France was very different before Napoleon came along. Before Napoleon France was controlled by an absolute monarchy. France was also under the old regime which was a system that existed in most of Europe at that time. Also all laws were created by the Legislative assembly. Based upon historical documents and his own words Napoleon Bonaparte had a negative impact on France.
The French Revolution was a drastic time for the people of France. In 1789, the majority of people were living in poverty and dealing with terrible conditions. People were split into three estates: the first, second, and third, the first being the wealthiest. Political, economic, and social situations were what contributed to people’s desire for change. The three main, or biggest causes of the French Revolution, were taxes, inequality, and lack of reform.
The French Revolution of 1789 marks a watershed in the political development of France and its role in European history. Many events contributed to the adversity that France was already facing before the revolution had even begun. The nation’s intervention in the Seven Years’ War, the American War of Independence, and their already problematic taxation system, ultimately caused it to go into state debt. This, combined with France’s rapidly growing population, is what most of France’s economic crisis revolved around. The French population had actually grown by about 8 million people from 1700 to 1789, making it Europe’s most populous state.
The stasis within the social classes after the revolution was beneficial to society. “One class did not overthrow another; the poor did not supplant the rich. But social relationships-- the way people were connected to one another-- were changed, and decisively so” (Wood 132). There was a solid relationship between higher and lower classes, and that helped maintain balance within communities, which made the new country a “giant, almost continent wide republic of nearly ten million egalitarian-minded bustling citizens who not only had thrust themselves into the vanguard of history but had fundamentally altered their society and their social relationships” (132-133).
Some of the characteristics included the nobility questioning the government: fighting among the classes and oppression (Brinton). For the purpose of this paper we are only going to be looking at causes of the French revolution. One of the characteristics that a revolution is going to happen is that the country has a growing economy, but a broke
Sarah Hussey Ms. Bell Social Studies 9B March 12, 2018 First Draft “They wanted me to be another George Washington” – Napoleon. This was a quote was said by Napoleon Bonaparte, himself. Napoleon intentionally conceded to the fact that he had betrayed the goals of the French Revolution. The values of the French Revolution were Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Liberty of the people, in other words, the freedom of the people was extremely important to the French Revolution.
Napoleon’s Imperial Decree at Madrid stated that “from the publication of the present decree, feudal rights are abolished... all feudal monopolies of ovens, mills, and inns are suppressed” (Document 8). By abolishing feudalism, Napoleon promoted liberty and freed people from their duties to their lords. Individuals no longer had to conform to their social status and were able to pursue their own success by having access to previously exclusive resources. Napoleon believed that the privileges of the upper class should be abolished (Pagano “Napoleon Domestic Program Good”).
Taking advantage of his rising popularity, Napoleon became the ruler of France and eventually the ruler of an empire. Napoleon Bonaparte had a positive impact on France and Europe due to the military, political and economic stability he restored to France, the laws he put in place, the reforms he introduced to the European countries he conquered and his improvement of the education system. After a time of uncertainty in France brought about by the French Revolution, Napoleon restored the stability of France through the military. France had experienced a time of military failure during the 1790’s when other European nations declared war on France. Napoleon emerged in this time as a skilled soldier and tactician.
In 1789, France was precariously balanced on the edge of chaos. King Louis XVI was ruling monarch of France. King Louis’ youth depicted him as reckless, thoughtless, and unwise. A series of bad financial and political decisions, lead to his unpopularity among the people of France. King Louis was young, distracted and misguided.
Napoleon did many things for France. Including bring the churches back and letting people practice their own religion again. Which most people did not do back then because if someone supported their religion more than the leader then the leader would not have complete control over them. They can not do anything to them cause the worst thing that could happen is that they die and go to heaven. Also he he opened up schools in France that was free for the boys even if they was poor, even if it was not for the girls to attend to, but that was common back then.
Opening paragraph The French Revolution was a major failure and a minor success. After all of the blood shed, the laws, civil rights, and codes did not get instituted effectively and did not represent the values that the citizens had fought for. Examples of this were the Napoleonic Code and Declaration of Rights of Man. Another reason it was a failure was because during the revolts and reforms more than 40,000 men and women died.
The French Revolution ended when Napoleon Bonaparte, a military genius, stepped in and dismantled the Directory, which promoted middle class interests, and helped with financial crisis and food shortages. Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France, and made a new social order called the Napoleonic Code. Although there may be many reasons he reversed the spirit of the French Revolution, he modernized and changed the political and social construct immensely, for the good of France. The main trait that Napoleon is known for is his genius military mind.
Napoleon rooted out corruption, the downside of this France was always at war. Napoleon fought for land and France never stopped warring he wanted to take over Brittan, but it was just out of reach for him. So, he tried to invade Russia with six thousand men, Russia retreated but while burning Frances crops as they left, with this loss to Napoleon he slowly fell off his pedestal as
Arianna Paulin Mr. Bonnet World History II, French Revolution 27th of October, 2017 Through His Actions and Policies, To What Extent was King Louis the XVI Responsible for the French Revolution? Introduction Paragraph Between the years of 1785 and 1793, the French society was on the verge of collapsing. There was poverty and famine roaming the streets, making it nearly impossible to survive given the ridiculously high and unjust taxing system.
The economy was changing and thus affecting people’s way of life as well as standard of living. However, France was a different scenario from the rest of the world, as they had just experienced the French Revolution and had not yet recovered from it. This
