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THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (1789-1815) AND NAPOLEON

Explore the five sub-periods of the French Revolution, from the Estates to the First Empire, including the Estates General, Legislative Assembly, National Convention, Directory, and Consulate. Learn about the background and key events that shaped this transformative period in French history.

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THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (1789-1815) AND NAPOLEON

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  1. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (1789-1815) AND NAPOLEON

  2. PERIODS OF THE REVOLUTION • Five sub-periods distinguished by form of government • Estates • Legislative Assembly • National Convention • Directory • Consulate • First Empire

  3. ESTATES • General and Constituent Assembly • 5 May 1789 - 30 Sep 1791 • Government a limited, constitutional monarchy • Dominance of upper middle class

  4. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY • 1 Oct 1791 - 21 Sep 1792 • Monarchy continued as before until suspended • Rising power of the lower class

  5. NATIONAL CONVENTION • 21 Sep 1792 - 25 Oct 1795 • Height of revolution • Convention called to frame new constitution • Abolished monarchy • Supported reign of terror, then overthrew it • Led resistance to foreign foes • War with Austria & Prussia politically endued toward democracy

  6. DIRECTORY • 26 Oct 1795 - 9 Nov 1799 • Middle classes recovered influence • Party divisions • General Bonaparte’s coup d-etat • Formed republic with Napoleon as Emperor

  7. CONSULATE • At first provisional, then definitive • 25 Dec 1799 - 20 May 1804 • Civil and military role, virtually of one man • Progress of French arms • Form still nominally republican

  8. FIRST EMPIRE • 20 May 1804 - 22 Jun 1815 • Napoleon made France the controlling power on the continent, but was finally overthrown

  9. BACKGROUND • Spirit of 18th Century • devoted to destruction and reformation of existing institutions • most notable manifestations: the attacks of French writers upon church and state • Agrarian conditions - peasantry mostly free but highly taxed; not downtrodden, but well-off enough to wish to better themselves

  10. BACKGROUND • Rise of the middle class • generally excluded from politics; growing richer; read and listened to philosophies • Unwieldy and inefficient machinery of government • irresponsible and unsuited to needs of state • taxation was inequitable • no representative assembly • Letters de Cachet - imprisoning without habeas corpus: served as anti-government propaganda

  11. BACKGROUND • Ever-growing deficit • proved impossible of reduction • May 1789: Louis XVI convened meeting of Estates General (represented 3 estates of French society - Nobles, Clergy and Commons) • Commons assumed title of National Assembly and undertook to reform government by formulating a constitution for a constitutional monarchy

  12. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • 5 May 1789 • Meeting of Estates General • National Assembly formed by Commons • Members of Nobles and Clergy invited to join • Many joined the assembly

  13. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • 23 Jun 1789 • Fruitless royal sitting • King ordered assembly to meet in 3 houses • Mirabeau (Provencial nobleman) elected principal orator of assembly by 3rd estate • King requested nobles & clergy join 3rd estate

  14. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • 14 Jul 1789 • Concentration of troops near Paris • Rumors of kings intention to dissolve National Assembly • Necker was dismissed • Storming and destruction of the Bastille

  15. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • Necker recalled • Lafayette commander of newly established National Guard • Rising of peasants against feudal lords • Beginning of emigration of nobles

  16. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • 4 Aug 1789 • Voluntary surrender by representatives of nobles of all feudal rights and privileges to occur over period of years • 27 Aug 1789 • Declaration of rights of man, a bill of rights compounded from English and American precedents and from political theories current with the philosophies

  17. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • 5-6 Oct 1789 - Outbreak of the mob of Paris • Liberal monarchical constitution: king could not declare war and conclude peace without consent of chamber • Ecclesiastic estates declared public property and notes issued under security of public lands

  18. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • 14 Jul 1790 • National federation in Paris • Constitution accepted by king • Abolished hereditary nobility, titles, and coats of arms

  19. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • Power of clubs grow • Jacobins under Robespierre • Cordeliers under Danton, Marat, Desmoulins, Hebert • Feuillants - moderate monarchists separated from Jacobins - Lafayette and Bailly

  20. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • Sep 1790 • Fall of Necker • alliance between Mirabeau and court, who endeavored to stem revolution and prevent overthrow of throne • 2 Apr 1791 - Death of Mirabeau • 20 - 25 Jun 1791 - Flight of the king

  21. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY • 14 Sep 1791 • King accepts constitution • Annexation of Avignon and Benaissin to France • 30 Sep 1791 • Dissolution of Assembly

  22. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY • 1 Oct 1791 • Legislative Assembly, 745 members elected by active citizens • still represented primarily middle class • 7 Feb 1792 • Alliance of Austria and Prussia against France

  23. NATIONAL CONVENTION • War of First Coalition against France • 20 Apr 1792 - France declares war on Austria - increases revolutionary excitement in Paris • 10 Aug 1792 - Storming of Tuileries by mob - king suspended from functions and confined • 20 Aug 1792 - Lafayette, impeached and proscribed, fled from army - Verdun taken by Prussians • 2-7 Sep 1792 - September massacres at Paris • 20 Sep 1792 - Battle of Valmy - French, under Dumouriey and Kellermann, defeated Prussians

  24. NATIONAL CONVENTION • 21 Sep 1792 • National Convention convened • Abolition of Monarchy - France declared a Republic • Dec 1792 - Trial of Louis XVI • 21 Jan 1793 - Execution of Louis XVI • 1 Feb 1793 - War declared against Great Britain, Holland, Spain

  25. NATIONAL CONVENTION • Reign of Terror - Robespierre gradually came to dominate the whole government • 23 Aug 1793-Levy of males; 14 armies raised • 16 Oct 1793 - Execution of Marie Antoinette • Nov 1793 - New army under Jourdan, Hoche & Pichegru • Dec 1793 - Retreat of Allies across the Rhine. French captured Worms and Speier, and took Toulon from British (first appearance of Napoleon Bonaparte as young artillery officer)

  26. NATIONAL CONVENTION • Mar 1794 - Robespierre succeeded in crushing rival powers • 27 Jul 1794 - Fall of Robespierre • 5 Mar 1795 - Treaty of Bassel between France and Prussia

  27. NATIONAL CONVENTION • 22 Aug 1795 - Constitution of 1797 - 3rd of revolution • Executing power: Directory of five, Council of Elders, and Council of 500 • First Term: 2/3 of each council taken from Nat. Conv. • General Bonaparte placed in charge of troops

  28. NATIONAL CONVENTION • 5 Oct 1795 • Paris royalists instigated outbreak of sections in opposition of 2/3 self protection measure of convention for 1st term council • Napoleon’s “whiff of grapeshot” led to complete victory for convention • 26 Oct 1795 • Convention dissolved • 1797 - Moderate legislative elected • End of war - coup d’etat

  29. IMPACT OF REVOLUTION • Larger armies led to unlimited warfare • Emergence of democratic ideal; emphasis on individual freedom, equality & popular government • John Locke • Jean Jacques Rousseau - citizen had responsibility to fight in defense of country (not a logical thought for 18th century monarchies) • American Revolution and apologists • Conscription is unthinkable without this ideology (governed were now governing, had affirmative obligation to defend government)

  30. IMPACT OF REVOLUTION • Ability to man, control, arm, feed large armies • Larger populations • Improved communications systems • Beginnings of mass production • Improved agricultural methods • Line formation of battle vs. the column • Line provided more firepower (muskets) • Column could break the line

  31. IMPACT OF REVOLUTION • Military theories of Comptee Jacques de Guibert • Ordre mixte; combo of column (approach and maneuver) and line (fighting) • Breaking army into smaller units or divisions • advance along several routes • mass forces at precise time and place • Dispersion then concentration at critical time and place

  32. IMPACT OF REVOLUTION • 13 Jul 1789 • Crowd seizes 28,000 muskets and some cannon from military storage depot • 14 Jul 1789 • Bastille stormed and governor lynched • Jul 1792 • Paris mob storms palace, massacres Swiss guard • Lafayette tries to get men to save king, they refuse and Lafayette goes over to Austrians • Louis XVI executed in 1793

  33. IMPACT OF REVOLUTION • Lazare Carnot succeeded in gaining control of Revolutionary Army • Aug 1793 in charge of military affairs for committee of Public Safety • Emphasis on offensive in mass • Organized National Army • Foraging enhanced mobility • By 1794 French Army enjoyed both Mass and Mobility, Napoleon and 8 of his future marshals made general @ average age of 33

  34. IMPACT OF REVOLUTION • Armies created by revolution eventually made Bonaparte Emperor of France (back to autocracy) • Moderate legislature elected in 1797 desired end of war • 3 radical directors conspired with Bonaparte to arrange coup d’etat • In ensuing coup, Carnot escaped to Switzerland

  35. IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY • Gribeauval’s artillery reforms • interchangeable parts • improved cartridges (ball and charge packed together) • Tangent sight • Ammunition wagons • By time of revolution, constant drill had made French clearly superior

  36. IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY • Mobility and communication enhanced by improved roads and maps and signal telegraph • Napoleon, resistant to new weapons and technology, failed to make use of balloons and shrapnel

  37. IMPACT OF NATIONALISM • Mass citizen army fueled by nationalism • Felt necessary to defend ones own country • Indoctrination of soldiers in Revolutionary Patriotism • Ideological Warfare

  38. OTHER MILITARY IMPACTS • The Organization of an army into a Division • The Generalship became more complicated • Staff work became more important • Maps became essential

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