French Revolution and Napoleon and the French Essay

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French Revolution and Napoleon

Napoleon and the French Revolution:

How the Leader both Continued and Broke from the Aims of his Revolutionary Predecessors

The French Revolution was a singular event in human history. Its importance to humankind is undeniable. The Revolution was both remarkable and horrific, in its scopes and its realities. As Charles Dickens wisely stated,

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us […]. [1: Dickens, Charles. "The Period." A Tale of Two Cities. Ann Arbor: Borders Group, 2006. Print. ]

Thus, one can see there are many contradictions concerning the unfolding of events in the French Revolution, for it is a complex chain of historical events. There are also many opinions when discussing events that followed, especially when referring to the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Some historians state that the leader broke from the aims of the Revolution, while others state that he continued the goals of his revolutionary predecessors. The period that this paper will attempt to analyze focuses on Napoleon's reign, and discusses how the leader both continued and broke from the aims of the French Revolution in order to establish a strong Empire.

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The French Revolution was the result of a fiscal crisis stemming from France's support of the American Revolution, and its reliance on inadequate loan borrowing and taxation systems. The interest from the loans France took halved the national budget and led the king to attempt to modernize the taxation system. When the Assembly of Notables and the parliament refused his requests, Louis XVI called on the Estates General to resolve the problem. However, the Estates General was unable to agree on how to vote, as any vote would have been unfair to the Third Estate, due to outdated voting policies.

The public was disappointed at this stalemate, and to make matters worse, in 1788, a poor harvest led to food shortages and an increase in the price of bread. Eventually, the Third Estate withdrew from the Estates General and became the National Assembly, and soon met to try to establish a constitution. By August 26, 1789, it passed the Declaration on the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which guaranteed freedom of religion and press, and equality before taxation and the law. These freedoms are traditionally known as the main facets or accomplishments of the French Revolution. [2: Hunt, Lynn. The Making of the West Peoples and Cultures: A Concise History. New York: St. Martin's, 2008. Print.]

If one believes that reforms are the most important aims of the Revolution, then….....

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