The
European Monarchies had inter-married throughout the middle ages and were more
loyal to each other than they were to their people. The French Queen was an
Austrian Princess. When the French began their revolution for democracy, the monarchies
of other countries were threatened. This
prompted them to declare war on France for attempting to overthrow their own
monarchy. The French Revolution was more about France defending itself from the
other European countries. The French Revolution was all about defending France
from Austria.
French
Revolution began in 1789 and ended in 1799. Debt from Wars and Expansion, High
Taxes and Poverty made the French Monarchy unpopular with the rich and the
poor.
The
Monarchies had become victims of overreach and were distracted dealing with
each other and isolated from their populations. The Declaration of Independence
by the British Colonies in America was well known. The French upper-class
preached democracy and the poor joined in.
In 1788,
France had declared war on Great Britain, but couldn’t fund it. King Louis XVI
tried to raise taxes, but was stopped in his tracks by the Elites.
In
January 1789, King Louis XVI summoned the Estates General, (House of Lords)
established in 1302, to address the debt and unrest. In July 1789, the peasants
stormed the Bastille and the legislature abolished feudal (noble and clerical)
rights and published the “rights of man”.
In 1790,
the National Assembly abolished the Monarchy
In 1791,
the National Assembly ratified a new Constitution.
In 1792,
France and establishes the French Republic. France declares war on Austria.
Prussia declares war on France
In 1793,
King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette are executed. France declares war on
Britain and Netherlands
French
Military Officer Napoleon Bonaparte won fame in the Revolutionary wars from
1792 and was their most popular and successful General. He led a military coup
over the National Assembly and won. In
1799, Napoleon Bonaparte was named First Consul of France.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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