G8 -the french revolution

French Revolution: Napoleon Bonaparte

The French Revolution

• Started 1789 against King Louis XVI

• The Reign of Terror

• The French Revolution ended when Napoleon became emperor

Reign of Terror

The Reign of Terror was a period of about 11 months during the French Revolution French people who did not support the revolution were executed at the guillotine.

The Reign of Terror was started on 5 September, 1793. On 17 July 1794, sixteen nuns attracted much attention by singing a religious song as they were being executed for treason.

The Terror ended ten days later, when several important leaders of the Reign of Terror were executed.

The Terror took the lives of between 18,500 to 40,000 people.

The French Revolution ends

​The revolution came to an end 1799 when a general named Napoleon overthrew the revolutionary government and established the French Consulate (with Napoleon as leader).

​France Under Napoleon

​Napoleon put an end to the French Republic that the Revolution had won. In 1804 Napoleon had himself crowned emperor. He then crowned his wife, Josephine, Empress. He let his ambition and desire for power spread war across Europe. Yet he also made some good changes in the French government.

​Napoleon changed unfair tax laws. He required all people, rich and poor, to pay taxes under the same laws. The rich received no favors. Napoleon also strengthened and reorganized the French schools. 

​Napoleon had a strong, wealthy France behind him now. He had the loyalty of the people. He now set out to conquer a European empire. He led France into war with Great Britain and most of the rest of Europe. Napoleon was a clever general. He won battle after battle. By 1812 Napoleon controlled most of Europe. However, he had been unable to invade and conquer Great Britain.

​Napoleon's Mistake

​In 1812, Napoleon declared war on Russia. He attacked with an army of nearly 600,000 men. He won a major victory over the Russians at the battle of Borodino. However, the Russian armies were clever. They fled eastward, leading Napoleons army on a chase deep into the heart of Russia. As the Russians retreated , they destroyed everything of value in Napoleon's path.

​Then winter came. It was an icy Russian winter. Napoleon's army had almost run out of food. His army was starving. They were freezing. There was only one thing to do. Napoleon gave the orders to head for home The Russians attacked again and again as Napoleon's weakened forces struggled toward France. The French suffered terrible losses during the retreat from Russia. Over 500,000 men were killed or died of illness or starvation. Otheres deserted or were captured. Many simply froze to death. The attack on Russia was Napoleon's big mistake.

​The End for Napoleon

​Other countries took heart when they heard of France's defeat in Russia. Napoleon could be beaten! These countries joined together. Prussia, Sweden, and Austria joined Great Britain and Russia to march as allies against Napoleon.

​The French saw that their emperor was beaten. The French Senate turned against Napoleon. It called for a new king to rule France. On April 11th, 1814, Napoleon gave up his throne. Louis XVIII was crowned King of France. Napoleon was exiled and sent to live on the island of Elba off the coast of Italy.