The French Revolution

• Revolutions, Empires, and Colonization are significant historical processes

The French Revolution

• The French Revolution marked a shift from an exclusive regime to a more inclusive one
• It represented the people's fight for liberation from the oppressive monarchy with the motto "Liberty, equality, and fraternity"

Causes of the French Revolution

• Social inequality existed with great disparities within French society
• An economic crisis saw France experiencing a period of instability
• Famine occurred due to a series of bad harvests
• The bourgeoisie's aspirations sought political power in line with their economic influence
• The absolute power of the king clashed with the idea of the separation of powers

The Estates-General and the National Assembly

• The Estates-General was an assembly convened by the king in times of crisis, composed of three estates
• The clergy was one of the estates
• The nobility was one of the estates
• The Third Estate comprised burghers, artisans, and peasants
• The clergy and nobility enjoyed privileges and were exempt from paying taxes
• The Third Estate declared itself the representative of the nation, as it had no privileges
• Members of the Third Estate formed the National Assembly

The Storming of the Bastille

• On July 14, 1789, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille, a notorious prison
• This event symbolized the liberation of the people against oppression and tyranny

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

• On August 5, 1789, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was approved, establishing fundamental principles based on equality, liberty, and fraternity
• Marie Gouze wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Women due to the exclusion of women in the original declaration

Constitutional Monarchy

• The Assembly enacted the Constitution in September 1791, structuring France as a constitutional monarchy
• The king's power was limited through the separation of powers
• Executive power was held by the King
• Legislative power was held by the Assembly
• Judicial power was held by elected magistrates

The National Convention

• The monarchy was abolished, the republic proclaimed, and Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were ordered to be executed by guillotine
• It was divided into two groups
• The Girondins represented the upper bourgeoisie, defended constitutional monarchy, and restricted suffrage
• The Jacobins sought radical reforms, wanted to overthrow the king, and establish a republic, and their prominent leader was Maximilien de Robespierre

The Reign of Terror

• Robespierre implemented the Reign of Terror, in which thousands of French citizens were persecuted and executed in the guillotine for alleged counter-revolutionary activities
• Robespierre was executed, accused of establishing a dictatorship, marking the end of the Terror

End of the Revolution

• The weakness of the government allowed Napoleon Bonaparte to carry out a coup in 1799, ending the French Revolution
• The French people fought for better living conditions and changes in government for 10 years, laying the foundations for more liberal and democratic systems worldwide

Achievements of the Revolution

• Division of power into executive, legislative, and judicial branches was a political achievement
• Separation between Church and State was a political achievement
• Abolition of the Old Regime and absolute monarchies was a social achievement
• Recognition of human and social rights was a social achievement
• The rise of the middle class as a new social power was asocial achievement
• Improved distribution of wealth was an economic achievement

Napoleon and the Napoleonic Empire

• Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica
• He was Emperor of the French, linked to the nation, its citizens, and the legacy of the Revolution
• Napoleon sought alliances with the Pope, the Church, and European monarchies while trying to dominate Europe directly or indirectly

Consequences of Napoleonic Rule

• The spread of enlightened ideas about merit, liberty, and rights in Europe ended many privileges and traditions
• Adoption of the Civil Code (Napoleonic Code) transformed the concept of private property and legal rights

People, Nation, and Nationalism

• People, in modern times, are related to citizenship and participation
• Nation is a human group that shares history, traditions, territory, language, and collective identity

Types of Nationalism

• Chauvinists assert that their nation is superior to others
• Irredentists claim territories belonging to other states as part of their nation

Context of Nationalism: Restoration and New Revolutions

• In Europe, the defeat of Napoleon meant the triumph of the Restoration, that is, the reestablishment of monarchies
• The Congress of Vienna established the Holy Alliance, an agreement among the great empires to prevent revolutionary changes
• A system of alliances was created to maintain peace and stability, preventing new revolutions

Between Nationalist Revolution and the Origins of Socialism

• By 1848, the political, economic, and social projects of socialism were clearly established
• The cultural movement of Romanticism sought to rescue oral traditions and popular customs, especially in rural communities
• Romantics believed that these traditions reflected the authentic soul of each town

1848: The Spring of Nations

• In 1848, the Spring of Nations took place, beginning in Naples
• It opposed absolute monarchies, the Holy Alliance, and the peace system imposed in Vienna

National Unifications: Italy and Germany

• Italy and Germany achieved their unification through similar processes
• A promoter kingdom existed (Kingdom of Prussia in Germany and Kingdom of Piedmont in Italy)
• There were wars and international conflicts
• There were nationalist movements and a sense of unity among the population