A. Provide basic information about the following figure and their participation in the French Revolution and in the Napoleonic War . Also include their achievements and he reason of their downfall.
1. Napoleon Bonaparte
ans:
Napoleon Bonaparte is an Italian.He was a military and political leader of France and Emperor of the French as Napoleon I, whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_I
During his long career Napoleon Bonaparte conquered most of Europe and became such a feared soldier that his opponents in Britain, Russia, Austria and Prussia had him declared 'an enemy of humanity'. This section on his military campaigns covers the important details and battles of the wars that led to Napoleon Bonaparte becoming the greatest leader of armies in history.Napoleon was one of the greatest military commanders in history. He has also been portrayed as a power hungry conqueror. Napoleon denied being such a conqueror. He argued that he was building a federation of free peoples in a Europe united under a liberal government. But if this was his goal, he intended to achieve it by taking power in his own hands. However, in the states he created, Napoleon granted constitutions, introduced law codes, abolished feudalism, created efficient governments and fostered education, science, literature and the arts.Napoleon I Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, King of Italy (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution; the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from 11 November 1799 to 18 May 1804; then Emperor of the French (Empereur des Français) and King of Italy under the name Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 to 6 April 1814; and briefly restored as Emperor from 20 March to 22 June 1815. Napoleon fled to Rochefort, where he surrendered to the captain of the British battleship Bellerophon. He was then exiled to Saint Helena, a remote island in the south Atlantic Ocean, where he remained until his death on May 5, 1821.
http://www.orble.com/napoleon-bonapartes-downfall/



2. Duke Wellington
ans:
Wellesley was an Anglo-Irish general and statesman, victor of the Battle of Waterloo and twice British prime minister.Wellesley achieved considerable military success, taking part in the Mysore War against Tipu Sultan. During the subjugation of the Mahrattas he achieved a remarkable victory at Assaye (1803).In England he was knighted and became a member of parliament.In 1807, he was appointed chief secretary for Ireland.In 1808, he assumed control of the British, Portuguese and Spanish forces in the Peninsular War (1808 - 1814), eventually forcing the occupying French to withdraw from Spain and Portugal. When Napoleon abdicated in 1814, Wellesley returned home a hero and was created duke of Wellington.He believed in strong, authoritative government and an isolationist policy, although he antagonised sections of his party by forcing through the Catholic Emancipation Act (1829). His opposition to parliamentary reform made him unpopular, and he earned the nickname of the 'Iron Duke' when he erected iron shutters on the windows of his London home, Apsley House, to prevent them being smashed by angry crowds.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wellington_duke_of.shtml

3. Maximilien Robespierre
ans:
Robespierre qualified as an advocate in 1781 and sought to establish a legal practice at his home town of Arras. He became known both as a successful advocate and as a participant in local literary and philosophic circles. He was elected as a "Third Estate" (i.e. a Commoner rather than an Aristocratic or Clerical) deputy of Artois to the Estates-General that convened at the Palace of Versailles, on May 5th 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, and subsequently served in the National Constituent Assembly, where his earnest and skillful oratory soon commanded attention.http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/historical/biography/maximilien_robespierre.html..
He was a fanatical republican who thought the end justified the means.A supreme political mover, Robespierre quickly became one of the leaders of the infant republic and, with his Committee of Public Safety, pushed the Terror on to France.
http://www.napoleonguide.com/leaders_robes.htm
Robespierre's downfall begins when the decree of 22 Prairial (also known as law of 22 Prairial) was introduced to the public without the consultation from the Committee of General Security, which in turn doubled the number of executions permitted by the Committee of Public Safety because a young girl by the name of Cécile Renault attempt to murder him.This law permitted executions to be carried out even under simple suspicion of citizens thought to be counter-revolutionaries without extensive trials.This was part of the beginning of Robespierre’s downfall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilien_Robespierre#Downfall

4. George Danton
ans:
George Jacques Danton was one of the leaders of the French revolution. He founded the club of the Cordeliers, was foremost in organizing and conducting the attack on the Tuileries, on August the 10th, 1792, and as a reward for such services was made minister of justice and a member of the provisional executive council.
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/cgi-bin/res.pl?keyword=George+Danton&offset=0..During the revolution he said, he was on the people's side, but he had tried to help the king out of the country.He proclaimed the Republic and started a war.http://library.thinkquest.org/C0120706/danton.htm.*He was accused of being too soft by counter revolutionaries. Even his Jacobins friends criticize his thirst for power and money. He was then fired from the "Comite de Salut public" and Robespierre took his position. In August 1793, he supported the "sans culottes" and the Terror. In November, he lost power within the "Cordeliers" group where Hebert, a politician who supported very radical revolutionaries ideas, gained all the support. Danton was left alone, with no support from his past friends. On March 30th, 1794 15 days after the execution of the Hebert group, Danton was arrested with Desmoulins. He was accused by the revolutionaries court of being an enemy of the Republique. He was condemned and killed on April 5th, 1794. His last words were: "Do not forget to show my head to the people, it is well worth seeing".
http://bastille-day.com/biography/Danton


B. What happened to France after the Napoleonic War. Discuss and provide a brief and concise account about the war.
ans:
Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, he abdicated and went into exile on St. Helena Island in the South Atlantic. Louis XVIII returned to rule over France.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_happened_at_the_end_of_the_Napoleonic_Wars#ixzz1F3FQQEaU


.C. Introduce the following personalities and their accomplishments in their respective countries:
1. Quen Isabela
ans:
Quen Isabela is a Queen of Castile and Aragon, and Queen of Spain. She is also known as Isabella of Castile and Aragon, Isabella the Catholic, Isabel la Catolica.Queen Isabella I ruled Castile and Aragon jointly with her husband, Ferdinand (Ferdinand II of Aragon, Ferdinand V of Castile).Isabella was also a patron of scholars and artists, establishing educational institutions and building a large collection of art works.Ferdinand and Isabella were given the title "the Catholic monarchs" (los Reyes Católicos) by the Pope, in recognition of their role in "purifying" the faith.
http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/medrenqueens/p/p_isabella_i.htm

2. King Carlos V
ans:
Charles V ruled the largest collection of European land since Charlemagne over 700 years earlier. Charles was Duke of Burgundy, King of the Spanish Empire and the Habsburg territories, which included Austria and Hungary, as well as Holy Roman Emperor; he continued to acquire more land throughout his life. The manner of Charles’ rise to the throne caused upset, with some Spaniards wishing for his mother to remain in power.Charles caused more problems in the manner in which he initially governed the kingdom.
http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/spain/a/revoltcomun1.htm

3. King Philip II
ans:
King Phillip II of Spain played a major role in English history at the time of the Tudors.Phillip of Spain was a very powerful emperor, his lands spreading not only throughout Spain but also throughout much of Europe: his inheritance being much of Holland, Austria and other parts of the 'Low Countries'.Philip banned the Protestant religion in all of the countries he ruledPhilip wanted to make England a Catholic country again.Philip made use of the Spanish Inquisition to control his people.
He annexed Portugal in 1580 and as an ardent supporter of the Inquisition stamped out heresy which might be regarded as accomplishments. . But he was a disastrous ruler, at his death leaving his Empire divided, demoralised and nearly bankrupt, depleted by the almost continuous wars which characterised his reign.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080116183602AAAnsFT

4. Ivan the Terrible
ans:
Ivan the Terrible was the first Grand Prince to have himself officially crowned tsar. As a boy, Ivan IV suffered under the regents. While he was treated with respect in public, in private he was often neglected and tortured. He also witnessed the boyars fighting to come to power. These two things are believed to have caused Ivan IV to be cruel. As a child he was known to torture animals, and as an adult his actions earned him the name Ivan the Terrible.http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/russia/ivantheterrible.html Ivan ‘Grozny’ was the first Russian ruler to take the title tsar (from Caesar). Grozny means ‘terrible’ or ‘awesome’ and he deserved that title more.
http://www.answers.com/topic/ivan-iv-of-russia#ixzz1F3NZQSKD

5. Peter the Great
ans:
Peter the Great centralised government, modernised the army, created a navy and increased the subjugation and subjection of the peasants in Russia. His domestic policy allowed him to execute an aggressive foreign policy.Peter the Great’s sheer physical presence seemed to indicate the way his rule would go. He was nearly 7 feet tall and very broad. He was massively powerful, "loud-mouthed, violent, ruthless and impetuous". He always wanted to learn and was always active.
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/peter_the_great.htm.
Peter the great was a vivacious Czar who ruled from 1672 to 1725. His accomplishments were the creation of the first Russian Navy, expansion of trade, and military reforms. Peter the great established the City of St. Petersburg. Peter started the long journey of the modernization of Russia.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_were_the_accomplishments_of_Peter_the_Great

6. Catherine the Great
ans;
One of the most interesting, industrious and powerful personages to grace the pages of history during the eighteenth century is Catherine II, Empress of all the Russias. http://nevermore.tripod.com/CGREAT.HTM
She helped set the foundations for the Russian “Westernization” in the 19th and 20th centuries.She consolidated power from the serfs and feudal lords by continuing the political reforms started by Peter the Great.
http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/catherine2.html

7. Maria Theresa
ans;
Maria Theresa (1717-1780), archduchess of Austria, Holy Roman Empress, and queen of Hungary and Bohemia, began her rule in 1740. She was the only woman ruler in the 650 history of the Habsburg dynasty. She was also one of the most successful Habsburg rulers, male or female, while bearing sixteen children between 1738 and 1756.
http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/mariatheres.html

Maria Theresia is considered an enlightened monarch, and she was one of the longest running ruler in our country history. However, we call her reign an enlightened absolutism. Her first half of the reign was preoccupied with the wars for a succession and keeping her on the throne, from which she lost the wealthiest land of the monarchy, Silesia. These wars were waged against Prussia and France who occupied most of the country.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081221095637AASL6XB

1. Where did the name France came from?
Ans:
The name France came from the Latin 'Francia' which means country of the Franks.

2. What is absolute monarchy? Tell how it ended as a system of government in France?
Ans:
France's political system of absolute monarchy was first initiated in the 17th century. After the period of the renaissance monarchy which was mainly based on the political consensus between monarch, social classes and the submissive’s league, absolute monarchy slowly emerged in the 16th century and was finally established during the 17th century.
3. Tell something about the following leaders in France ( their role, achievements, accomplishments)
a. King Louis XIII

-He is theKing of France and Navarre from 1610 to 1643. Along with his First Minister Cardinal Richelieu, Louis "the Just" is remembered for the establishment of the Académie française and participation in the Thirty Years' War against the House of Habsburg. France's greatest victory in the war came at the Battle of Rocroi, five days after Louis' death— apparently from complications of intestinal tuberculosis, "marking the end of Spain's military ascendancy in Europe.

b. King Louis XIV
-He was the builder of the Palace of Versailles and he revoked the Decree of Nantes.

c. Cardinal Richelieu
-A French-Italian cardinal, diplomat, and politician, who served as the chief minister of France from 1642 until his death. Mazarin succeeded his mentor, Cardinal Richelieu. He was a noted collector of art and jewels, particularly diamonds, and he bequeathed the "Mazarin diamonds.His personal library was the origin of the Bibliothèque Mazarine in Paris.

d. Mazarin
-Mazarin followed Filippo I Colonna as captain of infantry in his regiment during the war in Monferrato of 1628, over the succession to Mantua. During this war he gave proofs of much diplomatic ability, and Pope Urban VIII entrusted him, in 1629, with the difficult task of putting an end to the war of the Mantuan succession.

4. What is a General Estates in France? What is its composition? Describe each.
Ans:
France under the Ancient Regime, the States-General or Estates-General was a legislative assembly of the different classes of French subjects. It had a separate assembly for each of the three estates, which were called and dismissed by the king. It had no true power in its own right—unlike the English parliament it was not required to approve royal taxation or legislation^[1] instead it functioned as an advisory body to the king, primarily by presenting petitions from the various estates and consulting on fiscal policy^[2]. The Estates-General met from intermittently until 1614 and rarely afterwards, but was not definitively dissolved until after the French Revolution^[2].

It is comparable to similar institutions across Europe, such as the States-General of the Netherlands, the Parliament of England, the Estates of Parliament of Scotland, the Cortes of Spain, the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Diets (German: Landtage) of the historic states of Germany.

5. Tell something about the following events in the history of France:

1. Hundred Years War
-The precursors to the Hundred Years’ War came from both the French and the English. The French kings attempted to assert control over the English-held province of Guyenne [located in southwest France and corresponding to the present day French département of Gironde and most of the départements of Aveyron, Dordogne, Lot and Lot-et-Garonne]. Guyenne, [also known as Guyenne-et-Gascogne] from the earliest Roman days, had been part of what is now known as the region of Aquitaine. The 1259 Treaty of Paris, between Louis IX of France and Henry III of England, had made Henry III the vassal of Louis IX for both Guyenne and Gascony. England had previously maintained dominance over both Aquitaine and Gascony as a result of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s 12^th century marriage to Henry II of England.

2. Thirty Years War
-In 1618, in the Bohemian capital of Prague, three Imperial representatives were thrown out of a window of the Hradshin Palace by angry Bohemian Protestant nobles. They were angry because the man who was soon to become Emperor, the future Emperor Ferdinand II, was a devout Catholic and had made it clear that he would not tolerate Protestantism. This was the "Defenestration of Prague"; the incident which ignited the powder barrel. In 1619, when the old Emperor died, the Bohemians refused to offer the crown of Bohemia to the new Emperor Ferdinand. He in turn decided to take the crown by force and to eliminate Protestantism in that part of the Empire (remember the Peace of Augsburg).

3. War of Spanish Successions
-The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) was fought among several European powers, principally the Spanish loyal to Archduke Charles, the Holy Roman Empire, Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, Portugal and the Duchy of Savoy against the Spanish loyal to Philip V, France and the Electorate of Bavaria over a possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. Such a unification would have drastically changed the European balance of power. The war was fought mostly in Europe but included Queen Anne's War in North America and it was marked by the military leadership of notable generals including the Duc de Villars, the Jacobite Duke of Berwick, the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy. It resulted in the recognition of Philip as King of Spain while requiring him to renounce any claim to the French throne and to cede much of the Spanish Crown's possessions to the Holy Roman Empire, the Dutch Republic, Savoy and Great Britain, partitioning the Spanish Empire in Europe.

4. French Revolution
-he French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–99) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in French and European history. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years. French society underwent an epic transformation as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from liberal political groups and the masses on the streets. Old ideas about hierarchy and tradition succumbed to new Enlightenment principles of citizenship and inalienable rights.