French Revolution Stages and Napoleonic Era: Key Events

Posted on Mar 18, 2025 in History

The French Revolution: Key Stages

Privileged Revolt (1780)

Grave economic situation; the people could not pay taxes.

National Assembly (1789-1791)

  • Bastille Day – July 14, 1789
  • Abolition of feudalism – August 4, 1789
  • Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen – August 26, 1789
  • Civil Constitution of the Clergy – 1790
  • Constitution of 1791 (Monarchy, division of powers, and census suffrage)

Problems:

  • The Pope condemns religious and clergy division between sworn and non-sworn.
  • Political problem of emigrants.
  • Problem of the King with his ambiguous attitude.

Legislative Assembly (1791-1792)

  • Forfeiture of property – émigrés.
  • The first political parties appeared as clubs:
  • Jacobins (Robespierre): Radicals
  • Girondists (Brissot): Wanted to extend the Revolution.

News of the invasion of foreign powers produced a radicalization of the people and led to the assault on the Tuileries.

Convention or Terror (1792-1795)

  • “Universal Suffrage”
  • Girondins government and the execution of Louis XVI (January 1793)
  • Fall of the Girondins; Jacobin government (June 1793) and a more radical constitution.
  • Abolition of the monarchy.
  • Increased political and social tensions in France due to the foreign military threat.
  • Victory at Valmy.
  • Louis XVI guillotined.
  • Robespierre’s terror was unleashed, lasting a year.
  • The Constitution of 1793 was created.

Thermidorian Reaction

  • Against Robespierre’s Terror.
  • Girondins accession to power.
  • Constitution of 1795.
  • Census suffrage.
  • Separation of powers:
  • Legislative power (Council of Elders and Council of 500)
  • Judiciary (judges elected by the people)
  • Executive (5-member Directory designated by the Council of Elders)

The Napoleonic Era

The Consulate

Napoleon shared power with two others, forming the triumvirate of 1802. He was later declared sole consul for life.

Napoleon gave the consulate a new constitution, established a strong army, limited suffrage to the rich, and nullified the abolition of rights. He ended popular protests, Jacobinism, and repressed democratic trends.

He gradually accumulated power and, in 1804, was crowned emperor.

To control public order, Napoleon created new institutions and a series of reforms that strengthened the principles of 1791:

  1. First, he developed a civil code in 1804, a commercial code in 1807, and a penal code in 1810.
  2. Second, he reformed administrative centralization with representatives in each department, under the provisions of the government.
  3. Finally, he developed public education and linguistic information.

Napoleon’s Foreign Policy

Napoleon pursued a policy of conquest and succeeded in dominating Europe from the Elbe River to the Iberian Peninsula. He intended to create an empire in central France, introducing revolutionary institutions in the territories, thus breaking the absolutist regimes.

His condition as an invader generated strong resistance by absolutists and liberals who opposed the occupant’s nationalist sentiment.

French domain reached its zenith in 1812, but the failure in Russia, the difficulties in Spain, and the European coalition in 1813 led to its decline.

In 1814, the occupation of Paris by coalition forces led to the deposition of Bonaparte and the restitution of the Bourbons under Louis XVIII. Napoleon was banished to Elba, but popular discontent after the restoration of absolutism favored his return during the “Hundred Days.” However, he was defeated definitively by the allied powers at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and was exiled to the island of Saint Helena.