...Napoleon was nothing more than a dictator in his rule of France between 1799 and 1815. How far do you agree? “History is a version of events which everyone has agreed on” - Napoleon Napoleon was nothing more than a tyrant as he exploited France in pursuit of his own ambitions to achieve a dynasty in his name. A dictatorship is often associated with repression and the workings of a police state. Both of these were, in fact, being used in France . For example Napoleon vigorously censored the press and even the theatre. When Napoleon took power, Paris had a vibrant newspaper business, by the end of his reign there were only four newspapers left due to his denial of a free-press and all of these had been under his control. These newspapers were censored and used by Napoleon for propaganda. He also had spies and informers working for his Ministry of Police, he used special courts and arbitrary imprisonment which really supports the concept of a police state under a dictatorship. Implementing these resources allowed Napoleon to repress any opposition to his rule and crush any civil unrest Considering these facts only it would appear that Napoleon was nothing but a tyrannical dictator , but , this would not necessarily be a fair judgment as throughout his reign he continued to use certain administrative bodies which limited his freedom of action , such as the Senate and the Legislative Body which suggests he didn’t have or want overall power as a dictator for matters such as...
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...In this essay, I will be tracing the development of the French Revolution and its impact by examining the following four phases (all of which led to the development of the other), Constitutional Monarchy/The National Assembly (1789-1791), The Reign of Terror (1792-1794), The Directory (1795-1799), and The Age of Napoleon (1799-1815). In this essay I argue that the French Revolution was caused by the worsening condition of the French monarchy, economic depression, and New Ideas of the Enlightenment Movement and the French Revolution resulted in radical social, economic, and political change throughout France. A Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a king or queen acts as Head of State. The ability to make and pass...
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...The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799), was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a major impact on France and indeed all of Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[3] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy – of monarchy, aristocracy, and religious authority – were abruptly overthrown by new Enlightenment principles of equality, citizenship and inalienable rights. When was the French Revolution?: Although historians are agreed that the French Revolution started in 1789 they are divided on the end date. A few histories stop in 1795 with the creation of the Directory, some stop in 1799 with the creation of the Consulate, while many more stop in 1802 when Napoleon Bonaparte became Consul for Life or 1804 when he became Emperor. A rare few continue to the restoration of the monarchy in 1814. This site prefers 1802. The French Revolution in Brief: A medium term financial crisis, caused partly by French involvement in the American Revolutionary War, led to the French crown first calling an Assembly...
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...my view that, whilst Napoleon may be considered an inevitable consequence of the revolution, he was not its heir. In my opinion the word heir describes a person's or events natural successor. Therefore the term heir to the revolution would in my opinion be used to describe the next regime, which came to embody the principles and morals of the revolution. The revolution's heir must be the regime that follows on from were the revolution left France, and presides over, or creates the kind of society the revolutionaries of 1789 intended to. It is my belief that Napoleon and the Napoleonic regime did not either preside over or create this kind of society and as such Napoleon cannot be considered an heir to the French Revolution. In order for this view to be qualified the next aspect we need to look at, is the various definitions and interpretations of the French Revolution. Put simply the French Revolution was, when in 1789 the old Ancien regime was overthrown, and France went from a monarchy-governed state to a republic. After this, France went...
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...French Revolution Intoroduction- The French revolution occurred from 1789- 1799. It lead to the end of the monarchy. The revolution ended when Napoleon Bonaparte took power in November 1799 and began his dictatorship. Before the revolution France was ruled by the nobles and the church. The Old Regime consisted of three estates; First Estate, Second Estate, and Third Estate. The First Estate consisted of the Clergy. The Clergy lived wealthy lives and owned 10% of all the land in France. The Second Estate consisted of the Nobility of France. Richelieu and Louis XIV had crushed the nobles military power but given them other rights under strict royal control. The Third Estate consisted of 90% of the people in France. They were the peasants and the bourgeoisie. The Third Estate did not like their place in social society and wished for change which was a long term cause for the Revolution. Causes of the French revolution- It was caused by factors such as the bad governing system of France at the time, weak superiority within the government system and inequality of the classes of people in France at the time. The first estate consisted of the church officials, priests. •They collected church tax. •They supervised education (decide about the education) •Registered births, deaths, marriages •They collected tax (feudal dues), from the peasants. The first estate did not need to pay taxes. The third estate, who did not own any privileges, was forced to pay taxes. This angered...
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...French Revolution Introduction: Between 1789 and 1802 France was wracked by a revolution which radically changed the government, administration, military and culture of the nation as well as plunging Europe into a series of wars. France went from a largely feudal state under an absolutist monarch to a republic which executed the king and then to an empire under Napoleon Bonaparte. Although historians are agreed that the French Revolution started in 1789 they are divided on the end date. A few histories stop in 1795 with the creation of the Directory, some stop in 1799 with the creation of the Consulate, while many more stop in 1802 when Napoleon Bonaparte became Consul for Life or 1804 when he became Emperor. A rare few continue to the restoration of the monarchy in 1814. This site prefers 1802. The French Revolution in Brief: A medium term financial crisis, caused partly by French involvement in the American War of Independence, led to the French crown first calling an Assembly of Notables and then, in 1789, a meeting called the Estates General in order to impose new tax laws. The Estates General was composed of three ‘Estates’: the clergy, the nobility and the rest of France. This 'third estate', informed by long term doubts over the constitution of France and the development of a new social order of bourgeoisie, declared itself a National Assembly and decreed the suspension of tax, taking French sovereignty into its own hands. After a power struggle which...
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...The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a fundamental impact on French history and on modern history more broadly. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[1] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles of Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity). The royal houses across Europe were horrified and led a countercrusade that by 1814 had restored the old monarchy, but many major reforms became permanent. So too did antagonisms between the supporters and enemies of the Revolution, who fought politically over the next two centuries. Amidst a fiscal crisis, the common people of France were increasingly angered by the incompetency of King Louis XVI and the continued indifference and decadence of the aristocracy. This resentment, coupled with burgeoning Enlightenment ideals, fueled radical sentiments, and the French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in June, the assault...
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...The French Revolution was a very significant event in the history of France, and in the history of the world. It began in 1789, and lasted until about 1799, when Napoleon Bonaparte named himself head consul of the Directory and took over the French Government. Napoleon then ruled France until 1814, when he was exiled. In the time period between the beginning of the French Revolution and Napoleon’s exile, France had undergone many social and political changes that have permanently affected the way France is today. The French Government was largely affected by the Revolution, in more ways than one. The French Revolution began because the majority of France was fed up with the way King Louis XVI was putting the country in debt and then only taxing the Third Estate, whom didn’t have enough money to pay the taxes. To resolve the problem of debt, King Louis called upon the Estates General, a representative group of all three Estates to discuss the debt crisis. Members of the Third Estate broke off from the Estates General, and took an oath that they would...
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...French Revolution. This will involve me firstly exploring my definition of the term heir, and my views on the explanations and definitions of the French Revolution. Having done this I will then move on to examine the reign of Napoleon. By doing this I hope to prove my view that, whilst Napoleon may be considered an inevitable consequence of the revolution, he was not its heir. Get help with your essay In my opinion the word heir describes a person's or events natural successor. Therefore the term heir to the revolution would in my opinion be used to describe the next regime, which came to embody the principles and morals of the revolution. The revolution's heir must be the regime that follows on from were the revolution left France, and presides over, or creates the kind of society the revolutionaries of 1789 intended to. It is my belief that Napoleon and the Napoleonic regime did not either preside over or create this kind of society and as such Napoleon cannot be considered an heir to the French Revolution. In order for this view to be qualified the next aspect we need to look at, is the various definitions and interpretations of the French Revolution. Put simply the French Revolution was, when in 1789 the old Ancien...
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...France The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a fundamental impact on French history and on modern history more broadly. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[1] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles of Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity). The royal houses across Europe were horrified and led a countercrusade that by 1814 had restored the old monarchy, but many major reforms became permanent. So too did antagonisms between the supporters and enemies of the Revolution, who fought politically over the next two centuries. Amidst a fiscal crisis, the common people of France were increasingly angered by the incompetency of King Louis XVI and the continued indifference and decadence of the aristocracy. This resentment, coupled with burgeoning Enlightenment ideals, fueled radical sentiments, and the French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in...
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...The French Revolution, which began in 1789 and ended in 1799, affected France not only politically, but also economically. During the 18th century, France was a vast and flourishing country that had troubles such as the systemic problem of collecting taxes or the treatment of the high to low system. France had a system with kings and nobles, also known as the Ancien Regime. In 1789, France was deeply in debt due to their funding of the American Revolution. Louis XVI spent half of his national budget to service the federal debt. Louis XVI tried to reform this system but failed miserably and France basically declared bankrupt. Everyone tried to reform the problems that were occurring but all they did was cause more problems to France. The harsh...
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...1) France agreed to return all the ships they had captured; 2) The U.S. agreed to give compensation to those who had lost or damaged ships; 3) The France-American alliance was ended (but the two countries were still on good terms); and 4) Commercial relations were reestablished. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) Jefferson/Burr tie: In the Election of 1800, Jefferson and Burr were both running for the presidency. Republican officials organized a plan to ensure that Jefferson would win, and told their electors how to vote. However, there ended up being a tie of the exact same number of electoral votes for Jefferson and Burr. Therefore, the House of Representatives, which was almost entirely federalist at the time, had to decide who would win the presidency. Jefferson won, and Burr became the vice president. Capital moves to...
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...Revolution is defined as the replacement of an old system with a new one, usually implemented forcefully. During the period of 1789-1799, the French revolution was revolutionary to an extent. France saw varying dramatic changes socially and politically. Its ideas, driven by the enlightenment movement, (thought which challenged divine right and promoted the use of reason and thinking for ones-self) influenced the global political landscape, and laid the foundations for future revolutions. The declaration of the rights of man was certainly revolutionary for its time, and such a document has been the precursor to modern day human rights. The very idea France, a country so traditionally routed in absolutist rule, had a revolution to challenge...
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...served a new purpose for the newly formed states. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 14 July 1789 The Beginning of the French Revolution. Followed by a decade of political turmoil and terror where King Louis XVI was overthrown. Paris 21 September 1792 Monarchy was abolished in France and the First Republic was formed. France 21 January 1793 The trial and execution of King Louis XVI. Institutional Oppression was longer felt by the subjects under King Louis XVI. Paris 22 August 1795 The formation of New Directory rules for France. This was significant because people were now making decisions and held the power. France 15–17 November 1796 Within the start of the Italian Campaign two battle took pace, this was also considered a bold move made by Napoleon I. Arcole, Italy 1798 The French Invasion of Egypt. The Principal object of the French expedition to East was to check the power of the English. Malta, Egypt, and Syria 9 November 1799 Napoleon overthrows the Directory and seizes power. This was the rise of Napoleon and the state of Terror begins. France 9 February 1801 Signing of the Treaty of Luneville, which ended the Revolutionary Wars also a major triumph for the French. Luneville, France 1801 Napoleon reestablishes relations with the Pope and restores the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Rome and Paris 25 March 1802 The Treaty of Amiens was signed plebiscites’ declares Napoleon First Consul for life with this victorious accomplishment Napoleon felt that he...
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...1700s, France was an absolute monarchy with many detrimental issues. King Louis the 16th claimed divine right. This was the idea that God had a pointed him king. Christianity was use to manipulate the power structure and kept the clergy and aristocrats in power. Frances peasant population was being unfairly tax, bearing the weight of all of Frances revenue. The cost of previous wars had driven the country into a deep national debt. Famine was wide spread amongst the poorest a Frenchman. These are just a few of the factors that led to the French Revolution from 1789 to 1799. Enlightenment gave way to the scientific revolution that challenged widely held beliefs about the universe. This new way of thinking challenged the validity of the French estate system. Philosophers like Locke, Rousseau and Voltaire and their beliefs in the natural rights of man inspired both the French and the American revolutions. Additionally, Frances war debt was another contributor to its revolution. During the rule of King Louis the 15th, France was engaged in three costly wars. The war of Austrian cost France about 1billion dollars. After the Seven Years War and the American Revolutionary War, France paid fifty percent of its annual revenue towards the interest from loans use to finance its Wars. This drove the country into an inflationary state that eventually led to higher taxes. Under the estate system, the Third Estate, the poorest of Frances citizens, bore the burden of paying all of Frances taxes...
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