Napoleon Was the Heir to the French Revolution and He Helped to Preserve Its Values

Napoleon di Buonaparte

By: Mo

Thesis: Napoleon was the heir to the French Revolution and he helped to preserve its values.

Focus Areas:

-The Enlightenment

-The French Revolution

-Napoleonic Code

Body Paragraph #1: The Enlightenment

• Began as a mid-18th century movement and progressed until the French Revolution of 1789

• Key features of the Age include:

пÑ"? A belief in natural law

пÑ"? A belief in reason

пÑ"? A belief in the rights of man

• Religious tolerance was advocated

• The Catholic Church was an object of attack because it exemplified a supernatural religion that stood in the way of reason

• The citizens of Europe demanded more from their governments and sought greater rights for themselves

• With the remarkable discoveries of Rene Descartes and Sir Isaac Newton the common man began to feel increasingly dissatisfied with absolute rule that repressed new ideas

• Many of the proposed ideas developed during this era highly influenced the French Revolution

• This age saw for the first time the Church and State being questioned

• This age gave birth to socialism, capitalism, and democracy

Body Paragraph #2: The French Revolution

• Began in 1789 and ended in 1799

• Key principles of the Age include:

пÑ"? Liberty

пÑ"? Equality

пÑ"? Fraternity

• Was a period of political and social upheaval in France and Europe as a whole

• The revolution was caused by the lack of leadership and mismanagement of King Louis XV and XVI

• They had left France in serious financial difficulties putting the nation in debt because of their military failures

• High unemployment and inflation caused most families to spend money on food and not in other areas

• Widespread famine and malnutrition ensued along with

• On September 21, 1792 King Louis XVI was dismissed as king by the National Convention, France’s constitutional and legislative assembly, effectively ending the monarchy and ushering in a new republic

• On January 21, 1793 King Louis XVI was executed in front of a jeering crowd by a guillotine

• The National Convention then came into power and drew up a constitution for the young nation

• The Jacobin Club, the largest and most powerful political club in the French Revolution came into power

• However, the party became radicalized and led to a 15 month period called the “Reign of Terror” in which violence and mass executions led to approximately 40,000 French men and women being killed

• The Jacobins were effectively disbanded once members of the Committee of Public Safety revolted against them in the Thermidorian Reaction

• Napoleon strongly admired the Jacobins strong central government that dealt with problems facing the republic while stabilizing France, its economy, and fighting its enemies abroad

• The Executive Directory which contained a body 5 male directors who had executive powers over France took over the reigns

• This was the kind of France Napoleon began his meteoric ascent to the most powerful man in the world

• The Consulate is established in 1799 and Napoleon becomes the leader of the French people

Body Paragraph #3: Napoleonic Code

• After 10 years of Revolution, France had yet lacked the proper foundation on which to build the revolutionaries achievements

• Napoleon built on the framework of ideas and beliefs

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