HIST 2040 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Levée En Masse, Continental System, British Sea Power
11 Feb 2013
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Document Summary
The nation in arms & the napoleonic wars. I the french revolution: the crisis of the old regime. Rising cost of war in the 18th century exposed french monarchy"s structural weaknesses. Debts from american war worsened royal deficits and convinced louis xvi"s government of need for financial & administrative reform. Resistance to reform forced the king to call an estates-general: the nation"s will & the rights of man. Deputies of the third estate declared themselves the national assembly. Parliamentary revolution"s success ensured by violent action of lower classes. French troops supported the crowds which stormed the bastille (14 july 1789) National assembly abolished privilege and proclaimed the declaration of the rights of man & France declared war on austria (april 1792) Second revolution overthrew the constitutional monarchy (august 1792: war & terror. National convention executed louis xvi & expanded the war. French republic also faced pressure from lower-class militants & provincial rebellion.
