World Civilizations timeline for Unit 4.
Created by julias4 on Nov 16, 2009
Last updated: 12/14/09 at 10:46 PM
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The newest Louis to take over France became quickly unpopular with his people. When this news reached Napoleon, it quickly boosted his moral, and thus he escaped from Elba (where he’s been imprisoned). Upon his return to France, he was greeted by cheering crowds of supporters who quickly joined his army. However, his sudden return and regaining of control made the other European allies nervous. British forces prepared to battle near Waterloo, Belgium. Napoleon attacked on the 18th of June, 1850. The British forces held their ground until the Prussian army was able to arrive and drive the French soldiers away and out of a neighboring field. This loss marked Napoleons final attempt to regain power before being shipped by the British to St. Helena.
Miguel hidalgo was a poor but well educated man who wholeheartedly believed in the ideas of the Enlightenment. One day, Hidalgo rang the bell of his church and gave what is today known as the grito de Dolores, or cry for Dolores, the first call to action for rebellion against the oppressive Spanish rule. His large forces succeeded in sufficiently scaring the Spanish upper class, but the amaturish militia were defeated a year after their conception.
The French colony of San Dominique had an economy based entirely on slave labor. However, that did not mesh with the ideas of the Enlightenment that had come to run France. So, the slaves of modern day Haiti were freed. However, once Napoleon came to power, he tried to enslave them once again. They would not stand to have their freedom confiscated, and under the leadership of Boukman, a Catholic Voodoo Priest, they rebelled. The Haitians were eventually able to overcome the French Troops because the so vastly outnumbered the military forces Napoleon had spared to deal with their rebellion.
In 1804, Napoleon named himself Emperor of France, with overwhelming support of the people. When the pope went to place the crown on his head, Napoleon took the crown and did it himself. In doing this, Napoleon showed how his France would be different than the previously Church- run Paris. Despite the many enemies he'd made in the Royal Families of other european nations, he went on conquer or set up puppet governments in the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, and the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, creating one of Europe's vastest empires.
Napoleon uses a coup d'etat, or quick military takeover, to bloodlessly overthrow the French Directory (France's governing body at the time). He then sets up a governing body of three consuls naming himself First consul, and eventually eliminating the other two, so he solely runs France.
Louis the 14th was a ruler who believed in absolute monarchy. When he passed the throne to his grandson Louis the 16th, he gave a country in debt, with unresolved issues and frustrated citizens. Louis the 16th was mostly controlled by his Austrian wife, Marie Antionette, whom the French people largely despised. The Enlightenment also played a major part. It got nobles thinking about the freedom of speech and the social contract, and commoners finally thought they had a chance to reverse the plight that left them hungry and poor. When the Americans were able to successfully win independence from Britain, it set an example for the French, and gave them the feeling they could take matters into their own hands.
As the American Colonies continued to prosper and grow, the minds of the colonists began to foster the idea of American independence. The colonists were subjected to Parliament’s laws, but had no representation themselves, and felt it was unfair for them to be subjected to many of England’s taxes and tariffs. As a result of the Boston Tea Party and other incidents of political rebellion, England continued to further buckle down on the colonists. Eventually they became so frustrated that an American Militia was involved in a shooting with the British Military. The “shot heard ‘round the world,” as it was called, commenced the American Revolution.
Baron de Montesquei was a French philosopher who first coined the idea of Separation of Powers. He believed Britain was the best example of a balanced government of his time, and that the purpose of power was to keep power in check. This was the main theme of his book, and was later used as the foundation for the United States Constitution.
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