French Revolution
What advice would Machiavelli give to Robespierre?
"The ends justify the means."
Waterloo
"to suffer an ultimate, decisive defeat"- In 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was fought near the village of Waterloo, which is now in Belgium. This was the final battle in the Napoleonic wars, the battle in which Napoleon Bonaparte was finally defeated.
Louis XIV
(1638-1715) Known as the Sun King, he was an absolute monarch that completely controlled France. One of his greatest accomplishments was the building of the palace at Versailles.
Napoleon
(1769-1821) Emperor of the French. Responsible for many French Revolution reforms as well as conquering most of Europe. He was defeated at Waterloo, and died several years later on the island of Saint Helena.
Identify the Positive and Negative impacts of Napoleons Reign.
+:grew empire; Napoleonic code; tried to unite Europe; great military leader ; Right to vote for men; Freedom of Speech/religion -: limited women's rights; reestablished tyranny; made himself emperor; Napoleonic code; lost important wars
Olympe de Gouges
1755-1793 wrote "The Rights of Women" and argued that the law must be an expression of the general will (men and women)
Describe the Members of the 3 Estates.
1st: Clergy (Roman Catholic)- Tax free, Education, Against Enlightenment, wanted to keep old regime 2nd: Nobles: Collected tax, bought public offices, paid little tax, special privledges 3rd: Peasants: Over taxed, Over worked, Poor, No representation 97% of population
Bastille
A French base that was stormed in 1789 by French revolutionists. During the storming, several prisoners were let out to join the revolt. Built in the 14th century, used as a prison in the 17th and 18th century.
Robespierre
A French political leader of the eighteenth century. A Jacobin, he was one of the most radical leaders of the French Revolution. He was in charge of the government during the Reign of Terror, when thousands of persons were executed without trial. After a public reaction against his extreme policies, he was executed without trial.
Napoleonic Code
A comprehensive and uniform system of laws established for France by Napoleon.
Guillotine
A machine for beheading people, used as a means of execution during the French Revolution.
Versailles
A palace built by Louis XIV outside of Paris; it was home to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Compare The French Revolution to another Revolution in History.
Both the American Revolution and The French Revolution were tired of be over taxed and under represented, and they both wanted democracies. They also both adapted ideas of the Enlightenment.
Scorched Earth Policy
Burning live stock and crops to prevent the enemy from living off the land
Causes and Effects of French Revolution
Causes: Lack of food (bread); too many taxes of poor; government debt; weak leadership; (unfair rules) Effects: storming of Bastille; reign of terror; execution of monarch; end of old regime; rise of napoleon
Why was the French Revolution a turning point in European History?
Even though Napoleon sabotaged the Revolution by getting himself declared dictator and then Emperor, certain ideas of the FR persisted. One of these ideas was getting rid of feudal dues, which Napoleon carried out all across Europe. Another was equality before the law - no more special privileges for aristocrats or Church officials. Napoleon abolished the archaic Holy Roman Empire, which allowed the Germanys much more flexibility when they wanted to unite. The FR also permanently established the idea of representative government. Napoleon's scientific crew brought back very important artefacts from Egypt, among them the Rosetta Stone, which gave linguists the key to deciphering hieroglyphics.
Declaration of Rights of Man
French Revolution document that outlined what the National Assembly considered to be the natural rights of all people and the rights that they possessed as citizens
Why did Robespierre believe the use of terror against his enemies was necessary?
Maximilien Robespierre praised revolutionary government and argued that the Terror was necessary, laudable and inevitable. He reasoned that the Republic could only be saved by the virtue of its citizens, only by terror.
How did Instability in France provide an opportunity of Napoleon to take over?
Napoleon already had followers and the support of the army, so it was easy for him to take power fairly quickly.
Russian Campaign
Napoleon tried to add Russia to his empire; had a huge army and moved into Russia in September. Russians used the scorched earth policy; Russia retreated and lured them deeper in and burnt everything in their path
List Similarities between Declaration of Rights of Man and the Bill of Rights.
Natural Rights Human treatment Freedom of Speech and Religion Freedom of Property
Women's March on Versailles
On October 5, 1789 an angry mob of Parisian women stormed through Versailles demanding Louis XVI end the nationwide food shortage and that the royal family return to Paris with them.
Estate System
One of the three social lasses in France before the French Revolution - the First Estate consisting of the clergy, the Second Estate, of the nobility, and the Third Estate, of the rest of the population.
Marie Antoinette
Queen of France (as wife of Louis XVI) who was unpopular her extravagance and opposition to reform contributed to the overthrow of the monarchy; she was guillotined along with her husband (1755-1793)
Jacobins
Radical republicans during the French Revolution. They were led by Maximilien Robespierre from 1793 to 1794.
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
Slogan of the French Revolution
How did the French Structure of Social Classes lead to discontent?
The 3rd Estate was paying nearly all of the taxes, and they were very poor, not even making enough to feed themselves, while the nobles and clergy barely paid taxes, and had all of the political power
What efforts to create a democratic republic failed?
The leaders supporting the republic all became dictators or emperors.
Bourgeosie
The middle class, including merchants, industrialists and professional people
Why did those committed to political rights resort to terror or dictatorship?
They thought they could use the power for good but ended up getting corrupted
How did Enlightenment influence the French Revolution
Voltaire; freedom of speech and religion Locke: Natural Rights Montesquieu: Separation of Powers Mary Wollstonecraft: Women's Rights
Sans-Culoettes
Working class group of radicals who wanted a republic
National Assembly
a French congress established by representatives of the third estate to enact laws and reforms in the name of the French people.
Tennis Court Oath
a pledge made by the members of the national assembly in 1789, in which they vowed to continue meeting until they had drawn up a new constitution.
How Do Revolutions start?
a revolution would start because a majority of citizens would disagree with there current government (usually Monarchy) and the citizens decide to rise against and cause a rebellion.(they might be rebelling against taxes being to high). this rebellion would sometimes cause wars or executions
Battle of Trafalgar
an 1805 naval battle in which Napoleon's forces were defeated by a British fleet under the command of Horatio Nelson.
Estates General
an assembly of representatives from all three of the estates, or social classes in France.
Reign of Terror
period Maximillien Robepierre ruled France and thousands of people were executed.
Great Fear
wave of senseless panic that spread through in the French countryside after the storming of Bastille.