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A few months after France had annexed an island in the Mediterranean, Napoleon was born. His family was not rich, despite his father's noble roots. However, Napoleon was talented, and he won a scholarship to a military school. Before he toppled the Directory in 1799, many events occurred that got him closer to the day. First, he became a captain. Then, he was promoted to a brigadier general. After much success, he became commander of the French armies in Italy. As commander, he did very well.
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The economy in France had certainly been expanding for some time, but due to bad harvests and a slowdown in manufacturing, the French budget was not looking good. This can be cited as immediate cause of the revolution.
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This date marks the start of the French Revolution. In this same year, George Washington was inaugurated as the first United States president. This revolution is considered a turning point in
European history because it established both a new political order and a new social order. -
The First and Second estates, although outnumbered three hundred to six hundred, had more power in a certain decision. This decision was whether or not to institute a constitutional government that would make the clergy and nobility pay taxes. The Third estate attempted to create a more fair system of voting, but the king decided to decline it.
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On this date, the Third Estate declared that it was the National
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Three days after the previous declaration, the deputies of the Third Estate arrived at the place where they would usually meet. Unbeknownst to them, their doors were locked. When they realized this, they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court. They then swore that they would continue meeting until they had a new constitution.
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Louis XIV was prepared to use force against the Third Estate, and he certainly needed to be. The Bastille was an old fortress that was once used as a prison and armory. The fight between the Parisians and the king's troops lasted for four hours, and ended with the removal of the prison warden's head. This was not enough, however; the crowd then completely demolished the Bastille.
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On this day, the National Assembly made the decision to abolish all legal privileges of the nobles and clergy.
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The National assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen on this day. This document was heavily influenced by the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and by the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution. This declaration raised an important issue of whether or not equal rights should include women.
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In June 1791, the royal family attempted to flee France in disguise. They were quite close to reaching allies in the east, but they were recognized and were captured at Varennes. Then, they were brought back to Paris.
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In the spring of 1792, the Legislative Assembly decided to strike first. They declared war on Austria. Unfortunately, the French did not do well in the initial fighting. A frantic search for scapegoats began.
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By August of 1792, the monarchy was over. This is because continuing food shortages, military setbacks, and rumors of royalist conspiracies had caused a great amount of tension and unrest. The sans-culottes, rallied by a man named Georges Danton (who happened to be the newly appointed minister of justice) attacked the palace. This resulted in the royal family seeking protection from the Legislative Assembly.
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In September of 1792, the National Convention began to meet. The members were mostly under forty-five and were dominated by lawyers, professionals, and property owners. Almost all of them had no trust in the king and decided to abolish the monarchy on September 21. They then established a republic, the French Republic.
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In 1793, the Society for Revolutionary Republican Women in Paris was founded by two women. Most of the members of this society were working-class women who claimed they were ready to defend the republic. This did not, however, change the opinion of most men, who thought that women should have no place in the military or politics.
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Citizens, having formed political clubs with varying beliefs, were at a point in time where everything was very tense. One on these clubs, the Jacobins, felt that the king must be executed to ensure he was not a rallying point for opponents of the republic. On January 21, the king was beheaded on the guillotine, causing a new crisis of enemies for the revolution.
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For a little while during 1793 and 1794, the Committee of Public Safety took control of the government. This Committee instituted policies meant to defend France from domestic threats. Unfortunately, this resulted in many executions, giving their reign the name "Reign Of Terror." These executions numbered all the way to 40,000.
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By September of 1794, the new French government had amassed a strong army of over a million soldiers. It was the largest army that had ever been seen in Europe.
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In 1799, a very successful leader named Napoleon suddenly overthrew the Directory. This was a direct result of the Directory relying too heavily on the military to stay in power. Napoleon Bonaparte then seized power.
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The pope in 1801 wanted to recognize Catholicism as the religion of most French people. Napoleon, in turn, wanted to mend relations with the Church because he felt the agreement was fair. In return, the church lands seized in the revolution would not be returned to the pope.
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After Napoleon aided in the overthrow of the Directory, a new government called the consulate was instituted. Napoleon, who was already the first consul, was promoted to the consul for life in 1802. He then crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I two years later.
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Before the revolution, France had many different legal systems. Efforts were made for a single law code to be implemented for the entire nation, but this did not occur until Napoleon's reign. In 1804, the Napoleonic Code, or Covil Code, was introduced. It was positive for men but negative for women and children. Women became "less equal than men."
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In 1805, Napoleon's plans for an invasion were ended by Britain. The British army was able to defeat the French-Spanish fleet. This occurred at Trafalgar.
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Following the failure of the Continental System, the Allied states were told by Napoleon that they could not trade with the British. This made them angry, and some began to cheat and resist. New markets in the Middle East and in Latin America also gave Britain new outlets for its goods. Consequently, by 1810, British overseas exports were at near-record highs.
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In March of 1814, Paris was captured. Following such, Napoleon was sent into exile on the island of Elba.
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On June 18, 1815, Napoleon traveled to Waterloo in Belgium. He met an army led by the Duke of Wellington that was composed of both British and Prussian soldiers. He suffered a bloody defeat and was exiled to St. Helena, where he remained until his death.
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In 1821, Napoleon died. His memory was the haunting of French political life for many following decades.
