protection by "sovereigns". This would align the protector's and subject's interests. -
Thomas Hobbe Publishes The Leviathan (Part 2)
Hobbes's idea of a social contract found in The Leviathan was taken up and expanded on by others (such as Algernon Sidney and John Locke). The Leviathan is now recognised as a relatively important part of Western political philosophy, mainly for its ideas of the best way the ruled would interact with its rulers. -
Baron de Montesquieu Publishes On the Spirit of Laws
The Spirit of the Laws was first published in 1748. Within it, Montesquieu analysed the governmental institutions' existance and importance. He noted that each type of government pertained to a situation based off of exterior circumstances. At the time of publication, his arguments "implied that governments of the time need not be permanent", and that the best government worked towards the goal of the people it represented. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Publishes On the Social Contract (Part 1)
Rousseau's The Social Contract describes the systematic oppression of physical freedomes that humans face; writing his famous line "Men are born free, yet everywhere are in chains". He goes on to describe government: one focused on the collective will of the people. Additionally, in a perfect world, people would vote for general interests rather than personal ones.Overall, Rousseau's wanted people to dictate their governing according to general interests; a radical idea for its time. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Publishes On the Social Contract (Part 2)
Rousseau's final goal was to allow the will of the people to be reflected across the governmental system that was to represent them. Overall, The Social Contract was a way to express his beliefs on how regular citizens lost their liberty and how they could retrieve and retain them in the future. -
French Revolutionaries Storm the Bastille (Part 2)
...the failure of the French royalty. 14 July was marked as a national holiday starting in 1880.
The storming was also an attestment to two ideas. The first and obvious one is that tearing down visible authoritarian signs is often an easier way towards democracy, versus the intricate governmental way. The second idea shows that general people act and respond to scenarios with a strong will for justice. -
French Revolutionaries Storm the Bastille (Part 1)
On 14 July 1789, a large and armed group started to gather near the grounds of the Bastille. Launay, tasked with guarding the building since the 12th, managed to hold the mob back for some time. However, as the mob's numbers continued to grow, Bastille surrendered. He and his men were taken into custody, and the supplies within were seized. Launay was to be put on trial by the revolutionary council, but was murdered.
The storming and capture of the French Bastille was yet another marking of... -
Mary Wollstonecraft Publishes A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Part 1)
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman was a piece of literature that focused on the absence of female rights and human rights as a whole.
The book was written as a reaction to Edmund Burke's Reflections on the French Revolution (late 1790). In the book, Burke saw the French Revolution as a ticking time bomb waiting to fail due to the lack of societal structures. Wollstonecraft published A Vindication of the Rights of Men in 1790 as a rebuttal, but seeing as others also argued with similar... -
Mary Wollstonecraft Publishes A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Part 2)
...topics as she had, Wollstonecraft went one step further and published a book arguing for women's rights. In it, she argued for basic rights such as mixed-gender education and the ability to earn money.
Praise was provided in Wollstonecraft's circle, but turned negative outside of it. Despite this, Wollstonecraft's book would be highly recognised years later as it was the first English-language feministic work published in England ascertaining for women's rights. -
Napoleon Bonaparte Stages a Coup in France (Part 1)
The Coup of 18-19 Brumaire occurred on the 9th and 10th of November, 1799, The coup d'état overthrew the operating government of France (Directory and Consulate), allowing for the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
On 18 Brumaire VIII (09NOV1799), the legislative Council of Ancients voted to meet with the Council of Five Hundred at Saint-Cloud.
The next day, as both councils met, Napoleon Bonaparte gave a speech, which conjured up quite a substantial amount of hostility and abuse. -
Napoleon Bonaparte Stages a Coup in France (Part 2)
Napoleon escaped through the assistance of military force.
In the aftermath, Lucien Bonaparte (Napoleon's brother) convinced the troops of the danger the councils had to his brother, and thus their country; and advised the troops to expel them. General Joachim Murat dispersed the council, ending the Directory.
A new consular government was to be made soon after, and Napoleon Bonaparte was enstilled as the leader of France on just four days later. -
Slavery Abolished in Haiti (Part 3)
l'Overture abolished slavery in Santo Domingo and proclaimed himself Governor-General for the island of Hispaniola.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the new ruler of France, dispatched General Leclerc and 43,000 French soldiers to restore French Rule. L'Overture was captured in 1803 and died in a prison.
During the Battle of Vertieres, French forces were defeated, resulting in Haitian independence in 1804.
Haiti was the first black republic and first nation to abolish slavery. -
Jean-Jacques Dessalines Proclaims Saint-Domingue’s (Haiti’s) Independence (Part 1)
In 1791, a revolt brought on by enslaved people in Haiti lead by Toussaint-Louverture ended in the abolition of slavery. During the revolt, Toussaint found two people who proved to be good generals: Henri Christophe and Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
Touissant became governor in 1795, and freed conquered the Spanish side of the island in 1801, freeing the slaves there.
A Napoleon-ordered invasion landed in Saint-Domingue in January 1802. Toussaint agreed to a cease-fire after months of fighting. -
Jean-Jacques Dessalines Proclaims Saint-Domingue’s (Haiti’s) Independence (Part 2)
Touissant intended to spend the rest of his life on his plantation, but was arrested and exported to France in 1803. There, he was placed in a dungeon and ruthlessly tortured before dying in April.
Napoleon announced his plans to reintroduce slavery on the island. Not supporting this, Dessalines launched another revolt with the assistance of the British. After being victor of several important battles, the French surrendered on 9 November 1803. -
Jean-Jacques Dessalines Proclaims Saint-Domingue’s (Haiti’s) Independence (Part 3)
After the surrender of French colonials, Haiti declared independence, being the second country to do so in the Americas. Months later, Dessalines named himself Emperor Jacques I, and was killed in an attempt to suppress a revolt in 1806.
Haiti proclaimed itself an ally of enslaved people and became a "safe haven" for slaves needing protection. Additionally, the Haitian Revolution was an inspiriation for the fight for freedom to other American and Caribbean colonies. -
Slavery Abolished in Haiti (Part 1)
The abolition of slavery in Haiti occurred during the Haitian Revolution, often declared as one of the most sizeable and successful slave rebellions within the West. Rebellions commenced in 1791, and by 1803-1804, slavery and French control had been pushed away.
The Whites in Haiti supported France with caution, as they lacked parliamentary representation and were barred from trading with other nations. Blacks were separated into slaves, runaways and free men. -
Slavery Abolished in Haiti (Part 2)
On 21 August 1791, Toussaint l'Overture lead the first rebellion against the French. By 1792, one-third of Haiti had fell into the rebel's hands. French forces intervened quickly, but territorial losses favouring the rebels continued. Both blacks and whites were killed during the rebellion.
In 1793, French forces were joined by British ones in an attempt to conquer the colony, only to withdraw five years later.
By 1801, the rebellion had expanded to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic). -
Russian Civil War Begins (Part 1)
The Russian Civil War was to last from 1918 to 1921. Seeds of the revolution had started in the early 1900s.
Russia in the early 20th century was a highly impoverished society. At the same time, a large boom of industrial activity and population in major cities brought down living conditions, making the general population relatively unhappy.
After the Bloody Sunday massacre of 1905, Czar Nicholas II vowed to work towards reform, a promise tha the would fall short on. -
Russian Civil War Begins (Part 3)
Rasputin was murdered on 30 December 1916, and by that time, the vast majority of Russians strongly disapproved of the Russian royalty. Moderates soon started supporting radical cries to overthrow the czar.
In March 1917, demonstrators started protesting. The military was subsequently called in, but failed to terminate the protests. Czar Nicholas II abdicated his position soon after. and the Duma was formed.
In November of the same year, lefists lead by Lenin launched a coup against the Duma. -
Russian Civil War Begins (Part 4)
The leftists, known as the Bolsheviks, took control soon after. On the 18th, anti-Bolsheviks (Whites) started warring against Lenin's government (Reds). This marked the beginning of the three year long Russian Civil War.
The beginning of the Russian Civil War marked the end of Imperial Russia and the beginning of communism. It allowed for the rise of the Soviet Union and the future Cold War. -
Russian Civil War Begins (Part 2)
In August 1914, Russia entered into World War I. Major supply shortages and heavy casualties forced Imperial Russia's economy and morale down.
In an attempt to resuscitate morale, Czar Nicholas II left Petrograd in 1915 in order to take command of the army. The wife of Czar Nicholas II, Czarina Alexandra, was left with Grigory Rasputin. Alexandra started firing elected officials, which made her remarkably unpopular, even more so given the fact that she had German ancestry. -
Joseph Stalin Becomes Dictator of Russia (Part 1)
Joseph Stalin was the Secretary-General of the Communist Party from 1922-1953, and the premier of the USSR from 1941 to 1953.
Throughout the first decade of the 20th century, Stalin attended policy-making meetings. Stalin focused on behind-the-scenes work, such as plotting a holdup in Tbilisi for money on 25 June 1907.
Stalin's party, the Social Democrats, broke in two. Stalin was chosen by Lenin to serve on the first Central Committee of the new party: the Bolshevik's. -
Joseph Stalin Becomes Dictator of Russia (Part 2)
Stalin was a part of Pravda, a Bolshevik newspaper, throughout the 1910s. During this time, Stalin started seizing power militarily, allowing him to play an important part in the coup of November 1917.
Unfortunately for Stalin, Trotsky, his biggest rival, was recognised as being a more important facilitator.
Stalin held various government titles during the late 1910's and early 1920's era. One of his roles, Secretary General, would prove to be the most helpful for his rise to power. -
Joseph Stalin Becomes Dictator of Russia (Part 3)
Stalin continued to serve as Secretary General until Lenin's death in 1922. In 1921, Lenin wrote an article expressing support for Stalin's removal. Stalin managed to keep his position, and was made his successor.
Trotsky's influence was decimated after Lenin's death. Stalin, along with Bukharin and Rykov, would form an alliance to disable Stalin's opponents, after which Rykov and Bukharin would be expelled.
In 1929, Stalin's oppoents had vanished, allowing him to implement his five-year plans. -
Joseph Stalin Becomes Dictator of Russia (Part 4)
The introduction of the five-year plans and disappearance of Stalin's enemies marked the beginning of his dictatorship within the USSR. His reign would be one of the harshest seen in Russia. Farms were to be run by the state, and famished regions would receive little attention as food was heavliy exported. In his reign, Stalin would launch political agendas against other political parties, kill tens of millions and unite with Germany during WWII to take over Poland. -
The Long March Begins (Part 1)
The Long March was a 10,000km trek performed by the Chinese communists. The communists crossed 18 mountain ranges and 24 rivers while battling the Nationalist forces.
Between 1930 and 1934, Nationalist forces launched five attacks against the communists. The first four were successfully defended, but the fifth saw heavy losses to the communists.
In October of 1934, ZhuDe lead his group to southwestern China. Nationalist aerial strikes caused 50% of the 86,000 troops to perish. -
The Long March Begins (Part 2)
Morale had depreciated significantly upon arrival in Zunyi, Guizhou.
The Long March marked the reshaping of the Chinese Communist Party. After completion, a January conference allowed Mao ZeDong to become the head of the party. Additionally, the march had allowed the CCP's troops to reach a location beyond direct control of the Chinese Nationalists. Such events allowed the communists to increase their numbers, eventually resulting in the defeat of the Nationalists. -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 2)
Additionally, a new temporary currency called the gold yuan (金圓券) was introduced, temporarily halting the economic crash.
Despite this, the view of the Nationalists continued to plunge as the Chinese public saw Nationalist government officials avoiding prosecution for illegal crimes.
Between August 1948 and April 1949, over five quadrillion gold yuan had been printed. In response, the Communists created a list of 25 war criminals by the end of 1948. -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 3)
In 1949, the war entered its final year. On 14 January, Mao ZeDong announced his peace terms, requiring the punishment of war criminals; abolition of the 1946 constitution, treasonous treaties and Nationalist government; reorganisation of Nationalist armies and land; confiscation of "bureaucratic capital"; and establishment of a democratic coalition government free of Nationalists.
Communists continued their advance, forcing Chiang to resign as president of China on 21 January. -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 4)
Chiang was replaced by Li Zongren, who accepted Mao's peace demands. Nationalists began withdrawing from Beijing.
From the start til the 12th of April, Nationalists and Communists entered into talks over three primary Communist demands: (1) the permittance of Communist armies to cross the Yellow River for army reorganisation purposes, (2) the establishment of a new government with Mao as chairman and Li as vice-chair and (3) the punishment of the Chiang, Soong, Kung and Chen families. -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 5)
Negotiations began on 13 April. By 16 April, Mao had added an additional 16 demands, primarily focused on the Communists crossing the Yellow River and the elimination of the Nationalist government. Li rejected Mao's demands on 19 April, making the communists launching an "all-out offensive".
Nanjing fell on 24 April, marking the beginning of the end for the Nationalists.
Communists captured Hankou (汉口), Qingdao (青岛) and Shanghai (上海) by 2 June. -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 6)
Communists launched two offensives to the South and northwest in July. Changsha (长沙, meaning Long Sand) fell on 5 August, Fuzhou (福州) fell twelve days later and Lanzhou (兰州) fell eleven days after that.
On 1 October 1949, Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Multiple other nations recognised the new government. Nationalists relocated their government to Chongqing (重庆) on 10 October. Communists took over Xiamen (厦门) on 17 October. -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 7)
Nationalists abandoned Guiyang (贵阳), a few hundred kilometres south of Chongqing on 13 November.
Li flew to Hong Kong on 20 November and to the US on 5 December to receive medical treatment. Nationalists designated Chengdu (成都) as the new capital, only to have it fall on the 30th of November.
If you're having trouble tracking all of the cities previously mentioned, don't worry, it's ending. On 8 December, Nationalists relocated to Taipei, Taiwan. Other forces fled to Hainan and French Indochina -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 9)
The Chinese Civil War was fought due to different beliefs within the Communist and Nationalist parties. The Communist victory marked a new era of Chinese politics and relatively high tensions with Taiwan that are still existant today. -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 1)
In the mid-1940s, the Communists offensive had managed to cut off the Nationalists from desparately needed resources, communication and commerce. Intensified financial crises caused public morale to plunge, as inflation caused the cost of living to skyrocket. Between 1946 and 1948, the amount of currency within China grew from 9 trillion to 700 trillion yuan (元).
The Nationalist government, in a panic, banned and imposed harsh criminal penalties for economic crimes (eg hoarding). -
Chinese Civil War Ends & People's Republic of China Established (Part 8)
Remaining pockets of Nationalist forces in places such as Xinjiang (新疆 - very deserty/western China), Yunnan (云南 - bordering Myanmar, Cambodia and a few others) and Xikang (西康 - NW of Yunnan) switched their allegiances to the Communists in early December.
By the end of 1949, mainland China was under Communist control, marking the end of the decades-long battle for China (and this ridiculously long timeline post).
