French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France from 1789 to 1815 that profoundly affected French and modern history, marking the decline of powerful monarchies and churches, and the rise of democracy and nationalism. It was a highly controversial instance of the Atlantic Revolutions of the era.

Time Line

June 17,1789

National Assembly wasCreated.

The Napoleonic Code - or Code Napoléon (the official name being the Code civil des français)- is the French civil code established under Napoléon I in 1804. The code forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs should go to the most qualified.

During the French Revolution, the National Assembly , which existed from June 13, 1789 to July 9, 1789, was a revolutionary assembly formed by the representatives of the Third Estate of the Estates-General

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), also known as Napoleon I, was a French military leader and emperor who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks of the military during the French Revolution (1789-1799). After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d’état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804. Shrewd, ambitious and a skilled military strategist, Napoleon successfully waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his empire.

November 9th, 1799

Napoleon Bonaparte Rises to Power

March 24, 1804

April 20, 1808

Napoleonic Code Approved

Rise of Louis Bonaparte

Napoleon I made him the King of Holland on 5 June 1806. Napoleon had intended for the younger brother to be little more than a French governor of Holland. However, Louis had his own mind, and tried to be a responsible and independent ruler. In an effort to endear himself to his adopted country, he tried to learn the Dutch language; he called himself Lodewijk I (adopting the Dutch form of his name) and declared himself Dutch rather than French. Allegedly, his Dutch was initially so poor that he told the people he was the "Konijn van 'Olland" ("Rabbit of 'Olland"), rather than "Koning van Holland" ("King of Holland"). However, his sincere effort to learn Dutch earned him some respect from his subjects.

A picture is worth a thousand words.Napoleon Bonaparte