French Revolution Comic-Strip

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

The Directory & Rise

of Napoleon

Conclusion

After the end of the Reign of Terror, young military officer Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the ruling Directory and took power of France as the Emperor of the French. He installed the Napoleonic Code, a strict set of laws that limited the individual rights of his subjects.

Napoleon's rise to power was a step back from

democracy, because the Revolution was

fought to abolish monarchy, and now,

another was being brought in to

replace it.

Although the French Revolution seemed

to be a failure, it actually had impactful results. Feudalism no longer existed and the bourgeoisie

rose as a main power. France's sense of

nationalism grew and strengthened the country as whole, allowing the emergence of strong leaders such as Napoleon. During his prime time of rule, he introduced new techniques of combat that further advanced France to a period of modern, total warfare. Through the event of creating of a different government, France was able to get a taste of democratic systems like constitutions, elections, and representative governments, helping them create precedents. Therefore, the French

Revolution's influence contributed

greatly to the future of modern

Europe.

The Reign of Terror

The Estates General

Because of France's bankruptcy, Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates-General, representatives from each estate. The plan was to increase the taxes on the 3rd estate, who protested and declared a National Assembly.

Since the Estates General consisted of representatives, it was a step towards democracy, however, it was not structured to properly represent each class's population.

Even after the king's riddance, radicals like Maximilien Robespierre went to extreme extents to wipe out every trace of nobility and monarchy. Once he assumed power through the Committee of Public Safety, he claimed the authority to decide the enemies of the Republic and execute them. This period of bloody rampage became known as the Reign of Terror, which later ended when the National Convention turned on Robespierre and guillotined him.

The Reign of Terror was a regression in

progress towards a democracy, since

it resembled a dictatorship.

France in the Late 1780's

France in the late 1780's was a part of the Old Regime (Ancien Regime), in which society was ruled by an absolute monarch. The classes were organized in an Estates System consisting of three estates. The 1st estate included the monarchy and clergy, the 2nd estate, nobility, and the 3rd and last estate, the bourgeoisie and peasants. The 3rd estate was exploited and carried most of the

country's economical burdens.

The King's Execution

After the National Assembly captured the king and took control, their constitution created a Legislative Assembly that was split into three factions. As a result of wanting to establish a new republic, left-wing radicals known as Jacobins executed Louis XVI by guillotine.

By getting rid of a monarch, and in turn, monarchy, a different government, such as democracy, had potential to rise up to power.

The Tennis Court Oath

The 3rd Estate claimed that out of the three estates, they were the ones to pass laws and create reforms. However, the first two estates disagreed and locked them out of the meeting. The delegates broke into a tennis court, and vowed to continue to meet under the Tennis Court Oath, until they drafted a new constitution opposing the Ancien Regime.

The Tennis Court Oath aimed to create a more balanced political and social system, which could

possibly result in a democracy.