Economy was the dominant factor concerning the Revolution. It was the main and the most influential issue that was continuously an explosive element through much of the French Revolution. The French had collected a huge national debt, which they had no means of taking care of. France had the option to declare bankruptcy, lessening their overall payment on their debt, but the once powerful country was too weak and maybe even too prideful to go through with the action. Along with having an increased financial obligation, France had little to no way of paying off the debt. Even though half of France’s annual budget went to paying off debt, it still wasn’t enough. France had no central bank, no paper currency, and no means of creating…
The French Revolution was a time of sweeping social and political change in France that kept going from 1789 until 1799, and was mostly conveyed forward by Napoleon amid the later development of the French Empire. The Revolution toppled the government, set up a republic, experienced fierce times of political turmoil, lastly finished in an autocracy under Napoleon that quickly conveyed a large number of its standards to Western Europe and past. Motivated by liberal and radical thoughts, the Revolution significantly modified the course of cutting edge history, setting off the worldwide decrease of outright governments while supplanting them with republics and liberal democracies. Through the Revolutionary Wars, it unleashed a rush of worldwide…
There were many positive aspects of Napoleon's reign. Napoleon had supported the changes brought about by the Revolution. He accepted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and did not restore feudalism. He improved the French system of laws by installing the Napoleonic Code, which made the laws more equal. Napoleon also increased the French education by establishing public high schools, universities, and trade schools. He also used his incredible gift of persuasion in order to assuage the Roman Catholic Church and replaced the Civil Constitution of the Clergy with the Concordat, which also allowed religious freedom. He also used these exceptional gifts to disband the alliances that arose against France.…
18. After the rule of Napoleon, Louis XVIII returned France to pre-revolutionary conditions in certain aspects of society and politics. For example, Louis brought back restrictions to religion, Protestants were tormented for their faith. Louis accepted the Code that had been developed by Napoleon but banned divorce, although it had been permitted during the revolution. Louis restored Catholic superiority, this had a trickling effect on the doings of the revolution, restricting rights and restoring inequality.…
Bourgeois benefited significantly along with the middle class. Napoleon created 3,600 titles in 1814. These titles were given to those who served the military. under napoleon’s rule the government rewarded wealthy people who effectively served the state with pensions, property, or titles.…
The ideals of the French Revolution were "Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity," but the methods that were used to fulfill these goals were complicated. During the Reign of Terror, about 40,000 people were guillotined because of Maximilien Robespierre. He thought that Liberty could not be secured unless criminals lose their heads. Napoleon Bonaparte, a Revolutionary hero, seized control of the government in France in 1799, he was looking to bring peace to the French people by ending the Revolution. For this to be done, he had to be in complete control like a monarch or a dictator. However, the French people still wanted to have some of the privileges they had during the Revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte stabilized and united French society, yet supported the ideals of French Revolution.…
Napoleon’s personal greed for power drove him to infringe the basic principles of the revolution on the rights to hereditary and absolute rule. Robespierre, an enlightened leader of the Jacobins, stated that the purpose of the French Revolution was to abolish absolute monarchy and institute a “democratic or republican government” that could help increase political equality within a nation (Robespierre). However, Napoleon rejected any republican form of government; he was solely concerned with maintaining a “hereditary power, which… may endure for generations, even for centuries” (Selected). Ironically though, in hopes to gain popularity among members of the 3rd estate, he abolished the power of the nobility and appointed governors that were loyal to the central government. Not only did he crown himself emperor of France, but also, “he established an imperial court and the members of his family were made royalty, while other titles and honors were given to his…
The French revolution had many similarities to other revolutions of its time like the American and the Hattian revolution. All of these revolutions were really pushed by the ideas of enlightenment thinkers. Also, Napoleon Bonaparte was a good leader who lead the country of France to end terror and wars. This can be compared to Thomas Jefferson in the American revolution and the declaration of independence. Napoleon Bonaparte can also be compared to Haitian revolution leader Toussaint L’Ouverture and their good military leadership skills. All of these three revolutions and leaders really pushed their cause to improve and modernize their nation’s.…
The main source for the French Revolution was Louis XVI and his over control of everything. King Louis XVI was an absolute monarch that ruled by the divine right theory, the right t to rule from god. He got to choose all civil officials and military officers, created and enforced laws. Had the power to declare war and make peace. He taxed everything and spent people’s money on what he saw fit, controlled the thoughts expressed by a strict censorship of speech and press. He had the power to imprison anyone without trial for an indefinite period. During his rule he lived in his magnificent palace at Versailles, completely oblivious to the rising tide of popular discontent.…
The enlightenment was a time of great learning throughout Europe during the eighteenth century. Although the period is significant for scientific and other scholastic advancements, it is most important because it allowed for the opening of great minds--such as that of Napoleon Bonaparte. Shortly after this enlightenment made its way through Europe, revolution and civil war ripped through France between 1879 and 1899. The unrest of the time called for a strong ruler. A man/woman with an open mind and an enlightened soul. France needed a child of the enlightenment to sew its tattered flag. Napoleon Bonaparte was a child of the enlightenment. This was displayed in both his attitudes and policies as a result of enlightened religious ideas, political genius, and social reforms. Almost every ruler in history can be accused of having some kind of religious fanaticism. This religious fervor has led to persecution, civil war, unrest, instability, ignorance, and even genocide. The enlightenment taught philosophes and scholars religious tolerance by lessening the importance of religion and God in everyday life. As a child of the enlightenment, Napoleon had a similar immunization to the devout and was able to use religion as a tool to accomplish his political ideas and goals. An example of this is the fact that whatever new land he conquered, he adopted the religion of that land in order to gain the acceptance of the general population. In France, he was Catholic. In Egypt, he was Muslim. But the only insight we have to his actual religious beliefs are that he said he followed his own star indicating that he pursued a somewhat mystical belief in destiny and fate. He completely regarded the church as a convenience to be taken advantage of by any enlightened despot. When he first came to power, the greatest force that could propel counterrevolution was the Catholic church, so ignoring the infuriated (and politically weak) Jacobeans, he signed a…
Napoleon Bonaparte was he last of the enlightened despots because he preserved the ideals of the despots before him. Napoleon stated "My policy is to govern men as the great number wish to be governed. That, I think, is the way to recognize the sovereignty of the people." This principle is a direct principle of enlightened despots, the code of equality. He governed in this manner because he wanted his people to support him when it came time for war. Many policies of Napoleon seem to many of us as Bergeron puts it, "rigid and oppressive" but in the time those were the exact tactics that Napoleon used to swiftly rise to power. Another strategy Bonaparte used to get the support of the people was nationalism, for the first time in over a decade he made French people proud to be French. After years of civil war he made it an honor to serve under the French flag. All of these strategies come directly from Enlightenment ideals, thus making Napoleon Bonaparte an enlightened despot.…
Politically: France before the Revolution was a monarchy, that is, hereditary rule, as was most of Europe. The Revolution literally threw off the monarchy and embraced the notion of a Republic. In doing so, they beheaded their king, Louis XVI. The revolutions proclaimations, embodied in the document "Declaration of the Rights of Man" threatened every other monarchy in Europe. Republican governments are representative, wherein they are chosen by at least some of the people. The kings and nobles of 18th century Europe were afraid of being overthrown. 2. Socially: Of Frances 26 million inhabitants in 1789, about 90% were poor peasants and farmers. The rest were either the nobility or the clergy. In fact, the very imbalance of the country socially begged for revolt. Each stratum of the society was called by one of three estates. The Nobility, including royalty, was the Second Estate, the clergy and the Church was the First Estate, and all of the rest of the people were the Third Estate. After the Revolution all offices were open to those with the most talent. This was never more true than during the First Empire, when Napoleon's many Codes were written and enforced in France. In fact, the Code Napoleon still exists as part of the legal structure of several European nations today. But privilege was looked down upon, and merit was gained by talent. 3. Economically: In this respect there was change on several levels. For one thing, the new government had to command revenues in a…
One of Napoleon's first areas of concern was in the strengthening of the French government. He created a strong centralized government and pretty much got rid of the hundreds of localized law codes that had existed during under the control of the monarchy. He also created an army of government officials. He had the entire country linked under a rational administration. He also was able to get an easy supply of taxes and soldiers under his new and improved French government. Before he could get very far, however, he had to gain public favor and shape the public opinion. To do this he used reforms of propaganda and thus caused people to think that they were getting the better end of the deal, but were actually, subconsciously giving Napoleon their approval for his actions. Among some of the methods he used for propaganda included getting all of the printers and book sellers to swear an oath to Napoleon and all newspapers fell under state control, so Napoleon gained access to almost everything that the citizens of France were able to read. Many of the gains from the French Revolution were kept, such as equality before the law, and…
France was one of the biggest and most powerful countries in the world and had good monarchy, a large army and navy, and many foreign colonies and responsibilities. Much of this was very expensive to keep up, but not having it could end up becoming even worse. Paying for all these different things would be costly but this would not put them in their economic struggle. It would be their support in wars like “The Seven Year War” that caused them to borrow too much money to the point they could not pay back.…
The French revolution overthrew the country’s Liberty, ancient monarchy, equality and fraternity, and fought off a hostile Europe. There were lots of causes of the French Revolution. The French Revolution had long and short-term factors, which emerged from the social, political, and comic conflicts and conditions of the ancient regime. The long-standing injustice of the bourgeoisie, the breakdown and suffering of a government, aggregation of rising wishes with wealthy bourgeoisie and peasants, and creations of ideas among wide sections of the people are all factors that played apart as well as more. The effects of the French Revolution were not just happening in France but were widespread and happening worldwide. In European history, these events are marked as some of the most important events. The revolution was being caused by social, economic, and political discontent of the French people because they had a king who was poor and wanted a democratic government, society was divided into three estates, and his tax system was unfair.…