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The causes and course of the french revolution
The causes and course of the french revolution
Events during the french revolution
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The nation of France underwent a crucial revolution from 1789 to 1799. Amidst this period, Republicans took control of the French government from the King and later on The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was instituted to provide protection for its people. At the helm of these revolutions, Napoleon Bonaparte, a young general had began to win many foreign battles and was steadily rising in the army's ranks. It was through these battles that Napoleon was able to lead his armies to conquering most of Europe and many other nations of the world. During these many battles, Napoleon believed he was spreading French Revolutionary ideas to the countries he overtook by ensuring he left behind a system which honored the citizen's possessions and properties, religions and human rights. As he lead armies across Europe in conquest, he never strayed from his original plan of spreading the societal ideals of the French Revolution.
It is from the very beginning that Napoleon hopes to instil the idea that he is conquering countries to free their people, not to overtake or enslave them. A notable example of this is shown in the way he addressed the people of Italy in 1796 as he was overtaking the nation. To the citizens of Italy he said, "Peoples of Italy, the French army comes to break your chains; the French people is the friend of all people; approach it with confidence; your property, your religion and your customs will be respected". This quote shows very early Napoleon's intentions on being a liberator and not an emperor seeking personal riches. He later told his army that if they are caught plundering they will be sentenced to death. It was through these principles that he was able to gain the loyalty of a nation, ...
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...h as you our cause could not be lost; but the war would have been interminable; it would have been civil war, and that would have entailed deeper misfortunes on France. I have sacrificed all of my interests to those of the country". In this quotation he proclaimed that even after their initial defeat, they could carry on and still win the war. He did not want to do that though, as he stated it would have caused a civil war in France. Here Napoleons goals for this whole conquest are shown. He is willing to give it all up if it meant keeping intact the way property, religion and human rights are treated in France. Although he left defeated in battle, he was able to leave behind a legacy of freedom for generations to come.
Works Cited
Sivers, Peter Von, Charles Desnoyers, and George B. Stow. Patterns of World History: Since 1750. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. Print.
An Historiography Review of Napoleon failed invasion of Russia using Clausewitz and Theodore Evault Dodge books
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island of Corsica in 1769. He was the third son and fourth
Over a period of time Napoleon's party overthrew Robespierre's party. Soon enough, Napoleon was the dictator of France. The French soldiers who fought in the American Revolution came back from the war with new ideas and reasons for revolution. These ideas included the right to take up arms against tyranny, all men should have liberal freedoms, and a republic superior to a monarchy.
Napoleon was a graduate from military school and was immediately given command of a French Regiment. After leading his men in several pivotal battles in the French Revolution, he was considered a hero by a majority of the French. Along with several high-ranking French officials, he successfully completes a coup d'état, or overthrow, of the Directory. Napoleon named himself "First Consul" for ten years; but after rewriting the Constitution, he established his power indefinitely. Napoleon devised a series of wars to overthrow European governments. When the French overthrew a government, they quickly established a new one; the locals were treated fairly, and the objective was to have one unified government in Europe.
Napoleon’s “coup d’etat of 18 brumaire was an insurance against both the Jacobin revolution and the Royalist restoration.” The French people expected Napoleon to bring back peace, order and to consolidate the political and social conquests of the Revolution. Napoleon considered these conquests to be “the sacred rights of property, equality and liberty.” If Napoleon gained power with the promise of upholding the principles of the French Revolution, how did he betray the revolution? Many historians argue that Napoleon was an effective but ambitious leader.
Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomsom Learning, 2001. 374-438.
His campaigns are studied at military academies all over the world. One of Napoleon’s quotes states, "A leader is a dealer in hope." He also stated, "He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat." Although he was considered a tyrant by his opponents, he is also remembered for the establishment of the Napoleonic Code, which helped lay judicial foundations for Western Europe.
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 careers open to talent. Some anti-revolution actions that Napoleon took included repressing liberty, restoring absolutism, and ending political liberty. He believed that allowing political freedom would end with a state of anarchy. He believed that he could solve these problems by acting in favor of the people’s interests as an enlightened desp...
Napoleon's military motto was concentrating on an enemy?s weak spot, capitalizing on it, and using it to crush them. After serving in the revolutionary army, napoleon distinguished himself in the military and gained the directory?s attention when he suppressed a riot in Paris. As Napoleon?s armies swept through Europe, the Europeans welcomed the French, thinking they were there to liberate them. When napoleon took over a country, he replaced its rulers with his own rulers and outfitted the country to suit his needs. Nationalistic pride streamed through Europe and people wanted freedom from French domination.
With all the glory and the splendour that some countries may have experienced, never has history seen how only only one man, Napoleon, brought up his country, France, from its most tormented status, to the very pinnacle of its height in just a few years time. He was a military hero who won splendid land-based battles, which allowed him to dominate most of the European continent. He was a man with ambition, great self-control and calculation, a great strategist, a genius; whatever it was, he was simply the best. But, even though how great this person was, something about how he governed France still floats among people's minds. Did he abuse his power? Did Napoleon defeat the purpose of the ideals of the French Revolution? After all of his success in his military campaigns, did he gratify the people's needs regarding their ideals on the French Revolution? This is one of the many controversies that we have to deal with when studying Napoleon and the French Revolution. In this essay, I will discuss my opinion on whether or not was he a destroyer of the ideals of the French Revolution.
Ellis, Elizabeth Gaynor, and Anthony Esler. World History: The Modern Era. Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.
Napoleon was considered a hero for what he did for France by the way he ruled and sought out justice for his country. The revolution affected Napoleon by causing opportunities for Napoleon to quickly move up the chain of command until he was a general at the age of twenty four. He ended the revolution in 1799 and was then named "France's first Consul" by 1800. Although he was considered a dictator, he ended the French Revolution which compromised of violent, pointless death that came with the Terror and then the Great Terror. Within a year he had ended all conflicts and brought Europe long awaited peace.
Beck, Roger B., Linda Black, Larry S. Krieger, Phillip C. Naylor, and Dahia I. Shabaka. World History: Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2009.
The Napoleonic wars were a continuation of the revolution, which were no more based on nationalistic ideas than the revolution itself. Napoleon set out in 1799 to conquer Europe in hopes to rule an Empire just as Charlemagne and Alexander the Great did. He set out to accomplish ...
The French Revolution, which occurred from 1789 to 1799, was a time where the monarchy was overthrown, a republic was formed, and limits were put on the church. The French Revolution ended with the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799. The French Revolution created France’s legislative assembly, which is still in place today. Many would argue that the Enlightment was a cause of the French Revolution, but the Enlightment was not one of the main drivers for the Revolution. The bad living conditions, France’s monarchy, and the involvement in the American Revolution and other wars caused the French Revolution.