The French Revolution & Napoleon

French Revolution

The Third Estate wanted for each deputy to have a vote in the meetings of the Estates General meeting because with the current system they could easily get outvoted by first and second estates due to the fact that each estate gets only one vote. The king denied their request, so the Third Estate decided to call itself a Nation Assembly and began to create a constitution. Three days later, they found they were locked out of the Estates General meeting, so they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court and promised to meet there repeatedly until they produced a French constitution.

History

The French economy suffers to the point of food shortages, rising prices for food, and unemployment. Despite these problems the government counted to spend tremendous amounts of money on wars and pointless things that would not benefit the people. When the Economy was about to collapse Louis XVI decided to arrange the Estates General meeting to raise taxes.

The National Assembly adopts the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen" – The Nation Assembly wanted to abolish the rights of landlords, and the privileges that nobles and clergy had over average citizens. The National Assembly decided to adopt the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen which was influenced by the Americans. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen claimed freedom and equal rights for all men, able to take a job in public office depending on talent, and ending the exemptions from taxation that the nobles and clergy had, as well allowing citizens to participate in making laws and freedom of speech and the press.

The Constitution of 1791 sets up a limited constitutional monarchy in France – The French constitution stated that there would be a king and a legislative Assembly, and that the Legislative Assembly was the only one with the power to make laws. The Assemblies were to be made of 745 representatives, and allowed for all male citizens to have equal rights but only men over 25 who paid a certain amount in taxes would be allowed to vote.

Other Countries such as Austria began to fear that their own countries would begin a revolution against their governments, so Austria threatened to use force to restore Louis XVI to complete power. The Assembly was not going to stand for this, so they declared war on Austria.

The Fate of the king was to be decided by the convention, but the people could not agree as a whole, therefore they split into fractions. The two significant groups were the Girondins and the Mountain. The Girondins represented the areas outside of cities and wanted to keep the king alive, whereas the Mountain represented the people of Paris and wanted the king dead. The king was sent to the guillotine in 1793 when the mountains managed to convince the convention to pass an official order for the death of Louis XVI.

Robespierre's Reign of Terror – When the Committee of Public Safety lead by Robespierre gained power from the National Convention, they wanted to defend France against foreign and traitors. They killed around 40,000 people most of which were people who opposed the “san-culottes” and the executions were held in public places to show that rebels were going to be killed.

When Robespierre dead, the Jacobins lost power and the National Convention set up a Directory and reduced the power of Committee of Public safety. However when the government was under the control of the Directory it was a time of corruption. As well as to add more on top of that, the Directory faced problems from Royalists and radicals, and could not solve the economic problems or wars left by the Committee of Public Safety. In 1799, General Napoleon overthrow the Directory and claimed power for himself.

The Napoleonic code of law stated that all men had the right to freedom, and allowed for freedom of religion, but excluded the use of Serfdom and Feudalism systems, and continued to protect property rights. However, the Code of law gave men the right over their family by making divorce harder for women, and that the property of the wife was given to the husband when they got married.

After the losses from the Russian campaign Napoleon was being exiled to an island called Elba, However he managed to escape and soldiers were sent to capture him, but they did the opposite when they found him. Instead, Napoleon managed to convince them to join him and he raised another army and wanted to attack the nearest enemy forces which was in Belgium. At waterloo, Napoleon’s army fought against a combined British and Prussian army and lost. He was then exiled to St. Helena

May 5, 1789 King Louis XVI calls the Estates General

August 26, 1789The National Assembly adopts the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen"

June 20, 1789 The Tennis Court Oath

September 14, 1791 The Constitution of 1791 sets up a limited constitutional monarchy in France

April 20, 1792 The Legislative Assembly declares war on Austria

January 21, 1793 Louis XVI is executed

September 5, 1793 ~ July 28 1794 Robespierre's Reign of Terror

November 9, 1799 Napoleon’s coup de’tate’ of the French government

June 18,1815 Battle of Waterloo

March 21, 1804 Napoleonic Code of Law established