Download The French Revolution and Napoleon

The French Revolution
and Napoleon
1789-1815
Background to the French Revolution
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France was divided into three estates
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First estate-clergy
Second estate- nobility
Third estate-everyone else
Social unrest between the three estates was a longterm cause of the revolution
The immediate cause was the near collapse of the
French budget
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Food shortage, slow down in manufacturing
Monarch continued to spend money on extravagances
Beginnings of the National Assembly
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Members of each estate served in the legislative
body, the Estates-General
Members of the third estate wished to establish a
constitutional government
In 1789, they declared themselves the National
Assembly
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They would draft the constitution
Arrived at the meeting place to find the doors locked
King prepared to use force against the third estate
Stormed the Bastille (a prison) and the revolution had
effectively begun
A “New” France
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National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of
Man and Citizen
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French church was brought under control of the state
Constitution of 1791
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Basic liberties that French citizens should have
Under threat from the French peasants, King Louis XVI accepted the
decisions of the National Assembly
Limited monarchy
Rise of the Paris Commune
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Protesting food shortages
Took king hostage
Much more radical phase
Radicalism in France
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First Republic
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Death of the King
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National Convention was to draft a new constitution
Also served as the ruling body of France
Abolished the Monarch and established the French
Republic
King beheaded on the Guillotine
Revolution became more radical
Crisis Begins
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Price controls on food
Uprisings throughout the country
The Reign of Terror
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Almost 40,000 people
killed
If you rebelled against
the convention, you
were dead
Because guillotining
took too long, they dug
graves and shot
individuals
Rise of the Revolutionary Army
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Eventually grew to
over one million
soldiers
Largest army ever seen
in Europe
Pushed back invaders
and conquered other
countries
The Directory
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Constitution of 1795 was
written by the Convention
Created an executive
committee of five called
the Directory
Only lasted for four years,
because it was known to be
corrupt
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took advantage of the poor
Toppled in a coup d’etat
(overthrow of government)
Napoleon seized power
The Rise of Napoleon
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Rose quickly through the ranks of the French
army
Took part in the coup d’ etat of 1799 and
helped establish the new government
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Served as the leader of France and held absolute
power
In 1802, he was made consul for life
He crowned himself emperor two years later
Napoleon’s Domestic Policies
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Church
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Laws
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Established peace with Catholic church
Recognized Catholicism as the religion of most French
people
Introduced Napoleonic Code
This codified laws
Bureaucracy
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Created a strong, centralized administration
Focused on developing capable leaders
Napoleon’s Empire
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From 1807-1812, Napoleon was the master of Europe
Grand Empire
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The French Empire
Dependent states
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Allied states
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Conquered states
Sought to spread principles of the revolution
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States run by relatives and friends
Equality, religious toleration, economic freedom
The failure of his empire was that he could never conquer
Britain
The Fall of Napoleon
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1812, Napoleon’s army
suffers great defeat in
Russia
Napoleon was exiled to the
island of Elba
He eventually slipped back
into France and raised his
own army
Suffered his final defeat at
Waterloo in Belgium
He was exiled again and
remained so until death