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The French revolution is a reflection of a famous quote of Napoleon Bonaparte: Since one must take sides, one might as well choose the side that is victorious, the side which devastates, loots, and burns. Considering the alternative, it is better to eat than be eaten. It tells how in the Revolution the French were eaten and how they ate. The Revolution started with the people of France revolting against their king and queen, Maria Antoinette and Louis XVI, by facing them out of Versailles. They overthrew their power and made up the Declaration of Pilnitz, which said that any one could intervene if it were necessary to protect the French monarch.
The Convention that was set up to abolish monarchy and make France a republic put both the king and queen on trial and had them executed. Robespierre was a chief architect of the reign of terror who thought that France could only become a republic by way of force. The reign of terror was a time in July of 1793 to July of 1794, which resulted in killing over 40, 000 people because they thought that these people were a threat to France becoming a republic. A result of the reign of terror was a new way of executing people, called the guillotine, a fast moving blade that came down and killed people instantly. Finally the reign of terror ended when the Convention turned on them, saying that the killings had to mellow in number.
The Convention set up a new form of rule in 1795 which was a five man Directory that grew with ideas Until the people were unhappy and threatened them with Napoleon Bonaparte, saying that they would gain back their advantages. Napoleon Bonaparte started out as a lieutenant for the French, favoring the Jacobins and republican rule. His military power rose by driving the British forces out of French Port of Toulon. For five years straight Napoleon kept winning and gaining more land for the French. In 1799 Napoleon became a political leader, which he helped overthrow the weak Directory and set up a three man governing board, the Consulate. 1802 Napoleon named himself consul for life, and in 1804 he gained enough power for the title of Employer of France. Napoleon remained to have strong powerful empire for nine years; regulating the economy, expanding France s borders, and keeping the people pleased with his decisions so that they had no reason for revolting against him.
It wasn t until 1812 when Napoleons empire started to fall. Napoleon invaded Russia with about 600, 000 men, called his Grand Army. The Russian expected the attack so they reacted by burning crops, so that the French couldn t live off of them. In Napoleon s thoughts he related that his army would have nothing to feed on in the long Russian winter, so he decided to return home with them.
After returning hom early about 100, 000 men of the Grand Army survived. In 1813 napoleon was defeated by a new alliance of Russia, Britian, Austria and Prussia in the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig. In the next year Napoleon was closed in by his enemies and he stepped down from power. Napoleon s impact from the French Revolution is not questioned. His Napoleonic Code made many changes for the Revolution. Napoleon made it so that many more citizens had property and access to education.
His conquests spread new ideas of the revolution Yet going back to Napoleons quote it shows how France was Conquered and did conquer, during the revolution France became powerful and lost all of it s power in ten years.
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Research essay sample on Reign Of Terror King And Queen
