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A New Age
The time is the 1700s and France was the most advance country in Europe. It was the center of the Enlightenment ideas. This succes was dicieving under the disturbong problems of France came up questions raised by the Enlightenment ideas. -
The Forces of Change
The forces of change in the goverment wqas the need for more power added to the third estate. They could achieve this by using the Enlightenment ideas. -
Economic troubles
France was having economic troubles due to the heavy burden of taxes and bad weather caused crop failures thus doubling the price of grains like bread and many people faced starvation. Added to these problems came the the royal family, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinnete whom were wasting money on themselves other than profiting the society. They were more concerned in helping the American revolutionaries to beat Great Britain and for that they went more deep in dept. -
Weak Leader
Louis XVI paid little attention to the goverment and political advices and took more advice of Marie Antoinette who's advice was poor. She was Austrian so that made her unpopular in France and spend so much money they called her Madame Deficit. -
Estates General
Louis wanted to put off dealing with the emergency until he practically had no money left. He wanted to impose taxes on nobility but the Second Estate forced him to call the meeting of the Estates General, that of which hasn't been held in over 175 years so none of the members have expirience in one. It was held at Versailles. -
The National Assembly
The members of the third estate, which most are bourgeoisie whose ideas were of the Enlightenment. They said that all three estate's delegates were to vote so the 3rd estate had an advantage. The king and the nobles wanted to use medieval rules but the 3rd estate wanted more power so in that act they named the 3rd estate delegates the National Assembly and pass laws and reforms in name of the French people. This ended absolut monarchy and begginng of a new representative goverment. -
Tennis Court Oath
The National Assembly found themselves locked out of their meeting room after their long debates. They broke into a indoor tennis court and stayed there until they came uo with a new constitution. This pledge is known as the Tennis Court Oath. Soon after memebers of the clergy and nobles joined the Third Estates delegates. Louis was afraid of their actions so he stationed the Swiss guard around Versailles. -
Storming the Bastille
Rumors flew that Louis was gonna use the Swiss guard to dispose of the National Assembly. People began to take action and on day, July 14 1789, a huge mob looking for weapons stormed the Bastille, a french prison fort, overwhelmed the guard and seize control of the building. The mob killed many guards and putted their heads on spikes and paraded around the city with them. This was the first violent move of the revolution. This day is a symbolic act of revolution as serves as a national holiday. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
This document was reflected on the declaration of independence, saying that every man is born and remain free and equal in rights. -
Great Fear
Rumors circulated among the countryside that nobles were hiring outlwas to terrorize peseants. This fear is known as the Great Fear. The peseants armend themselves and broke into noble houses and destroyed their legal papers of the feudal bond. After long, women took action by rioting about he cost of bread which was the most common diet in the population in those times. The people used their anger on the king and queen and decided to kill them. Louis returned to Paris and left Versailles. -
Louis tries to escape
In this date Lousi tries to escape to the Austrian Netherlands but is caught in the border because a man recognized his face from a franc(dollar) and was taken by the French guard. This action was viewed as treason and was sentenced to death at the guillotine. -
Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly controls laws and the declaration of wars. This assembly was divided into the Radicals, who wanted the most change. Moderates, who wanted partial change and the Conservatives that wanted to keep the old rules. -
France at War
France declared war on Prussia and Austria because they wanted to restore Louis. The french were so pissed off they took the royal family prisoner and executed every prisoner. These inmense massacres were known as th September Massacres. These men that were killed were suppoters of the king. -
National Convention
The legislative assembly was brought down and the National Convention took ober and abolished monarchy making it a revolutionary goverment. These new revolutionary rulers were known as Jacobins. -
Maximilien Robespierre
This man slowly gained power. He was a Jacobin. Soon he became a dictator and changed many things to eliminate Frances past. He created a new calender with new months and eliminated sundays because it represented the power of the church. This period of his rule became known as the Reign of Terror. -
End of Terror
About 40,000 men were executed during the Reign of Terror. These men were peasents or middled class men whom the revolution was meanto for. The National Convention feared they safety and turned on Robespierre and was executed on July 28, 1794 in the guillotine. When the Terror ended the National Convention was dissolved and The Directory was formed. The Directory was composed of five men who were moderates. They were corrupt but gave order. -
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most recognized military genuises. Napoleon was a commander of an artillary team of the new goverment. He became the Hero of France when he protected some delegates when royalist rebels marched on the National Convention. After that, he was appointed leader of the French Army in1796 and throught time he won great victories in Austria and Sardinia. He decided to go to Egypt to cripple th British but was defeated by Heratio Nelson, his arch enemy. -
Coup d'Etat
When Napoleon returned from Egypt, the Directory had lost control of the political issues and confidence of the french people. Napoleon took action and became one of three consuls who later became a dictator. Britain, Austria and Russia joined forces to drive Napoleon out of power. Napoleon signed a peace treaty with the countries and was free to restore France -
Restoring Order at Home
A plebicite was held to approve a new consitution. This gave all power to Napoleon. Though he was a dictator he maintained the revolutinary changes and didnt look back at monarchy. He signed a concordat with Pope Pius VII to establish a new relationship between the church and state. He created a new system of laws known as the Napoleonic code. He crowned himself emperor in 1804. -
Napoleon creates an Empire
Napoleon was not content with being ruler of France, he wanted to rule the rest of Europe and the Americas. He lost his idea for the americas when he was defeated by pissed off slves in Haiti. He sold the Louisianna Purchase for $15,000,000 to President Jefferson. He turned his vision to Europe. He already had control of the Austrian Netherlands and parts of Italy and Switzerland. His crushing defeates led that Austria, Prussia and Russia signed peace treaties. Only Britain was left. -
Napoleon Crownes Himself Emperor
The celebration was an old school emperor crowning. With a purple velvet rope, Napoleon walked the long aisle of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The Pope waited for him with the glittering crown. As Napoleon was being crowned, he took the crown from the Pope and putted on himself, This gesture recognized that he was more powerful than the Church. -
The Battle of Trafalgar
Napoleon lost only one major battle in his conquering of Europe.This battle was more important than any other won on land. It was fought at the southwest coast of Spain. Heratio Nelson was as good at sea as Napoleon on land. This victory enshured the supremcay of the British navy for the next 100 years and Napoleon forgot his plans to invade Britain. -
Napoleons three Cotly Mistakes
Napoleon made three costly mistakes that made his empire crumble. The first one was the Continental System. This was meant to cripple Britains commercial and industrial economy. Britain responded with their own blockade that was more succesful. -
The Penninsular War
His second mistake was that he wanted to take control of Portugal but Spain did not like the idea, Doing so, Napoloeon brought down th Spanish king and put his brother, Josph, on the throne. For six years Napoleon was struck by guerillas. The Spanish people were enraged of Napoleons action and thats why they attcked him in guerillas. In this war he lost about 300,000. This war made other french controlled countries take action like the Germans and Italians. -
The Invasion of Russia
His third and most costly mistake was when Russia refused to stop selling grains to Britain. He attacked Russia with 420,00 men. The Russians used scortched-earth policy. Napoleons army lost because they had no place to rest and no army to fight.When Napoleon reached Moscow he found it in flames and destroyed. Napoleon retreated after that and passed a harsh winter. He lost men in battles and due to hunger, exhaustion and cold. Only 10,000 men came back to France. -
Napoleons Downfall
By this time, England and Russia led their troops parade through France. Napoleon wanted to fight but his generals refused. He surrendered his throne and was exiled to Elba. Louis XVIII was placed on the thone and soon became unpopular becuase he wanted to establish a monarchy. Napoleon heard the news and urged to reach France. He escaped Elba and reached France. He was hailed as a hero. He became emperor but it only lasted 100 days. The other countries reacted fast and declared war on France. -
Congress of Vienna
This meeting was held sot the mayor powers of Europe (Russia, Prussia, Great Britain, France and Austria) establish order. The most influencial representative was Klemens von Metternich. He wanted to restore a balance of power so no country would be a threat to others. The great powers affirmed the Legitimacy. That as many as possible of the rulers that Napoleon took down would be brought back to power. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Britich army marched on the little village of Waterloo in Belgium prepared to fight Napoleon. Napoleon's army was composed of untrained men. They fought for hours. Napoleon started the attack and the British fought back. Soon the Prussian Army arrived and helped Britain. He lost the battle and his empire lasted only 100 days. He soon wa sexiled to St. Helena, a remote island in the Atlantic. He stayed their until his death in 1821.