...Marie Antoinette Fourteen year old Archduchesses Maria Antonia Josephina Johanna of Austria, was obligated to marry Louis the Dauphin of France in order to consolidate an alliance between this country and the dynasty of Habsburg. Marie Antoinette did not have the capacity to rule a nation, she had an unhappy marriage and unfortunately as she became queen she had bad reputation and was blamed the government's financial problems, consequently revolutionaries wanted to end the absolute monarchy. When the Revolution broke out in 1789, Marie Antoinette refused to reach an agreement with the revolutionaries and sought help from her brother, Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. During the revolution the king and queen tried to flee Paris with their children, but were captured and taken prisoners. The monarchy was overthrown in 1792 and after the execution of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette was separated from her children and sent before the Revolutionary Court, where she was accused her of treason and sentenced to death. She was guillotined on October 16, 1793 in Paris. Marie Antoinette is known to be the last queen of France. To the French Marie Antoinette was not a ruler they could rely on due to her not knowing anything about the people that lived in France. The queen, not having the favor of the French as a foreigner, made it a struggle to rule the country .The young queen would constantly receive letters from her mother Maria Theresa, pressuring her to become...
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...Hello, my name is Kassie Isbell and my tech essay is on Queen Marie Antoinette. I also mention the French Revolution as she contributed to much of the dissatisfaction. I chose this topic because she was a rather disfavored queen since the beginning of her reign because she was Austrian, whose history with France was not the greatest. Also, the activities she had done throughout her rule brought disparagement and only instigated the people to grow discontent with the aristocracy and monarchy. This is important because the French Revolution divided the people into pro and anti-revolutionary bodies and Marie Antoinette nonchalantly became the narcissistic, apathetic mascot of France. THESIS Life in the beginning Ok, let’s start off from the beginning,...
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...Agbas 1 A year after revolution swept off her throne , Marie Antoinette stood on trial for her life , accused of crimes against French Republic . She was nearing 38 , but she appeared far older than her years , as there barely remained a trace of the lovely , carefree Austrian princess , who became a French Queen , while she was still a teenager . It was a long journey for a frivolous woman , who was a terrible ruler , but changed in spite of herself , showing an outstanding courage and dignity through deeply personal tragedy … Marie Antoinette was born to a life of unimaginable wealth and unquestioned privilege . Austria was a great empire spread over central Europe and her mother was its ruler. The Empress always behaved towards her daughter more like a head of state than an affectionate mother . As she once said about her own children : - “ They are born to obey ! “ . When she wanted to build an alliance with France , Austria ‘s centuries old rival , she commanded Marie Antoinette to marry the heir to the French throne , Louis the 16 th . On April 21 , 1770 , Marie Antoinette said goodbye to Austria forever . She was just 14 , armed only with her charms and the instructions of her mother , - “ Be well my dearest child , a great distance...
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...the vivid and grossing images these executions produced to play a role into the daily lives of many people during the French Revolution. As mentioned in previous text, it can be concluded that the use of capital punishment did deter crime but only to a certain extent. When many children began using mini guillotines as toys and then were later taken away because of the negative influence theirs parents had on their child’s life can support the claim that capital punishment was used to deter crime. The action their parents took could have potentially prevented their child from becoming a criminal as those ‘toys’ could have possibly implemented the idea that slicing someone’s neck is socially acceptable to do to others. Another factor that could have served as a deterrent are the executions of Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI. After they were executed by the guillotine, a time period began where it was called ‘The Reign of Terror’. “During the Reign of Terror, at least 300,000 suspects were arrested; 17,000 were officially executed, and perhaps 10,000 died in prison or without trial” (“Reign of Terror”). The causing of “terror” had a purpose which was “to take harsh measures against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution (nobles, priests, hoarders)” (“Reign of Terror”). Its general deterrence plays a role as for someone who was against the Revolution would be considered a criminal. It causes for those who were...
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...terror of the guillotine – the French Revolution has all of the ingredients of an engrossing drama. Yet to delve beneath the surface of these characters and symbols is to discover the complexity of this transformative era. The events of the French Revolution, transpiring over the span of a decade, were part of a grander Age of Revolutions and at the same time were comprised of a series of smaller stories of individual French citizens becoming politically engaged amidst tremendous poverty, intellectual transformation, and ultimately... violence. A combination of factors including rising expectations spurred by the Enlightenment, massive starvation, and frustration with the mismanagement of an inept monarchy pushed the Revolution’s initial aims. These aims were worn down as political conflicts splintered revolutionary groups and led to a frenzy of executions by guillotine. The special two-hour presentation, The French Revolution, peels through the layers of these remarkable years, from 1789 through the turn of a new century, to reveal an era of intense and lasting political and intellectual change. While the complexity of the French Revolution might seem to present daunting challenges, its significance in shaping international currents merits a careful exploration. Within the course of a decade, the French monarchy was shorn of its political power, a framework was created for a universal understanding of basic human and civil rights, and countless French citizens across class backgrounds...
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...In 1770, an age of dangerous vulnerability for European monarchy, Marie Antoinette walked with great expectations into a ticking bomb. Over the previous and next few years, the discontent and anger of the French against their nobility expanded rapidly, people distrusted the way national finances were been managed by the King and his court. (History.com 2009) The French debt increased every year since Louis XIV had made extravagant expenditures on luxuries such as magnifying Versailles. This was compounded by heavy costs of the Seven Years War that his heir, Luis XV financed; Luis XVI invested a large amount in the American War of Independence. “This led to the long-running fiscal crisis of the government. France was deeply indebted, so deeply as to be effectively bankrupt.” (Bonjour La France, Causes of the French Revolution, 2014). On the other hand, the population of France grew abruptly; in 1700 there were approximately 20 million people, only 89 years later the nation counted 10 million more. (Bastille-Day 2015). The French Society of the time was separated into three ranks: The First Estate was the Clergy, The Second Estates were the Nobles and the Third Estate was the Common People. Only the last ones had to pay abusive taxes, mainly to maintain the royal family and court in Versailles. Even though The Third Estate was definitly superior in...
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...The Role of Women in the French Revolution Sarah A.Butt Western Civilization 3rd March 2010 The French revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of hatred and blood. It was a period of political upheaval of the country, and of world importance in France. Issues of rights and equality has always been a heated debate in the world, however, during the French Revolution, equality was the main exhilarating and impassioned concept that was put into matter and effect. The French Revolution, was the period of revolutionaries revolting for liberty and equality, failed to provide equals rights as French men for the French women. Even though, women played a significant role during the French Revolution, they however did not get the respect in their society, neither were they treated equally as men. In spite of their vibrant contribution throughout the Revolution, their involvements always proved contentious. The eighteen century was a period of revolutionaries, and feministic activities. One of the main causes of the further turmoil in France was the Austrian wife of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette. In the beginning, Marie Antoinette was loved by the commoners, as she would always help them when they would get accidentally shot by Louis XVI during his hunting. However, after when Antoinette’s frivolous spending habits started to arose, people were extremely infuriated. She would squander their taxes and hard work on gambling, and wearing the most fashionable clothes, subsequently...
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...Throughout history there have been many revolutions, such as the French Revolution, that were caused by people rebelling against their governments. The French Revolution commenced after the Enlightenment became popular. The Enlightenment was a period in time where new ideas were spread and people started thinking differently about the world that they lived in. Enlightenment thinkers, like John Locke and Voltaire, begin inspiring the citizens of France to rebel against their government if they felt like their rights were being limited or they did not feel protected. The two reasons for the French Revolution were: the rebellion of the third estate and France’s horrible leaders. The French Revolution was caused because the third estate rebelled against their government. The third estate consisted of the bourgeoisie, traders, laborers, apprentices, servants, and poor peasants which made up about 97 percent of the population. The third estate rebelled against their government because they were not receiving fair rights. They had no say in their government; they had to pay half of their income for taxes and titles, and didn’t own as much land as they should have since they had the biggest population. Whereas...
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...Roland and Antoinette’s letters and lives treated politics as a personal issue, and not from a detached, historical, or an analytic approach. Essentially, in their writings, they allow their readers to know how they engaged in the French Revolution and how it caused both of them to be agents of change and victims. Furthermore, one parallel between both of these women is that they saw their own suffering as part of a larger system of injustice that is perpetuated in the society. Marie Antoinette was in many ways a victim of circumstance; while she did have quite a number of flaws, she by no means was guilty of all she was nearly accused of, let alone did she bear responsibility for the fall of the Monarchy . If one follows history and timeline...
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...FRENCH REVOLUTION The French people overthrew their ancient government in 1789. They took as their slogan the famous phrase"Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite"--Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Equality, or doing away with privilege, was the most important part of the slogan to the French revolutionists. For equality they were willing to sacrifice their political liberty. They did this when they accepted the rule of Napoleon I. Fraternity, or brotherhood with all men, was also sacrificed. However, they did win equality before the law. Why the French Wanted Equality The French had good reasons for wanting equality. Before 1789 inequality was typical of the old government. The nobles and clergy were the privileged orders. They were exempt from such direct taxes as the taille, or land tax. Most taxes were paid by the Third Estate--a class that included peasants, artisans, merchants, and professional men. Even among these groups taxes were not equal. Some provinces were exempt from certain assessments, such as the gabelle, or salt tax. In addition, the collection of some taxes was made by contractors or tax farmers, and the tax gatherers collected whatever they could. Other Inequalities There were social and economic inequalities as well as political ones. The peasant suffered under the burden of out-of-date feudal dues. These were collected with renewed vigor by the nobles in the latter part of the 18th century. Rabbits might destroy the peasant's garden and pigeons eat his grain...
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...We Stand With The People, We Stand For The People Long Live France! There was recently an editorial in The Holy Roman Empire Times in which described Emperor Leopold ll support for our Royals. Here is an excerpt from their editorial in The Holy Roman Empire: “We stand by our family and friends as we support Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette who are currently imprisoned in the Tuileries. Our beloved friends are caught in an indescribable revolution in their country and are being treated like prisoners. We will not be pushed around or swayed to believe that our dear friends deserve this treacherous occurrence in their kingdom. The harmless king and queen were simply trying to do what is best for their country and it seems that some terrible people took the law into their own hands and used violence to share their disagreements they had with the monarchs....
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...Louis XVI was a French king whose reign ended in collapse and became the French Revolution. He failed to understand the situation and create a reasonable compromise. This along with his discussions for foreign countries to intervene, led to a republic being created, and ultimately the King’s death and execution. Louis XVI was born on August 23rd of 1754, to the Prince and future king of France. He was named Louis-Auguste, and although he was the third born son to his father, he became the new heir to the throne on his father’s death in 1765. His mother also died untimely in the year 1767, making Louis grow closer to his grandfather, the current king. In 1770 he was married to Marie-Antoinette, the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor. Problems prevented them from having a child for many years. This may have been Louis’ fault due to technique and psychology, although Marie received the blame at first. Louis was a little bit scared of his spouse having too much influence on him just as her family wanted. She may have been able to achieve this possibly due to early childhood teachings....
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...XIV would be a better ruler to live under compared to his grandson and Marie Antoinette. The Sun King was successful at his ability establish a stable and powerful hold over his country through absolute monarchy. Meanwhile, Louis XIV failed to do so and lost his head as a result. In addition, Louis XIV knew how to retain and maintain power, especially over the nobles. The very act of establishing Versailles as a seat of government control forced the nobles to come to him and seek his support. He was adept at playing the nobles off against each other, and was practically the archetype of absolute power. Although he certainly made mistakes such as his foreign wars, he kept a tight rein on...
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...of government and nationalism caused the French Revolution. Government styles and nationalism are two major contributions to rebellions. There are many different government styles: Limited Monarchy, Limited Democracy, Democracy, Oligarchy, Dictator and Republic. Almost all of the government styles were once used in France during the French Revolution. France started with a Monarchy, King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette ruled over all three of the estates (social classes of France's Old Regime). The First Estate was the church clergy, they paid few taxes. The Second Estate was the rich nobles, they were only 2% of the population. And the Third Estate were peasants, urban workers, and the middle class they made about 97% of the population. The Third Estate had few privileges, high taxes, and wanted change....
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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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