This Page Is Dedicated To The People (On Either Side) That Played A Major Role In The French Revolution.
Jacques Necker~ Born September 30th, 1732. Died April 9th, 1804. Jacques Necker was an important piece in the French Revolution. Necker was named Finance Minister by Louis XVI and he sustained the position well by helping out the debt and funding the American War of Independence. While he was doing that job, he criticized the Royal pension and the Royal Family expenditures in a letter named "Compte rendu au roi". This was an upset to the royals and the citizens could now see firsthand the expenses of the Royal Family. For this, Jacques Necker was fired. Oddly enough, he was rehired on August 25, 1788 due to France being in "Financial Turmoil". Necker urged the King to call an Estates General meeting, but Necker still held his beliefs about the letter. So, after the Estates General meeting, Louis the XVI was mad at his statements during the meeting and fired him once again. Half ironically, due to the Storming of the Bastille, the King rehired Necker yet again. Jacques Necker was considered a Hero by the citizens, but wasn't able to hold back their anger about the strong Monarchy. He refused to work with others and was exiled to Switzerland.
King Louis XVI (The 16th)~ Born August 23, 1754. Died January 21, 1793. This King was at rule when France had huge Financial Turmoil. At this point, only the Third Estate (peasants) had to pay taxes. Those of the Clergy (First Estate) and Nobility (Second Estate) paid little to know taxes. Needing an adviser to help with he crisis, King Louis XVI called upon Jacques Necker. But still, the Third Estate has tons of taxes to pay. Helping the start of the Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre and his colleagues stood before the King at the Estates General Meeting and stated that France needed all three of the Estates to pay taxes. The King, feeling pressed by the growing anger and silenced the whole Third estate, including Robespierre. Against the King, the Third Estate took an oath (the Tennis Court Oath) to form the National Assembly. To guard themselves, they took to the armory and took loads of muskets. They also needed gunpowder, so famously, the National Assembly stormed the Bastille and killed six guards along the way. Also they broke out seven political prisoners. Still being in power, Louis hoped that a win in the war between Austria and France would help him ascertain a higher authority. The King was suspected of treason and the Royal Palace was captured and his powers were suspended. Finally, proof that King Louis XVI planned counter-revolution actions were found and he was charged with treason. He died by a guillotine.
Marie Antoinette~ Born November 2, 1755. Died October 16, 1793. Marie was the bride to King Louis XVI. Being a queen of such stature, she was known to spend large amounts of money on nothing she needed. This caused the peasants, or Third Estate, to become upset that their heavy taxes paid for such trifling things. The French Revolution ensued as Marie mourned the loss of her son. After the citizens of the Third Estate stormed the Bastille, they stormed the Palace of Versailles. They tore the place down, taking things for their own, and killed a few guards. From there, they took Marie Antoinette and the rest of the Royal Family prisoner. They took them to Paris where the French Revolution raged around them. After her husband being found guilty and executed, Marie herself was also executed.
Maximilien Robespierre~ Born May 6, 1758. Died July 28, 1794. Robespierre was a radical in the French Revolution. Maximilien stood against the King and became popular for his distaste in Monarchy and standing up for the need of a Democracy. Maximilien began as a good man, he believed that slavery and the death penalty should not be permitted. In April of 1789, Robespierre was elected to the spot of President of the Jacobins, a group against the King. Nearin gthe end of that year, Robespierre argued, successfully, for the execution of King Louis XVI. The next year, Maximilien was elected to the Committee of Public Safety. Swiftly, the Reign of Terror (for more information on this event, click 'Events' located to the right of the screen) was put in to place to protect from troubles both from within and outside of France. Maximilien, now abandoning his humane opinions, now wished to lay waste to his opposing political enemies. Many people could see the monster he was becoming. In an effort to stop this manifestation, they imprisoned him. Unfortunately, Robespierre escaped prison and retreat to the Hôtel de Ville, or the City Hall, in Paris. The place was stormed and Maximilien was taken and later, executed. Ironically, he was killed by guillotine.
Napoleon Bonaparte~ Born August 15, 1769. Died May 5, 1821. Napoleon attended Military school where he shot through the ranks. He aimed to be an Artillery Officer. He became an Artillery Lieutenant. By age 26, in 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte was in charge of the entire French Army. He later made the Austrians sign a peace treaty named "Treaty of Campo Formio". Using intelligent warfare, Napoleon knew he couldn't defeat Britain's army head on, he gained control of their trade routes and slowly deteriorated Britain's economy. Later, Napoleon became the first consul, drove out the Austrian army, and made Britain sign a peace treaty (the peace only lasted a year). A few years later, Napoleon, in an act that made The Pope angry, crowned himself Emperor. Napoleon ended the "Holy Roman Empire" and began the "Confederation of Rhine". Ending his reign, Napoleon fought the Russians in Russia. the Russians used the Winter to their advantage and made Bonaparte's army stave, sicken, and die off. For losing such a huge battle and getting a large part of the army killed, Napoleon was exiled to an island named Elba. In 1814, Bonaparte escaped exile and marched on the French capital with an army of 1,000 supporters. After a single war won, Napoleon lost The Battle of Waterloo and was exiled. Only now Bonaparte under surveillance. He died, by what was presumably stomach cancer, and his remains were buried in France.
Work Cited:
"Necker Biography." Jacques Necker Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.
"Biography of King Louis XVI." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
"Biography of Marie Antoinette." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.
"Biography of Maximilien Robespierre." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014.
"Bonaparte Biography." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
"Necker Biography." Jacques Necker Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.
"Biography of King Louis XVI." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
"Biography of Marie Antoinette." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.
"Biography of Maximilien Robespierre." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014.
"Bonaparte Biography." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.