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John Locke's Philosophy
John Locke was an influential Enlightenment thinker whose ideas about natural rights and government by consent laid the groundwork for modern democracy. His works, such as "Two Treatises of Government," argued that people have the right to life, liberty, and property. -
Voltaire's Advocacy for Freedom of Speech
Voltaire, a prominent French Enlightenment writer, was a staunch advocate for civil liberties, including freedom of speech and religion. His satirical works, like "Candide," criticized the injustices of his time and promoted rational thought. -
Montesquieu's Separation of Powers
Montesquieu, another key Enlightenment thinker, proposed the idea of separating government powers into different branches to prevent any one group from gaining too much control. His work "The Spirit of the Laws" influenced the development of modern political systems, including the United States Constitution. -
The Encyclopédie
Edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert, the Encyclopédie was a massive reference work that aimed to compile all human knowledge and promote Enlightenment ideals. It included contributions from many leading intellectuals of the time and played a significant role in spreading Enlightenment ideas. -
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French revolution
a period of radical political and social upheaval in France that saw the overthrow of the absolute monarchy, the abolishment of the feudal system, and the establishment of a republic, largely fueled by economic hardship, social inequality, and Enlightenment ideals, leading to the execution of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette and eventually paving the way for Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power -
The National Assembly
acted as a body that would represent the needs of the French people -
The Tennis Court Oath
the men of the National Assembly swore an oath never to stop meeting until a constitution had been established -
storming of bastille
when a mob of angry French citizens and rebellious soldiers attacked the Bastille on 14 July 1789 -
The fall of the Bastille prison
an old fortress that had been used since 1659 as a state prison -
The abolition of feudal privileges
removed the privileges enjoyed by the nobility, allowing for greater social mobility among commoners -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Men are born free and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions can be based only on public utility. The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression. -
The Women's March on Versailles
a riot that took place during this first stage of the French Revolution -
The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
the overthrow of the French monarchy and the creation of the French Consulate, and later, the First French Empire -
The creation of the First French Republic
This period was characterized by the fall of the monarchy, the establishment of the National Convention and the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorian Reaction and the founding of the Directory, and, finally, the creation of the Consulate and Napoleon's rise to power. -
The execution of King Louis XVI
king louis was killed because he was found guilty of treason -
The Committee of Public Safety
created by the National Convention in 1793 with the intent to defend the nation against foreign and domestic enemies, as well as to oversee the new functions of the executive government -
The Reign of Terror
a violent period during the French Revolution where the revolutionary government, led by the Committee of Public Safety, executed large numbers of people deemed "enemies of the revolution," including nobles, priests, and suspected counter-revolutionaries, through mass executions by guillotine, marking a time of extreme political repression and fear -
The execution of Marie Antoinette
beheading by guillotine on 16 October 1793 -
The Thermidorian Reaction
This pivotal moment in the French Revolution marked the overthrow of Maximilien Robespierre and the end of the Reign of Terror. It led to a shift away from radical Jacobin policies towards a more moderate government, characterized by the dismantling of the Committee of Public Safety and the suppression of the revolutionary left through violence, including the "White Terror." -
The Directory
a fatal experiment in weak executive powers -
Napoleonic Code
One of Napoleon's most significant contributions was the establishment of the Napoleonic Code in 1804. This set of civil laws reformed the French legal system and influenced many other legal systems around the world. -
Battle of Austerlitz
Also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, this decisive victory on December 2, 1805, is considered one of Napoleon's greatest military achievements. It solidified his reputation as a brilliant strategist. -
The Continental System
To weaken Britain economically, Napoleon implemented the Continental System in 1806, which aimed to block British trade with continental Europe. However, this policy had mixed results and eventually contributed to economic difficulties in Europe. -
Exile to Elba
After a series of defeats, Napoleon was forced to abdicate the throne in 1814 and was exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean. He escaped less than a year later and returned to power for a brief period known as the Hundred Days. -
Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon's final defeat occurred at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. This battle marked the end of his rule and led to his second exile to the remote island of Saint Helena, where he spent the remaining years of his life.