InNo+French+Revolution+Notes+Nicholas+Lim+09.17.10

The Legacy of the Revolution Era
 * French Revolution and rule of Napoleon ended in 1815.
 * Went on to affect people all over Europe for several more years, shaping their lives.

Traces of the Revolutionary Era
 * French streets named after famous generals in the revolution.
 * Measurements were invented by the revolutionaries in 1795 and are still used today.
 * Some flags in the Europe are modeled after the tricolor flag of the revolutionaries of 1789
 * Most important are ideas on organizing societies.
 * Two sets of ideas, first is Liberalism.

Liberalism
 * Estates General declared itself as a "National Assembly" in 1789 and wrote a set of rules on how country is run.
 * "Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen" gave people equal rights and liberties.
 * One of the most important achievements and spread throughout Europe when Napoleon conquered the states.
 * After old rulers regained power and got rid of constitutions, millions of people liked the constitution and became liberals, wanting a constitution that gave them liberty and equality.

Nationalism
 * The second idea was Nationalism, meaning France was a nation and not a kingdom.
 * France belonged to the 28 million people and not just the King.
 * Set up a National Assembly to let their voices to be heard.
 * Adopted the the tricolor flag to represent the nation, red and white represent the people while blue represented King.
 * New nations setup in lands conquered, many countries were combined and ruled according to a constitution.
 * Ended in 1815, politicians defeated Napoleon and met in Vienna to redraw map of Europe
 * Countries with similar or different nationalities were mixed up and ruled under monarchy.
 * People did not forget how it was like living in a nation and started revolutions like the French.

Revolution
 * Revolutions started by 1820, 1830 and 1848 by Liberals and Nationalists.
 * Germany wanted to be one united country etc.
 * Revolutions broke out in 6 countries, Belgians rebelled against Dutch King William, did not like his government and wanted free press and better jobs.
 * King William refused and the Belgians turned to violence, after many battles, the Belgians drove Dutch out and made Belgium an independent country.
 * Europe was shaken by revolutions in 1848, Austrian Empire had Hungarian people rebelling against them, where they drew up demands for the King to meet.

Images of Revolution
 * Revolutionaries borrowed images and idea from the French Revolution in the 19th century. Most famous being "Liberty"
 * Created in 1792, used as a symbol to the new Republic.
 * Portrayed as a young woman (Marianne), holding a club used to kill many-headed monsters of "despotism".
 * Other hand has a "liberty cap" used to be worn by freed roman slaves and became fashionable among sans culottes in 1792.
 * Young woman (Marianne) appeared in countless pictures, statues and models.
 * Most popular depiction is the Statue of Liberty in New York, gift from France to the United States as a symbol of their friendship. Used to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American independence.
 * Also appeared in Italian socialist newspaper and a model of the statue of Liberty build by the student revolutionaries using blocks of polystyrene in China (1989).

Legends and Myths of Revolution
 * Many myths and legends created, most lasting being the Napoleonic legend.
 * Before his death Napoleon dictated memoirs and asked friends to write down everything said.
 * Writings showed him as a great hero and helped to create his reputation as a great historical figure when it was published.
 * British allowed his body to be moved to France for reburial in 1840, most visited tourist attraction in Paris.
 * Spread in many ways, Arc de Triomphe is the largest triumphal arc in the world depciting the 172 victories the French armies won in the revolutionary and Napoleonic era.
 * 20 franc coins bore his portrait, brands of cigars and brandy named after him and lullabies sang about him.

Summary The French Revolution had a long after effect on the governments in Europe, influence measurements, street names. Also allowed many other countries to rebel for two main ideas, Liberalism and Nationalism. Countries under Napoleon experienced what it felt like to be a nation and even after the old royalties regained power, people started to rebel for freedom and equal rights. After the revolution, new borders were drawn up, nothing to do with nationalities, separating people from each other. In 1820, 1830, 1848 rebellions took place in Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Art was also based on the revolution, the most famous being the woman symbolizing Liberty (Marianne). She appeared in several paintings, statues and models, the most famous being the Statue of Liberty. Myths and legends were also created about the revolution, most famous being the Napoleonic legend. He asked people to write down his memoirs which helped to create his reputation. 20 years after his death the British allowed France to move his body back and to bury him. Many things used to honor him, such as he Arc de Triomphe, money, lullabies and brands of cigars and brandy.

Questions How did his friends write down his memoirs if he was exiled onto the island of St. Helena?