5.+French+Revolution

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= The French Revolution and Napoleon: 1789-1815 =

The French Revolution was caused by multiple and complex factors including financial difficulty of the monarchy, poor economic conditions of the lower classes, inability of the monarchy to reform taxation, the impact of Enlightenment ideas, and the lack of political representation for the vast majority of the population. In 1789 when King Louis XVI called the Estates General into session for the first time in 175 years, the revolutionary Third Estate quickly established constitutional monarchy. The refusal of the king to accept limited powers combined with the radicalization of the working classes led to the end of the monarchy, the creation of a republic, and the execution of the king. Radicals were empowered to rule and instituted a Reign of Terror against domestic enemies at the same time that the armies of France waged war with Austria and Prussia. Eventually the brilliant military general, Napoleon Bonaparte seized power and fought to extend French control and the basic principles of the revolution throughout Europe. Napoleon’s relentless ambitions ultimately led to his downfall.

Questions to Guide your Reading
Causes of French Revolution pp.683-693 Radical Phase of Fr Rev pp.694-702 Napoleonic Phase of French Revolution 703-711

Special Resources:
Online videos about the French Revolution https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/1600s-1800s/french-revolution-tutorial/v/french-revolution-part-1 [] This link is about Goya's use of Romanticism to protest Napoleon's atrocities in Spain http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/romanticism-in-spain Here is a link to a painting about Napoleon that reveals much about his character. http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/gross-napoleon-bonaparte-visiting-the-plague-stricken-in-jaffa