Category: French Revolution

To understand why the French Revolution led to war between France on the one side and Prussia and Austria on the other in 1792, one should briefly recall the essence of this revolution. In European countries of the eighteenth century, the monarchy was the predominant form of government. However, France was the first to follow the American example in an attempt to eliminate the monarchy and establish the republic instead. This was the goal of the French Revolution, which began in 1789.

At the beginning of the French Revolution, nothing indicated that there would be a war between France and Europe. European monarchies believed that France was pacifist, and its occupation with its internal problems would leave the field open for their intrigues (Hazen, 2017, p. 97). However, soon, they saw a menace in the principles of sovereignty and equality proclaimed by the French people and feared that their subjects, who were enthusiastic about the French successes, would revolt as well (Hazen, 2017). The situation was aggravated by the French revolutionists interest in spreading their ideas beyond the French borders (Hazen, 2017). Additionally, France suspected that French nobles, who fled the country, established their counterrevolutionary stronghold in Europe and posed a threat to the success of the French Revolution. Consequently, these tensions led to warlike sentiments in both France and European monarchies. In April 1792, France declared war on Austria and Prussia. The war was supported even by the advocates of monarchy, who believed that, after the war, they could restore the previous political regime.

The war led to the more radical phase of the revolution because the French revolutionists wanted to eliminate all enemies of the Revolution, both domestic and foreign ones. The radicalization began with the arrest of the French king, Louis XVI, and the royal family on August 10, 1792. The arrest occurred after the Duke of Brunswick issued a manifesto, in which he demanded that the French restore the French king to complete liberty (Hazen, 2017). The manifesto made the French people believe that Louis XVI was an accomplice of the enemies of France. Other real and suspected traitors were also thrown into prison and then killed during the September Massacres of 1792. The further period between 1793 and 1794 was known as the Reign of Terror. It began when the Jacobins seized control over the French government and were marked by many executions of actual and suspected counterrevolutionaries.

Reference

Hazen, C. D. (2017). The French Revolution and Napoleon. Arcadia Press.

Introduction

Human history has been shaped greatly by three periods: The industrial revolution, the period of enlightenment, the French revolution, and finally the period of protest and revolution 1815-1850 (Mantoux 3-7). These periods were associated with great minds and discoveries that have continued to shape human actions. This paper discusses the four periods and associated changes over time.

Industrial revolution

The Industrial Revolution started in Britain towards the end of the eighteenth century. The most interesting this is that the industrial revolution led to the invention and discovery of many things that drastically transformed the production methods. It started with a shift from slower or manual as well as more costly methods of production to machine-based production methods that were quicker and inexpensive (Mantoux 1-3). Since machines were too heavy and expensive, they could be transferred into places of residence. Machines were housed in factories. This again brought a change in the working style of people, that is, they started moving away from home to factories.

Since, the starting of the Industrial revolution, the way of life of many people has kept changing. In fact, today there are many inventions that are changing the lives of many people than what was witnessed at the beginning of the industrial revolution. In fact, what is certain is basically the way the industrial revolution significantly affected the way people live. There is no stage or phase in life that has not been impacted by the Industrial Revolution.

Period of Enlightenment

The term enlightenment is used to specifically describe the trends both in letters and thought in Europe as well as the American colonies. It occurred during the eighteenth century just before the French Revolution (Brown 2). One of the greatest and interesting things during this period was the basic beliefs of scholars and philosophers. This group of thinkers had a lot of confidence in the import of human reason. One of the persons to have brought a lot of insights into human reason during this time was Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton helped in unlocking natural laws.

Another person to have added insights into human reason was Locke. Locke advanced the idea that knowledge was not natural but is acquired. He also indicated for knowledge to be acquired there must be the human reason. His advancements have so far been proven (Brown 3-5). Knowledge is acquired from the environment. Through Pavlov experiment, it can be learned that knowledge is acquired through conditioned reflex or recurrent exposure. In addition, through proper education, the nature of humanity could easily be changed forever.

French revolution

The French Revolution started in the late 1780s and ended in the early 1800s when Napoleon was defeated (Lefebvre 2-6). The revolution is vital particularly in contemporary history as it has significantly contributed not just to the global impact, but also continued influences on society. To begin with, the French Revolution resulted in what is called the right of self-determination in international law. This was a revolutionary concept introduced at a time France wanted to conquer entire Europe. The revolution changed the processes of war across Europe. That is, the wars were fought on the basis of contemporary ideas. In fact, the change in tactics was largely associated with the effect of the period of Enlightenment.

The revolution impacted or influenced the nationalistic aspects of many countries. In other words, it changed the way people from different countries thought and contacted themselves. France supported a type of contemporary society that was based entirely on the aspect of self-determination (Lefebvre 2-5). What is interesting is that it set the way states in future days would be established and even understood. For instance, today states that are lawful have a common culture as well as a common boundary. This means that any other country that illegally attacks another will have violated international laws. In addition, the revolution gave rise to the idea of nation-states. In short, the French Revolution brought the idea of national self-determination. This ideology became the powerful slogan of the radical as well as liberal ideas that considerably changed or influenced the modern states.

Protest and revolution 1815-1850

This is more like the industrial revolution although differ on a just a few aspects. After peace returned around 1815, the previous bad situation completely changed (Rude
2-7). Some changes were observed in political and economic spheres. These two tended to blend, strengthening each other leading to the dual revolution (Jones and Wahrman 1-3). The idea of dual revolution as well posed a huge challenge to the intellectuals (Mantoux 2-6). For instance, it helped in elucidating the meanings of the changes that were occurring in the context of political, social and economic aspect and the way they would shape human action. Some of the things that were brought as a result of this period were new ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism, socialism and conservatism which continue to define even the modern society.

Conclusion

The world has been shaped by different systems and ideologies that were developed in the eighteenth century. Some of these ideologies have continued to shape the world today and are attributed to the industrial revolution, the pried of enlightenment, French revolution and finally the period of protest and revolution 1815-1850.

Works Cited

Brown, Stuart. British Philosophy and the Age of Enlightenment. London, UK: Psychology Press, 2003. Print.

Jones, Colin and Dror Wahrman. The age of cultural revolutions : Britain and France, 1750-1820. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 2002. Print.

Lefebvre, Georges. The coming of the French Revolution. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005. Print.

Mantoux, Paul. The Industrial Revolution in the Eighteenth Century. New York, NY: Routledge, 2013. Print.

Rude
, George. Revolutionary Europe, 1783  1815. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers, 2000. Print.

Thesis Statement

The French Revolution (1789  1799) was the most revolutionary era in the history of France as the country underwent radical reforms. The intention of the revolution was to do away with monarchies and aristocratic privileges, with the aim of emerging as an enlightened nation that embraced human rights, citizenship and nationalism.

Introduction

When the French Revolution began, there was the hope of not only political changes but also societal changes. There was an imbalance in the French society, so much so that it caused significant friction between the two main social strata; the upper and middle classes. This situation was further aggravated by the lack of a correlation between intellectual and economic development. There were two main effects of the revolution on French society; governmental and secular effects.

As a result of the revolution, the French constitution was enacted in 1791, which effectively made France a Constitutional monarchy. This meant that event the king was under the Constitution (Butler, 2005). One of the greatest landmark revolutions was the spread of the Napoleonic culture and some of the most prominent features of this culture were modernization, even in warfare, and an increased fashion sense. So much so were these effects that to date, France is the fashion centre of the world. There was also the introduction of the metric measuring system (Butler, 2005).

Interestingly, the current French Constitution was mostly crafted by the First President of France, Charles De Gaulle. It comes as no surprise that the president of France is very powerful, with many executive decisions being bestowed upon him. Unfortunately, this has seen many French presidents carry their affairs in absolute disregard for the law and conduct themselves like blood blooded aristocrats. Jacque Chirac was well known for financial crimes and abuse of office, yet the law granted him immunity from prosecution. The buck does not stop there as the similarities between the present political fronts and the pre-evolutionary elite. The first group of culprits is of the French members of Parliament. This group is known for their exorbitance, affluence and abuse of power. The second lot is the alumnae of Les Grandes Ecoles; elitist universities that bred pedigrees. A graduate from these universities is readily embraced into the job market and end up dominating high-end jobs. The third group consists of the majority of the countrys population. Even though they are the biggest taxpayers, they are conspicuously omitted from important political and national decision-making processes. All this is extremely reminiscent of the pre-revolutionary era (Infoplease, 2008).

In conclusion, the French revolution was in fact and indeed a revolutionary era. However, it is not as extensive as it has so often been made to seem. The main objective was to fight for social equality; power was to be demystified from a bourgeois affair. Under the Napoleon Code, feudalism was abolished and its place contractual relations and general social order were adopted (Infoplease, 2008). The long-standing ancient European structures were abolished and in their place, democracy, which was a precedent for constitutions, government and elections. It is a well-known fact that prior to the French Revolution, France was far from the sophisticated nation that it is now. But although historians may differ greatly on what exactly transpired and what the exact effects of the revolutionary war, one thing remains constant across the board; the French revolution revolutionized the world as a whole.

Works Cited

Butler A. (2005). A Revolutionary Change: The French Revolution and the Metric System. 2008. Web.

Infoplease (2008) encyclopedia  French Revolution. Web.

Introduction

Before the French revolution, the country experienced a lot of economic pressures that eventually led to the revolution. We suffered from the adverse effects of the famine and most people suffered from malnutrition. This increased the death rates due to the starvation and also the occurrence of many diseases. During this time, the country was headed by King Louis XV who was involved in fighting many wars. This led the country to the verge of bankruptcy (Hufton, p22). King Louis XV supported the colonists during the American Revolution and this made the country to spend a lot of finances on the war. The national dept amounted to almost 2 billion Livres.

Main body

The King tried to solve the financial crises in the country by reforming the tax system but this turned out to be very unsuccessful. He then called for a meeting of three states representing all the classes in France. This included the Nobility, the Clergy, and the Commoners. Each state had one vote and in experience the nobility and the clergy joined together to ensure defeat of any reforms proposals from the commoners. As the commoners we became very determined to ensure that this challenge was not going to pass in the next general assembly. We pushed for the votes of each representative to be counted separately and there rose disagreements on the voting method. This resulted in the first oppressive regime when the third class which comprised of the majority and the only class paying tax declared itself sovereign.We therefore broke away from the Estates General and formed the National Assembly on June 17, 1789.The revolutionary assembly attracted a lot of attention from the other assemblies who decided to join the third class to oppose the existing governing constitution. Upon defeat, King Louis XV ordered the nobles to join the National Assembly that would remain in session till September 1791. This led to the end of the Estates General (Lewis).

Civil disobedience became the order of the day and nothing would stop the people from overthrowing the monarchy. The continued disobedience later gave way to the revolutionary regime and several changes came to effect. During the revolution women were very important contributors to the popular movement. The peasant women and the working class women remained politically active during the times of crises. We were responsible of putting bread to the table but during the famine periods, we traditionally marched to the civil center to beseech the local government to solve the misery. During the revolution, the marching demonstrations changed course and instead of marching to the civic center to petition the local magistrates, we marched first to the royal palace and sent our petitions directly to the King and then later marched to the national legislature (Hufton, p28).

In mid July Louis tried to repress the National assembly by allowing his troops to shoot people in the streets. This led to crowds storming the Paris streets in search of arms to defend the National Assembly. We stormed the Bastille, a fortress that we believed contained arms and also the political prisoners. King Louis became very unsuccessful in over throwing the assembly. The religious leaders, municipalities, provinces and also towns supported the National Assembly and by the end of July, the Assembly declared the Declaration of the rights of a man.

As the political crises deepened, the economy was further in crises and the price of bread rose very high in Paris and also in the country side. As women, we held the duty of holding demonstrations whenever there was a food crisis. We found it very necessary to have the King and the government closer to the people so that the people would have an eye on their activities. As a group of women, we marched to the royal palace of Versailles in Paris on October 5, 1789, to return the King and his family to the city of Paris (Lewis).

After the scene, there was some political calmness and it was very clear that revolution was in process. The revolution became very orderly and people held organized parades to petition the parliament. There were also different publications such as newspapers that debated on the issues that occurred each day. For two years from 1789 to 1791, the National Assembly concentrated on the formation of a new constitution. The constitution worked to eliminate the nobility as a legally defined class and made the Catholic Church an agency of the state. The Assembly gave the church the responsibility to pay off the monarchy debt and extended full citizenship to the Jews and other minorities (Hufton, p33).

As the revolutionary process continued, the women saw the ideals of the revolution as promising to improve their situation. Being a self educated woman, I had some knowledge in writing and I was determined to fight for the women rights. I wrote various pamphlets and plays on a variety of issues such as slavery. In these pamphlets, I declared the rights of women to parallel the one for men and posed women as a forgotten gender. I addressed these pamphlets to the Queen, Marie Antoinette and warned her that she must work for the revolution or risk destroying the monarchy all together. We formed many women clubs which we met together and discussed how we would become citizens of a great nation rather than be the subjects of the king (Gouges, p16). We fought for equal rights within marriage such as the right to divorce, extended rights of windows over property and of windowed mothers over their minor children.

We also wanted equal opportunities in education including the vocational training for poor girls, public training, licensing and support of all midwives in all provinces, guaranteed rights to employment and the execution of men from specific traditionally female professions such as dress making. As a move to fight for the women rights, I wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Women and the citizens in 1791. This came to be the best known tract on the rights of women from that period as a response to the declaration to the rights of man and its silence regarding women. I wrote this declaration because I felt that the constitution that was supposed to promote equal rights did not consider the women. In my opinion, I was creating a part of the constitution that was missing (Landes, p20).

I argued that men were not superior to women since both genders are human and have the same thoughts. The superiority of women in beauty as well as courage in child birth was a logical proof that men were not superior and therefore deserved the same rights. In many of my transcripts, I denounced the customary treatment of women as objects that are easily abandoned. From the onset of the revolution the women aired their grievances to establish a new political and social order. I also joined the Cercle Social club which was an association with the goal of attaining equal political and legal rights for women. I was very adamant in urging the government to recognize the rights of women since this would eradicate women oppression as a way to social justice (Gouges, p9).

Through out my life, I urged women to wake up and realize that they had rights and demand for them. In the social contract between men and women, I insisted on the communal cooperation. In this case I indicated that wealth between a husband and wife should be distributed equally. The property gained in a marriage union should belong to the two of them and also the children. This is what I referred to as the marriage contract. In this contract, I explained the consequences of a woman who is left by unfaithful husband and also the fate of young girls who are seduced by the older men and leave them with children and without resources to raise them. I therefore took the initiative to urge the government to find a law that will enforce the inconsistent men to hold to their obligation to these women. In this document, I also addressed the men who perceive women as lesser beings. I challenged men to test the consequences of joining with the woman in equal politics. This declaration played a very significant role in the struggle for fighting for the women rights (Landes, p23).

The year 1793 saw the period of violence which was resulting from the conflict from the political rivals the Girondins and the Jacobins. This violence marked the execution of many enemies of the revolution. This period was referred to as the Reign of Terror. I did not support the act of mass executions which was at its height. I became actively involved in matters that I considered unjust. I specifically opposed the execution of the King because I preferred him to be allowed to seek exile. This has earned me the suffering under the Jacobeans for attacking the Maximilien Robespierre and also been a close Allie of the Girondists (Hufton, p43).

Conclusion

I celebrate my life as being able to speak not only for myself but also for many women in France. I managed to bring out the capability of a woman in making decisions. Even though a woman is not exactly same as a man she should be held as an equal partner. I faced very many challenges in the struggle of women rights since I assumed that I had a right of speech and therefore I violated very many boundaries that the revolutionary leaders wanted to preserve. Gaining women rights also meant that women would now reveal who the fathers of their children were a right which they did not have. I also insisted that the children out of wedlock be given equal rights as those born in the legitimate marriage. Many of the women in the revolutionary period have greatly suffered for their role in fighting for equal rights. We are punished for forgetting our traditional role and place in the society (Lewis).

Works cited

Hufton. Women and the limits of citizenship in the French Revolution: Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1992, p21-52.

Joan B.Landes. Women and the Public Sphere in the Age of the French. Cornell University Press, 1988, p10-28.

Jone Johnson Lewis. Olympe de Gouges and the Rights of Woman. 2001.Web.

Olympe de Gouges. The rights of woman. Pythia, 1989, p8-18.

The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a transformative event that reshaped France’s political, social, and cultural landscape. Lasting for over a decade, this revolution marked a significant departure from the monarchy and heralded the rise of a more egalitarian society. This essay will delve into the key aspects of the French Revolution, starting with its origins, exploring the causes behind it, examining its culmination, and finally, analyzing its profound consequences.

When did the French Revolution Started?

The French Revolution officially began on July 14, 1789, with the iconic event known as the storming of the Bastille. This event, which took place in Paris, marked a pivotal moment in French history and served as a catalyst for the revolution that followed.

The storming of the Bastille was a physical attack on the prison and a symbolic act of rebellion against the oppressive monarchy. The Bastille, a fortress and prison, represented the autocratic rule of the monarchy and the abuses of power that had plagued French society for centuries. The people, fueled by a deep sense of frustration and a desire for political change, saw the storming of the Bastille as a necessary step towards asserting their rights and challenging the existing social order.

Prior to the storming of the Bastille, France was mired in a state of economic crisis and social unrest. The country was burdened by a heavy tax system that primarily affected the lower classes, while the nobility and clergy enjoyed numerous privileges and exemptions. This stark social and economic inequality, coupled with a lack of political representation for the majority of the population, created an atmosphere of discontent and resentment.

Furthermore, the ideas of the Enlightenment had a profound impact on the intellectual climate of the time and played a significant role in laying the ideological groundwork for the revolution. Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu advocated for principles such as liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty. These ideas resonated with many in France and fueled a growing desire for political and social change.

Therefore, the storming of the Bastille was not simply an isolated event but rather the culmination of simmering tensions and grievances that had been building for years. It marked the beginning of a period of intense upheaval and transformation in French society as the revolutionaries sought to dismantle the old order and create a more just and equitable system.

What Caused the French Revolution?

The French Revolution was primarily caused by a complex interplay of social, economic, and political factors brewing for decades before its eruption in 1789. The revolution emerged as a response to deep-rooted inequalities and growing dissatisfaction with the autocratic rule of the monarchy. Several key factors contributed to the causes of the French Revolution:

Social Inequality

French society was characterized by a rigid social structure that divided the population into three estates. The First Estate comprised the clergy, the Second Estate comprised the nobility, and the Third Estate encompassed the rest of the population, including the bourgeoisie, peasants, and urban workers. The First and Second Estates enjoyed numerous privileges, such as exemption from taxation, while the Third Estate bore the burden of heavy taxation and faced economic hardships. This stark social inequality and lack of upward mobility fueled resentment and a desire for change.

Economic Hardships

France faced a severe economic crisis in the years leading up to the revolution. The country was burdened by a heavy tax system primarily targeting the lower classes, stifling economic growth and exacerbating social inequality. Poor harvests and rising food prices also led to widespread famine and poverty, particularly among the peasantry. Economic distress further heightened social tensions and created a fertile ground for revolutionary ideas to take root.

Influence of Enlightenment

The Enlightenment, an intellectual movement of the 18th century, significantly impacted France’s ideological climate. Thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu championed individual rights, equality, and popular sovereignty ideas. Their writings challenged the legitimacy of the monarchy and provided intellectual justification for political change. The spread of these Enlightenment ideals among the educated classes and the wider population fueled a desire for political and social reform.

Financial Crisis

France’s involvement in costly wars, including the American Revolutionary War, strained the country’s finances. Under King Louis XVI, the monarchy faced mounting debt and struggled to manage the economic challenges. Attempts to address the financial crisis through tax reforms faced the privileged classes’ resistance, further exacerbating societal tensions.

Political Discontent

The lack of political representation for most of the population, particularly the Third Estate, created a sense of frustration and disenfranchisement. The Estates-General, a representative body that had not been convened for over a century, was called in 1789 to address the financial crisis. However, the Third Estate, demanding equal representation and greater political power, eventually broke away, forming the National Assembly. This marked a significant challenge to the authority of the monarchy and fueled revolutionary fervor.

The combination of these factors created a powder keg of grievances that ultimately exploded in 1789, leading to one of the most significant and transformative events in history.

End of the French Revolution

The French Revolution, which lasted from 1789 to 1799, came to an end with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. The revolution had gone through various phases and witnessed significant events that shaped its trajectory.

By 1799, France experienced intense violence and political upheaval, known as the Reign of Terror. The Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximilien Robespierre, implemented harsh measures to suppress counterrevolutionary forces and maintain control. However, the radical phase of the revolution began to lose popular support due to its excessive use of violence and repression.

In 1799, a military general, Napoleon Bonaparte, staged a successful coup d’état, overthrowing the Directory and establishing himself as First Consul. This marked a turning point in the revolution and the beginning of a new phase. Bonaparte’s rise to power was welcomed by many weary of the chaos and instability that had characterized the revolution. He promised stability, order, and effective governance.

Napoleon’s consolidation of power effectively ended the revolution. In 1804, he declared himself Emperor Napoleon I, marking the establishment of a new form of autocratic rule in France. Napoleon implemented significant reforms and introduced the Napoleonic Code, a legal system that codified principles of equality before the law, religious toleration, and protection of property rights.

While Napoleon was able to bring stability to France and enact sweeping reforms, his rule also marked a departure from the revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty. He pursued expansionist policies and engaged in numerous military campaigns, ultimately leading to his downfall.

The end of the French Revolution with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte brought an end to the revolutionary fervor and the radical social and political transformations that had characterized the previous decade. It marked a shift towards a more centralized and authoritarian form of governance, setting the stage for future developments in French and European history.

Consequences

The French Revolution had profound and far-reaching consequences that reverberated throughout France, Europe, and the world. These consequences shaped the course of history in numerous ways:

1. End of Feudalism: One of the most significant consequences of the French Revolution was the permanent dismantling of the feudal system. The revolution abolished the privileges of the nobility and clergy, breaking down the hierarchical social structure that had dominated France for centuries. The notion of birthright and inherited status was challenged, paving the way for a more egalitarian society.
2. Spread of Revolutionary Ideas: The French Revolution popularized revolutionary ideals such as liberty, equality, and fraternity. These principles inspired movements for independence and social change around the world. The revolution’s universalist ideals fueled nationalist movements, political reform movements, and the fight against colonialism in the 19th and 20th centuries.
3. Transformation of Political Landscape: The French Revolution profoundly impacted the political landscape of France. It led to the establishment of a more centralized state and the introduction of new political institutions. The revolution brought an end to the absolute monarchy and paved the way for the rise of constitutional monarchy and republicanism in France. The concepts of popular sovereignty and representative government gained prominence and influenced political systems worldwide.
4. Napoleonic Code: Napoleon Bonaparte introduced the Napoleonic Code, a comprehensive legal system that laid the foundation for modern legal principles. The code emphasized equality before the law, protection of private property, and religious toleration. Its influence extended beyond France, as many countries adopted elements of the Napoleonic Code in their legal systems.

The French Revolution’s legacy continues to shape political, social, and legal systems today, making it one of the most significant events in human history.

Conclusion

The French Revolution was a watershed moment in history that challenged its time’s prevailing social and political order. It emerged as a response to the deep-rooted socio-economic inequalities and the autocratic rule of the monarchy. The revolution’s causes, the events that unfolded during its course, and its consequences continue to captivate historians, scholars, and enthusiasts alike. The French Revolution’s lasting legacy is reflected in the principles it championed, the new institutions it established, and its profound impact on subsequent movements for freedom, democracy, and social justice.

The french revolution was something that transpired from 1789 through late the 1790s. Now the main reason that this revolution even happened was the French had just received a new king, but this king was not the best leader that France could have hoped for. He never stood up for himself and he was always told what to do by his fellow elites. Now a king who can’t rule is something to be afraid of but King Louis the 16th was left with a near-bankrupt economy and a huge problem. France was so in debt that King Louis the 16th had to call on the Estates-General to make a decision. The Estates-General was more of an advisory type of estate and not an estate that made laws or put actions into play. But when they set up the Estates-General they made it to where the three classes would have an equal say in whatever they discuss. So the Clergy got 1 vote the elites got one vote and 98% of the population, aka the commoners, only got 1 vote. This in turn made the commoners very angry with the entire system, because the king and the other two classes could just say that they should pass more taxes on the poor or the third estate, and since the third estate only got 1 vote they would be overruled in almost every vote.

They got so frustrated with the other classes that the third estate decided to go out and have their own assembly. They then decided at this assembly that all men should be equal and not be judged based on their class. But King Louis locked them out of their building once and they decided to go to an old tennis court to make the assembly. Here they signed the “Tennis Court Oath” which stripped the power of the king to nothing and made him more of a Figurehead than an actual ruling king. This is called a Constitutional monarchy. They also made something called “The Bourgeois Militia ” which became known as the national guard. Soon after the creation of the national guard some of the French Military defected over to the national guard. The king also then positioned troops around Paris, but this made the people think that the king was going to get them arrested or kill them. But since the king and the elites and clergy have been ignoring the third estate.

This made them very fearful and on July 14, 1789, they stormed the Hotel de Ville which secured their guns to use but they couldn’t find ammunition or gunpowder. However, they knew where to get some. At the Bastille, which was a fortress that the earlier kings built to protect themselves, They knew gunpowder was there. The charge was led by the women of the third estate. The main reason they were storming it was because it was the French armory and it had lots of guns and weapons to fight back with. Once they arrived, they sent the women first to storm the fortress and grab weapons. The stationed governor, Bernard René Jourdan, was the leader of 114 soldiers, including 82 invalids and 32 Swiss guards. The king, in his ignorance, sent no help to the governor. But everyone was shocked to see Bernard René Jourdan’s head fixed on a pike and paraded throughout the city. For the rebels cut off his head with a saw and displayed it as a show of victory. But there was a newspaper written by Jean-Paul Marat which went public and became very popular amongst the revolutionaries. Soon after the leaders of the revolutionaries created the “ Declarations of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”. Which told of liberties and freedom to all men, yes that excludes women, but they just wanted freedom first. They wanted freedom and they wanted food. At this time they were starving because they have been taxed so much that they had no money and bread became extremely expensive.

They blamed the king who lived in Versailles so the women again got together and decided to march to Versailles. People who wanted to help joined them along the way as they marched. When they arrived the king’s wife was wondering why the people were so hungry. She famously said, “ If they are hungry, then let them eat cake”. This made them furious and they stormed the place where she was living. While the guards held the people back the queen escaped through a secret passageway in her bedroom. They also paraded the guard’s faces and heads on pikes which seems to be a recurring thing they like to do. The king then came out onto his balcony and talked to the crowd. He said he would share his power with the revolutionary government and go back to Paris with them so they can remove the class separation. Once there he spent roughly two years and was there while they slowly stripped away his power and made him the Figurehead, but he didn’t try to resist because they had him where they wanted him and he didn’t want to die. The king and the nobles used to have parties in their castle as the poor people would work but with the new rules, the money from the taxes would no longer pay for the parties. They also made him impose taxes on the clergy and the elites. They also once demanded that he wear a revolutionary bonnet which symbolized his support for the revolution. But he wanted to leave and retake his throne with the help of other countries, lucky for him his wife was Austrian. So on June 20th, 1791 The king and queen got into a royal carriage while disguised as servants and headed for the French border.

They stopped in the town of Varennes where the PostMaster stopped them and checked on where they were going and who they were. When he saw the king and queen he recognized them and had them escorted back to the capital. This revealed that he was not someone who actually supported the revolution and the act was up. This led to people even labeling him as a traitor to the revolution. They stripped his power and some thought it would have been better to just kill him. So they protested on the Champ de Mars ordering the king’s removal from power. The French military met them there and attempted to disperse the crowd. But it quickly escalated and led to the national guard firing at them. This was the Champ de Mars massacre. This led to the revolutionary sides known as the moderates, who wanted the king to remain alive and just be a representative, and the Jacobin radicals, who wanted to kill the king and show their differences. This leads to something called “Equality in Execution”, and this meant that no matter how rich or poor you were you get the same death as everyone else. It also meant that their death would be swift and painless instead of torture. At the time there was a man who was named Dr. Joseph Guillotine and he had the idea of a large blade that would drop quickly and cut the person’s head off and catch their head in a basket. It was a quick, painless, and easy death. He called it the Guillotine and it was later nicknamed “ The National Razor”. And with this execution device, they executed anyone who they even thought could be plotting against the revolution or even thinking to hinder it. They killed the clergy, the nobility, and even other commoners. This caused the aristocrats and the wealthy to flee to other nearby countries so they can save themselves from being executed. This was bad for the neighboring countries because of the successful revolution in France. Mainly because they were concerned with what their people might think and do in response to the revolutionaries’ success. The French then declared war on the Austrians in April of 1792. This led to Prussia, the then ally of Austria, to join in their defense. After this, the Duke of Brunswick sent a letter to the French saying he would burn Paris to the ground if they did anything to the king. However, this had the complete opposite effect than he intended. On August 10th,1792 the citizens stormed King Loui’s palace.

The revolutionaries started to fight with the king’s Swiss guard. King Louis ran to the Chamber of the Legislative Assembly, formally known as the National Assembly, to hide from the radicals. Here Robespierre and the rest voted to suspend the monarchy. Thus making King Louis just regular Louis Capet. They sent him to a cell with his wife where they could watch him as well. On September 22, 1792, the National Convention, formally the Legislative Assembly, was declared the French Republic. They then discussed ideas like equality among each other. They instead started to remove symbols of the old royalist ways. One of the main things they targeted was churches. Any priest who wouldn’t comply with the oath of the revolution was usually deported or thrown in jail. Leading to the creation of an Atheistic religion named “The Cult Of Reason”. They also got rid of any religious items or treasures in the churches and transformed them into “Temples of Reason”. They even went as far as to make a French Republic calendar. Which contained; 100 seconds in a minute, 100 minutes in an hour, and only 10 hours a day. They also had to learn an entirely new set of months as replacements for the old ones. The then leaders of the revolution were called the Sans-Culottes. Who began to round up all of the people who they thought could be anti-revolutionary. No matter who or what “class” they were supposed to be in. And sending them all to prisons. During this, the war was getting worse and thousands of troops were sent to the frontlines to defend France. Unfortunately, this left the city of Paris with a lack of guards and soldiers and the people feared the cells were now breeding grounds for anti-revolutionary ideas to spread. They wondered about what would happen if the enemy reached Paris and freed them and wondered what the freed prisoners would do. This led to large groups of people raiding the prisons.

The September Massacre in 1792 is when they got all of the prisoners including priests, women, and children were executed where they stood. Robespierre and the other radicals still wanted to see one particular person executed. Louis Capet was tried for treason and was proven guilty. But some of the moderates just wanted to deport him to another country. However, Robespierre insisted that the only way the revolution could truly live on was under the condition that the king was executed. The Convention voted and the vote was 387 in favor of killing him and 334 opposing his execution. When they executed the former King Louis he was trying to give a speech but it wasn’t a very discernable speech due to the loud drums playing. Later a woman by the name of Charlotte Corday blamed Jean-Paul Marat for the violence and the reason for their quick radicalization. So she tricked Jean-Paul Marat by going to Paris and informing him that she had a list she needed to show him. He invited her in for the meeting, but when she entered she stabbed him and killed him in the hope to bring peace to France. She was swiftly arrested and sentenced to the Guillotine, and she was executed. This led to the “Reign Of Terror”. Robespierre and 11 others got together and created a Committee of Public Safety. They even made a court called the “Revolutionary Tribunal” to judge the people who they suspected to be enemies of the revolution. The people were watched closely by the police and any found guilty of this were sent straight to the guillotine. One major person who was executed during this time was Marie Antoinette. She was tried and found guilty in 1793. She was 37 when she died on October 16th, 1793. Robespierre then made “The Great Terror”. Where roughly 17,000 people were killed by the Guillotine. But Robespierre really screwed up when he said that many of the people on their new list of enemies were in the Convention with them and that he wasn’t going to allow them to know who they are.

The convention then voted to send him to the guillotine instead and Robespierre was the last victim of the great terror that he started. After his fall a new group called the “ Thermidorians” took control and executed the former members as well. This led to Bourgeoisie street fighters to attack the Sans-Culottes in a period named “ The White Terror”. This led to loyalists hosting protests to get the king back. And on October 5th, 1795 they staged an insurrection and fought with the national guard. There so happen to be a young Napoleon Bonaparte around who took over the situation and fired guns and cannons at the protesters. Earning him the rank of General. After fighting in the war he returned to France where he was extremely popular. He noticed their government at the time wasn’t, so he had ideas for power and with the help of politician Emmanual Joseph Sieyès. He staged a coup and made the council dissolve and get rid of the government and make him a dictator.

Music was used to invoke nationalistic pride within the people of France and proved to be an essential tool when rising against the aristocracy during the French Revolution. For example, ‘Le Marseillaise’, which is the French national anthem. It was written during this period of time. It is clearly known that the French Revolution presented some composers even now we listen to their compositions. There are some main reasons why music is really inimitable and different from that period. The main point is the emotions that felt by the composers. The French Revolution is a really good example that it shows how music can inspire and unite a group of people into action.

There are some historically major composers, such as Van Beethoven, who was affected by the French government, which it is tyrannically, and wrote his composing to reflect the feelings about France state. He wrote nine symphonies, eight of them he wrote when he was muted. Symphony No. 4 ‘Eroica’ reflected his thoughts of the Revolution. Beethoven wrote the opera ‘Fidelio’ during the Revolution. It represented personal sacrifice, heroism, and triumph. Beethoven lived in this era, the period of the Napoleonic Wars was one of the chaos and violence. Napoleon committed that spreading the values of revolution like equality, fraternity, and liberty to the rest of Europe after the French Revolution knocked down centuries of aristocratic rule in France. Actually, Beethoven was in a different relationship with Napoleon. I can call this a love-hate relationship. At first, Beethoven really appreciated military wiz and revolutionary thoughts of Napoleon, but afterward, he was disappointed because Napoleon disclosed himself to be a tyrant. When Napoleon’s armies marched across Europe, Beethoven commented: “It’s a pity I don’t understand the art of war as well as I do the art of music. I would conquer him”.

After all, can we say that Beethoven’s compositions have an effect on today’s world right now? I want to give a good example for this question. In 2014, there were municipality elections in Moldova. In one of the biggest cities, the opposition party won elections, which this city was ruled by the government party before the elections. Then Beethoven’s song ‘Fidelio’ was played from the speakers in all sides of the city. There are a lot of examples like that in today’s world. So, these examples show us that in the past, now, also in the future, compositions and composers like Beethoven, which directly relevant to revolution, always have extraordinary impacts on the people’s life, thoughts.

The French Revolution was an amount of your time that overthrew the autocracy, accomplished a republic, assembled violent periods of political turmoil, and eventually finish in totalitarianism below Napoleon that brought several of its principles to areas he conquered in Western Europe and on the far side. At the time they believed they were achieving all well. Trying back at it did they really? The French Revolution wasn’t prosperous in achieving its goals. that came at the instant creating the choice to vary what they symbolize samples of forbidding the autocracy and their absurd method of dressing. when deciding to create these changes it later came reality and that they resorted to dynamic everything back to traditional therefore things didn’t calculate.

The calendars issue from then removing it all. The republican calendar as referred to as was adopted to aim to switch the solar calendar at the time with a lot of rational systems that might avoid Christian associations. it absolutely was then adopted on Oct fifth, 1793. The revolutionary system was designed partly to get rid of all non secular and rightist influences from the calendar and was a part of a bigger try at modification. though French government used for regarding twelve years from 1793 to 1805, so for eighteen days by the Paris Commune in 1871. The unused Republican government explore for to establish, among alternative changes, a contemporary social and bonafide framework, AN unused framework, unused framework of weights and measures and a contemporary within the interior of emotionality for the previous Roman Republic, the speculations of the illumination were at their high, and also the devisers of the unused frameworks looked to nature for his or her motivation. traditional constants, a product of 10, and Latin similarly as previous Greek determinations formed the essential items from that the trendy frameworks were designed.

In the French Revolution, good worry happened. An amount of panic and riot by the peasants. that the peasants spent their days doing chores and grow/plant crops, in order that they had enough. They began to violently comfort the noble that they had seen you later persecuted and used them. The uprise of the peasants started. Thought at the time amid rumors of AN “aristocratic conspiracy” by the king and also the privileged to overthrow the commons. that afterward happened the gathering of troops around Paris aggravated rebellion, and on July fourteen the Parisian rabble killed the clink. that the peasants going back to them they rose against their lords which the attacked chateaus and destroying feudalistic documents. To handle the peasants, the National Constituent Assembly decree the ending of the structure, then introduced the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the subject. that is one in all the essential charters of human liberties and contains the principles that galvanized the French Revolution. Then from there from all things occurring it created them to act out of worry that caused them to not have best within the case of either the French Revolution was or wasn’t prosperous.

The last reason why French Revolution wasn’t prosperous was the attempt to get rid of the autocracy permanently. In Revolutionary France, the assembly votes to get rid of the autocracy and start the primary Republic. The life came one year when King King of France reluctantly approved a replacement constitution that took plenty of his power at the time. when Napoleon lost to Russia, he gets captured then exiled to Elba town ( set within the Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy.) They replace Napoleon by him being defeated then set to switch him. The Bourbon Restoration is that the amount of French Revolution following the primary fall of Napoleon in 1814 so when his final defeat came within the Hundred Days in 1815 till the July that within the middle once they capture him the new man in the city is King Joe Louis XVIII. World Health Organization then modified everybody back to what it absolutely was. therefore essentially all that fighting and folks dying was somewhat pointless. they modify back for a fundamental measure back as an autocracy. that everybody then places through the restoration or the action of returning one thing to a former owner, place, or condition. additionally then once Napoleon comes back for the one hundred days before being defeated, they’re going right back to autocracy. Then even finally those changes regardless of what still an autocracy. that then the result of abolishing the autocracy extremely backfired at the tip.

In conclusion, in the least of the supporting arguments show, however, the French Revolution was extremely not prosperous as all thought to be. From dynamic calendars simply to vary back, acting out of worry that caused them to not acquire the goal which larger power overate aristocracy, and even the most half abolishing the autocracy permanently simply to backfire and King Joe Louis XVIII dynamic it all back what it absolutely was The French Revolution was an amount of sweeping social and political modification in France and its colonies beginning in 1789. The Revolution toppled the govt., designed up a republic, catalyzed savage periods of political turmoil, and at long last finished in a very tyranny below Napoleon World Health Organization brought varied of its standards to zones he prevailed in Western Europe and To add up why not prosperous, it absolutely was not advantageous in the least to King of France (executed), Queen Marie Antoinette (executed) their kid Joe Louis (passed on in prison), the larger a part of the nobility (executed or exiled, had their property confiscated), or people of the priesthood (broadly molested amid the Revolution). Then and currently proving trying back in history why it wasn’t prosperous within the French Revolution.

The French Revolution was not heartily welcomed by everyone in the 18th century. Edmund Burke, Joseph de Maistre, and Klemons von Metternich were thinkers at this time who wrote documents that showed their dislike for the ideas that stemmed from this revolution. The main idea that they wanted to combat was the elimination of the old basis of society, through taking religion out of the education system. Additionally, they believed that man could not create a written constitution. These ideas were thought to be dangerous because if religion was eliminated, then evil times would come. The loss of ancient opinions was very great and the government would lose direction in how to govern the people. Von Metternich wanted to combat these ideas by implementing stricter rules for universities, creating a commission group of investigators, and enacting printing laws in order to oversee what was published.

In the first place, the dangerous ideas that these thinkers wanted to combat were the elimination of the old basis of society; taking religion out of the education system; the creation of the constitution; and the freedom of the press. Since the revolutionaries removed the old basis of society and started over by ignoring the past for referencing, then the older opinions were no longer applicable which left the revolutionaries with no sense of direction. The old basis of society included the religious aspect, but also the morals, laws, and customs. If there is nothing to look back on, it makes it difficult for the government to rule, as they do not have the experience needed. The law would have been created centuries earlier and would have been updated and adjusted as the government had to deal with certain issues. When the revolutionaries disregarded the old laws, they had to make new ones. This would have been a difficult task because they had no precedents to rely on.

Religion connects and refines a nation. The revolutionaries took religion out of the education system. The church used to educate students, but now it had no influence over what was taught. De Maistre wrote that if education did not return to how it was previously, then evil would come to everyone. De Maistre also wrote that no man could write a proper constitution. He argued that since man was always growing, then the law could never be effective in governing. He wrote that laws could not be written from denoting reason from a theoretical deduction, rather it needed to be written based on observation. The idea of a new constitution was dangerous because the revolutionaries wanted to create their own laws and ignore everything in the past. If they ignored the past, the same issues could happen again. The past is a useful benchmark because it can be used to avoid similar situations in the future.

Concerning the thinkers’ issues with the freedom of the press, it was thought to be dangerous because the revolutionary ideas would be able to spread at a remarkable speed. The thinkers did not like the new revolutionary ideas, and they wanted to suppress them from spreading further. Freedom of the press allows any person to publish what they would like. The revolutionaries may have liked this freedom, thinking that it would help their cause, but it could also hinder them.

Consequently, the Carlsbad Decrees offered some practical measures to work against the French Revolutionary ideas. The first idea was to implement strict rules for universities. This was achieved by sending out an agent from each state, who was a representative of the ruler, to one university to keep track of what was being taught in that institution. The agents had many responsibilities. They were sent to a university to enforce the laws and disciplinary regulations; observe the professors; promote morality, and have some beneficial influence on the instruction. The reason the agents were sent out was to see that the future leaders of the country would be educated properly and to eliminate the revolutionary ideas from becoming too popular with the students. If instructors were shown to be unsuitable for their position by teaching doctrines above their curriculum or by abusing their influence over the students, then they were to be removed from their position. If this occurs, they could not be appointed to the same position in any public institution in any other state of the union. For the students, they were not allowed to be a member of a secret association because it would encourage communication between the universities. This is crucial because if students can talk to other students in universities, it is difficult for the agent to watch what is happening, and they could plan to revolt against the agents. If a student is found to be a part of a secret association, they would not be permitted to have a position in a public office. If students were expelled from their university because of disobeying some rules or attempting to bypass expulsion, they were not to be received by other universities.

The second idea to combat the revolution was to enact press laws. Press laws are rules which dictate what documents can or cannot be published. If a person wanted to publish articles concerning daily issues or larger topics, they needed to be approved by the state officials first. This is a critical measure because if there was freedom of the press, revolutionary ideas could spread extremely quickly. Von Metternich hoped that by restricting the press, the ideas would not spread too far, and everyone would be better off without knowing about the revolutionary ideas.

The third suggestion that von Metternich gave was to create a commission, whose main goal was to investigate any facts relating to the origins of the revolutionary plots aimed against the existing constitution. This commission had to report back to the Diet about any information they found. If the origins of the revolutionary plots were found, they could fight back against the people or ideas that wanted a constitution. The practical ideas that were presented by the Carlsbad Decrees were to enact strict university laws, press laws, and create a commission of investigators.

In conclusion, Burke, de Maistre, and von Metternich wrote that they wanted to combat the ideas concerning the removal of the old basis of society, the writing of a constitution, and the dismissal of religion as a part of the education system. These ideas were dangerous because the revolutionaries wanted to ignore the past cultural patterns; they needed to write a new constitution, and religion was something that united nations and if eliminated from the education of students, the nation would start to crumble. The Carlsbad Decrees offered three practical solutions to these revolutionary ideas which were to create rigorous university laws, press laws, and establish a commission of investigators.

We can agree that kings have ruled for centuries governments in Europe, France after centuries of being under the control of kings finally made the decision to start a revolt and fight the system that has oppressed them for centuries. Thomas Paine in his Rights of Man explains the problem of having a monarchy government. Paine had ideas on how to help France after the revolution, the revolution that occurred in France was a brave stand and challenge to fight a monarchy government and wanted to create a new form of government.

The French revolution went from 1789-1799 and would in the end have future effects all through Europe, the French Revolution would introduce a democratic government to the country of France however France did not become a democracy. The French Revolution made the kings, nobles and other political parties relive they took powers for granted and they could either go with the current government or they could accept liberty and equal rights for the people.

With the French people, their frustrations and the tensions were getting to a breaking point, this tension led to the people revolting against the government and their current leaders the kings. With the current way the government was there was more power with the king and the upper class, this system was biased and equal. It was made up of three estates the majority was the third estate. It was the first estate and the second estate that would hold a great majority of power and the clergy and nobility were what made them up. Within France, these two estates obtained and held on to most of the wealth. There was constant tension between these classes and the king, and a power struggle began despite these classes having most of the wealth and power.

During the face-off and fighting between the nobility and the royalty, it was the lower class the bourgeoise who were hurting and suffering from the struggle of being poor having to live in poverty, all through the struggle with poverty and living in poor conditions they had to live by the rules of society. During this time equality within society was not present and did not exist. The lower class when it came to voting were only allowed one vote which shows how the monarchy is a truly corrupt government and in France, the government only wanted what was good for them.

The court system which was made up of royals in Versailles maintained a monarchy and created a system that would allow the government to keep a hold on power and control over the people, within the middle class and the lower class who were hard-working people this form of government created tensions, frustration, and resentment leading the French people to call for equality. The French people grew angry and tensions kept mounting with France coming back from the American Revolution war being the breaking point after France was in financial pieces after providing money and military power to the Americans, King Louis the XVI assumed that if he helped the Americans with the war that France would gain more territory and France would benefit with both monetary and territory benefits.

The truth was that King Louis the XVI was a failure as a leader and had no say of what was going on in France, there was no leadership with his country as he led France down a road to constant debt. France was walking a tight rope and was in danger of going bankrupt. The nobility class had a tight hold on the wealth which only made things worse for the country and didn’t help their financial crisis, the nobility also did not have to pay any taxes which if they would pay taxes it would help the country in their financial mess, King Louis XVI saw only one option to stop the financial downfall and crisis and that was to enact orders for the lower class who were already fighting poverty to pay higher taxes on everything which led the lower class to fight for food since they could not afford to pay for the food which now cost even more.

With the rising taxes on the people tension grew, even more, this hardship was even worse during the winter of 1769-1783 when it was a harsh winter, there were dangerously cold temperatures and hail storms that wreak havoc, a lot of the crops that the lower class had grown were now dying and failure to grow more crops was major devastation for the corn and grain production. The French people were hoarding bread and scrapping for anything they could get; some bakers were lynched for hoarding bread when the people needed it.

It was not only the problem of taxes and food for the lower class there was a big social problem that would fuel the fire for the French Revolution. The 18th century for France presented tension between the social classes, there was a division between people. The nobles and the royalty thought that they had a God-given right to be who they were and that they were born to be noble or born to be royal. It was all about the precept that they are entitled to their social class. There were a lot of reasons that the French Revolution started and some of the goals of the French Revolution were that for the French people they wanted to change the way the political system worked, second, the French Revolution was a result of an economic system that did not work that was being run by King Louis the XVI.

The government of France was in constant discontent that ran through the Revolution. The French people lived their lives in a state of fear, the king was the one and only person who decided the fate of someone and the country of France. During the reign of King Louis the XVI the justice system was a one-way street, there really was no justice system except king Louis XVI’s justice where there would not be any fair trial for someone who criticized the king, they would be arrested and jailed. To create an alliance between France and Austria the king married an Austrian Duchess named Marie Antoinette. The king and his queen lived in a palace called Versailles.

King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette did not care much for the troubles of the people but with themselves and what was good for them, King Louis XVI loved to hunt and go on these hunting games while Marie Antoinette indulged in jewels, expensive art, and loved to have her hair done in these crazy ways that took hours to do, she had no care about what was going on outside with the French people. While the French people starved and scraped for food the king and queen lived life in luxury eating everything from fancy pastries to pheasants.

The people of France felt like king Louis betrayed them and saw how the political system was corrupt, the king supported a block count, not the headcount that is usually done, with all the hardship that the people of France were under king Louis decided to support the Americans with their war the American Revolution. The financial crisis was not getting better and France was deep in debt which was contributed to both France supporting the Americans and the seven-year war, with all the debt the parliament made a suggestion to king Louis XVI that he borrows money which could only be done with the states-general approval so the king proceeded to call a meeting.

It was in May of 1789 that the States-General opened at Versailles, it was the first two estates made up of the nobles and the royals that wanted to vote by each estate, there were a lot of French people that represented France since the third estate made up a good majority. The third estate gave their suggestions however the king and the first estates did not want to agree with the third estate. The king decided that a National assembly would be made up of all three estates. The king would go against the National Assembly and bring troops in to break it up, in 1789 a large group of the French people went into action and raided the prison at Bastille with the intention of gathering all the ammunition they could find and weapons they could find.

The French people used the weapons to fight against the king’s troops, French people after raiding the prison proceeded to tear it down brick by brick since the French people didn’t have any explosives, all along the countryside the French people were rioting. After all the revolts the king was put on trial mainly spearheaded by Robespierre who with the help of the newspaper convinced the French people that the king must be removed. King Louis XVI was eventually put on trial which he was already found guilty and it was just a matter of what the punishment would be, for the French people felt that king Louis XVI had betrayed the country by trying to flee to Austria where his brothers were and he had an alliance.

In 1793 the National Convention found king Louis XVI guilty, even though only a small group were in support of the death penalty and having guillotined the National Convention still sentenced him to be beheaded, 1793 the king was executed and his wife Marie Antionette followed not too far behind him under the same accusations as the king himself, after the king was executed the revolution which had good intentions for peace became more radical, the revolution accepted change which was violent and often extreme and the leaders who had become extreme became more active among the French people. Leaders of the convention who were radical included Maximilien Robespierre, Georges Danton, and Jean-Paul Marat who ran the newspaper that would daily spread rumors and any accusations throughout the country. Marat would eventually be assassinated by a woman named Charlotte Corday.

There would be a struggle for power and authority with both the radicals and the group known as the Jacobin club which was headed by Georges Danton, Danton would lead the Jacobin club and try to convince the people that the National Convention was becoming too violent, Danton was against all the violence and said that Maximilien Robespierre who was heading the radicals was out of control and needed to stop, the terror, as it was known, would use spies to find out who was talking bad about the convention and who was not supporting them.

This period of the revolution was the most violent and horrific with thousands of people being sent to the guillotine and executed, the terror had no compassion for anyone who they felt were traitors against the radical government. Georges Danton would be executed by being beheaded by the radicals who accused him and his supporters of betraying the convention. The policy of terror headed by Robespierre, Carnot, Barere would continue and wreak havoc through the country, they would call for the beheading of anyone who did not support them and was supporters of the king. The French people lived their lives scared and did not want to talk about anything since their spies everywhere the bakery, the store, anyone who disagreed with the radicals were in danger of being executed.

The prisons would eventually become filled with over a thousand suspects who didn’t support the radicals, over 18,000 people who were mainly innocent were beheaded during the reign of terror, every day carts would slowly move through the streets making the French people shiver and fear for their lives as these carts would take the accused to the guillotine. It was at this time of the terror that the radicals would start to fight among themselves, with Danton and his supporters dead after being executed the people of France wanted to see an end to the violence, it was only when Robespierre was accused of being a traitor when he presented a list of names of men who were against the radicals but refused to give the list to the convention, the men who supported him and his reign of terror turned against him fearing that now anyone could on that list.

In July of 1794, Robespierre was executed ending his reign of terror, after he was executed a democratic government was installed in 1793, in 1795 a new document was signed that replaced the old one. This new government and this new constitution were called the directory. In October of 1795, the directory would begin to meet. In October of 1799, there was a group of political leaders who did not support the directory started to try and overthrow the directory. The was these in order to overthrow the directory they were going to need the support of the military and have the power of the military, these political leaders decided to go to a famous general named Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon was a hero to the French people after commanding and leading military campaigns in Europe to include Italy, Austria, and Russia. Napoleon would take control of the government and in November of 1799 which would bring an end to the revolution.