History - French Revolution (Nov.7)
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- Meeting of the Estates General
- I can not agree to this!
- The Tennis Court Oath
- We will save France no matter what.
- The Storming of the Bastille
- Give us the gunpowder!
- The financial crisis was the reason behind the Meeting of the Estate General. Between the two major wars they fought in the country had suffered from overspending and terrible harvests when the seasons came. Due to this King Louis the 15th called for a Meeting of the Estates. This was an emergency situation and all the heads of estate would need to come up with an actionable plan. The first 2 estates still wanted to rule in favor still of the monarchy and the noble factions of France but the Third Estate heavily countered that. Eventually the Third Estate demanded that the ruling no longer be governed by estates but rather a headcount. They eventually all agreed and got down to writing a new constitution that would benefit all the people of France. A few days later they found the doors to the meeting hall locked and guarded.
- The March on Versailles
- The National Assembly was moved over to the tennis court in order to finish up the meeting. They promised to save France no matter what and then this became the now famous Tennis Court Oath. They also pledged that they would no separate until a proper constitution that would benefit all of France. Eventually the new Constitution of 1791 was drafted and it limited the monarchy's to just make laws, collect taxes, and to decide on issues of war and peace.
- The Reign of Terror
- Rumors started to spread that the royal troops may occupy the capital. The rumors started on July the 14th, 1789. Around 800 Parisians took to arms to defend themselves from the king and his men. The commander of the medieval fortress, Bastille, that was used as a prison, would not surrender however and opened fire. This claimed the lives of many Parisians. Many people saw this as their chance to strike back at the unfair monarchy and thus the French Revolution started with the Storming of Bastille.
- The Rise of Napoleon
- A crowd of angry women marched to Versailles and demanded the bread and to see the King. While the King was a major target for these angry women, a lot of their anger could also be toward his wife, the queen. Marie Antoinette was known to spend a lot of tax money on parties and other frivolous things. The women demanded that the royal couple return to Paris so that they may be seen by the common folk whenever they needed to consult the king. The royals promised to go back they soon became the revolutionaries' prisoners for the next three years.
- We want to see the king!
- Robespierre was a key figure in the Reign of Terror that lasted over a year from 1793 to 1794. The primary symbol of this terror would be the now infamous guillotine. An instrument of beheading people. Around 40,000 people met their end a the Guillotine. While the nobles were the primary targets, certain clergy men also made the chopping block. However, some common and middle class folk were a part of the people lost to this machine. The manner in which the republic chose the guillotines victims was actually acts of treason. However, acts of treason could be just simply speaking out against the republic itself.
- Keep moving! Faster!
- The actual career of Napoleon Bonaparte started when he was 9 years old. He was shipped off to France and by the age of 20 he had reached the rank of Lieutenant. What fueled him however was his endless ambition. He wanted to be the best. His career would see him have many military successes over in Austria, Britain, and Prussia. After his time serving in the military he would soon find himself in politics. Over time he would gain enough power to declare himself as the Emperor of France. While he was in power he enacted many reforms. One of note being that public schools would be under strict government control. This would ensure that future military leaders of France would get the best possible education.
- I am the new emperor of France!
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