What happened during French revolution

 The Storming of the Bastille, 14 July 1789

The first clear expression of nationalism came with the French Revolution in (1789-1799). In 1789 France was under the rule of an absolute monarch.The political and constitutional changes that came along with the French Revolution led to the transfer of sovereignty from the monarchy to a body of French citizens.

 

King Louis XVI 's government was blamed for mishandling the fiscal crisis in 1780's

following are the things happened during the french revolution:

1. All are equal under the constitution.
2. A new french tricolor flag was designed to replace the former royal flag
3. The Estates General was elected by the
body of active citizens
4.oaths were taken and martyrs commemorated
5. A centralized administrative system was set up for formulating uniform laws for all citizens.
6.Internal customs duties and dues were abolished
and a uniform system of weights and measures was adopted.
7.French became the common language of the nation

Caricature of the third estate carrying the first estate (clergy) and the second estate(nobility) on his back

the french people wanted to spread the idea of nationalism all over Europe so they started carrying the idea to other oaths of the Europe.
In the different parts of Europe, the middle class people and students are inspired by this idea started setting up Jacobin clubs.

                                          The meeting of the Estates General on 5 May 1789 at Versailles


Napoleon seized the political power in France in 1799 and crowned himself as king in the year 1804. he destroyed the democracy in France and started spreading the territories, he introduced all the reforms which were already introduced in France.

He introduced The civil code of 1804 (Napoleonic code)

1.under which all are equal under the law, the privileges based on the births were taken.
2. The right to property was secured.
these laws spread to all the places which are under the French rule.
3.he also abolished the feudal system and freed
peasants from serfdom and manorial dues.
4.restrictions were removed and standardized weights and measures along with common national currency was adopted.

    The Declaration of of the rights of the man and of the civilization 26 August 1789

By these new laws, people were happy. In some places, the French armies were welcomed as people thought them as liberators.
but this enthusiasm doesn't last long because:
1.increased taxation and censorship
2.Forcibly enlisting common people  in the French armies.