History of the European powers from the French revolution to the beginning of World War One
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Due to the national crisis, the king summons the General Estates to discuss the possible solutions to this situation.
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Members of the third estate (which called themselves the National Assembly) congregate at the tennis court of Versailles palace and swear not to separate until the king the king approves the constitution.
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Rumors which affirm that the aristocracy are going to start taking measures in order to prevent the Third Estate from revolting spread. As a consequence, this group starts attacking lord's castles and burning feudal registers. The Great Fear spread throughout the entire nation.
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The revolutionaries take the Bastille, which was a symbol of the monarchic power
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On the 4th August 1789 the feudal regime is abolished and aristocracy loses its privileges.
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The Declaration of the Rights of Men a Citizen is approved by the National Assembly
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Huge groups of women protests in Versailles and force the king to ratify the Declaration of the Rights of the Men and Citizen as well as the Abolition of Privileges
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A new set of rules concerning the catholic church is implemented in France. The new rules, which includes the election of priests by voting, greatly undermine the power of this institution
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This enormous festival, to which the royal family assists, is organized with the objective of showing that the king recognizes and accepts the new liberal reforms. It takes place at the Field of Mars.
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The royal family seeks refuge from the revolution in Switzerland. However, just before crossing the border it is captured. This event destroys the king's sacred image and descredits him.
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The constitution of 1791 presents some improvements in terms of human rights but remains extremely unequal, specially in the fields of gender and social class. It implements a censal suffrage that excludes almost the entirety of the population.
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The beginning of the Constitutional Monarchy is marked by the implementation of the 1791 Constitution and its end comes with the proclamation of the Republic
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On april 25th 1792 the duke of Brunswick, a commander of the Prussian army, conveys a message to France in which he says that, was the government to violate the sacred royal figure, he would destroy the country. This manifest is basically a proof of the king's cooperation with foreign nations during war.
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French revolutionaries storm the king's residence, which is the Tuileries Palace, and he has to scape and take shelter in the Legislative Assembly. This day is considered as the day in which monarchy disappeared.
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One day after the first victory in war against foreign powers, the first French Republic is proclaimed.
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The Convention, the parliament that would govern France until 1795, is created. It is made of republicans that belong to different groups. The Montagnards are the most radical out of all of the factions and the Girondins are the most moderate.
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In this period of time the law of suspects is established. Thousands of people die and, because of the war with other countries, a million soldiers are recruited. Anti-revolutionary movements spring up and France is in a civil war.
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The Montagnards arrest the main leaders of the Girondins with the help of the sans-culottes. They take control of the assembly and suspend the constitution and the elections with the purpose of "ensuring the survival of the revolution".
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The Law of Suspects is established. It consists on killing anyone who is not in favor of the republic. This policy caused the death of thousands of innocents and stopped the anti-republican movements.
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Robespierre, one of the main supporters and promoters of the Law of Suspects, is decapitated.
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This political system consisted in 5 directors which has the executive power and in elections conducted through a censal suffrage. It was highly unpopular.
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Napoleon Bonaparte does a coup that marks the end of the Conservative Republic and the beginning of the consulate.
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This regime was supposed to have 3 consuls which have the same amount of power. However, Napoleon Bonaparte, which was one of the three, was far more influential than the other two and governed the country on his own.
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In 1800, following the demands of employers, the British prime minister William Pitt, suggests the exploitation of children in order to have labour for cheaper price.
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Napoleon makes peace with the catholic church from the first time since the implementation of the civil constitution of the clergy. It redefines the status of the church in France and improves relationships between the nation and the institution.
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Napoleon Bonaparte implements the civil code, which would define precisely the rights of individuals and reorganize society in general.
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Napoleon Bonaparte creates, with the people's support, the french empire, which would last until the second defeat of Napoleon.
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The most important dynasties in Europe meet to arrange borders after the changes caused by the French campaign on geography. As well as this, the leaders of these empires/kingdoms agree on going back to extreme conservative policies and to support each other militarily in case of need of protection.
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During the Restoration, kings from the Bourbon house reign the country. In this period, many ideas acquired during the french revolution are forgotten and replaced with more conservative values and laws. The first king to reign is Louis XVIII, which would die in 1824 to be replaced by Charles X.
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Louis XVIII, Louis XVI brother, implements a chart that mixes the values of the revolution with the ones of the absolute monarchy. He creates a constitutional monarchy.
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Napoleon Bonaparte creates, with the people's support, the french empire, which would last until the second defeat of Napoleon.
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The battle of Waterloo is Napoleon's first defeat and marks the beginning of the decadence of the french Empire.
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Greek nationalists revolt against the Ottoman Empire to fight for independence. This movement is brutally repressed.
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After the death of his brother Louis XVIII. Charles X becomes the king of France.
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After receiving support from the european dynasties, the Greek people become independent from the Ottoman Empire. This emancipation would inspire countless movements of the same nature in Europe.
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Charles X implements a series of laws that seriously undermine the population's political rights as well as the freedom of expression. These aren't well received by the population.
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As a consequence for the implementation of the July Ordonnances, the people protest massively and violently to the point in which the king has to step down to let his cousin Louis Philippe take the throne.
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After Charles X stepped down, he named Louis Philippe I king.
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The July Monarchy was a liberal constitutional monarchy directed by Louis-Philippe I. It mixed characteristics from the revolution and from the more conservative regime of Charles X.
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During this period of time, the British Empire's influence skyrocketed. At its apogee, it controlled 20% of the earth and a quarter of the global population lived in the British Empire. As well as that, industrialization flourished in it and it was at the end of this era that Britain and France became allies.
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Since its silver reserves were disappearing, the British Empire decided to start selling opium in China in exchange of this metal in order to tilt the balance of trade in its favor. However, the chinese government tried to stop this kind of imports, which resulted in a war between both nations that Britain won.
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In 1848 there is a wave of revolutions within Europe which express the desire of independence of nationalists. The majority of these are dissolved through brutal repression, but they would take the first step towards taking down authoritarian regimes.
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Due to the financial crisis that is happening in France and to unpopularity of the king for being "too conservative", there is a revolution in Paris from the 22nd to the 24rth February of 1848.
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Due to the Paris insurrection, Louis Philippe I steps down and Alphonse de Lamartine becomes the new king. He would form a republic that would last until 1852, when the Second Empire would replace it.
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Louis Napoleon Bonaparte chose the anniversary of the battle of Austerlitz to make his coup and create the second empire, which would last for almost two decades.
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On January 14, 1852, a new constitution was promulgated. The institutions of the new regime were set up in such a way as to give many powers to the prince-president. He appointed the State Councillors, the Senators and the Ministers. He could consult the people by plebiscite. Legislative power was divided.
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The French people will show their will to make Louis-Philippe I an emperor in the plebiscit which takes place at the beginning of 1852. This regime would last almost two decades and would create the illusion that is was democratic through the use of plebiscites and propaganda. It would conclude peacefully.
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The second opium war happened because of the same reasons as the first one, only that in this case France was on Britain's side. Because of economic interests, these nations started selling opium on Chinese harbours which is the reason why war broke out. Like in the first one, China lost the war.
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The Second French Empire intervened on Mexico in order to oust Benito Juarez, the country's president, and establish a monarchy that would be favorable to French interests.
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The Franco-Prussian war was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 January 1871, the conflict concluded with a clear victory of the North German Confederation.
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Due to the need of raw materials to feed industries, the main powers of the second half of the XIXth century occupy the entirety of Africa. This would create tensions between many of these nations since, in order to expand their empires, it was necessary to occupy a location that was already occupied by another power.
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The Fashoda incident confronted the French Republic and the British Empire. Since there was no more land to conquer in Africa, tensions grew between colonialist empires which wanted to keep growing the extension of their empires. This is exactly what happened at Fachoda. The British Empire ended up occupying this location without firing a single bullet,
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At the end of the first year of war, the french and german armies dig trenches at the north of France in order to secure their territories. Until the end of the war, these defensive lines would remain pretty much in the same place as they were in december of 1914.
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The murder of this public figure was the reason why world war one started.
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