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