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"Bastille Day." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.

Revolutionaries storming the Bastille

July 15, 1789 I remember when France was a thriving society, where there was no war, no poverty and everyone obeyed the laws. But now our motherland has changed. Peasants from the 3rd estate think that just because they have high taxes they have the right to storm a prison? These ungrateful workers, I give them decent pay and they claim it is not enough! What is now known as the Storming Of The Bastille was a frightening day. Thousands of peasants from the 3rd estate charged into the Bastille and started to behead guards and kill everything in their path. The peasants only had one aim, and that was to obtain guns from the prison. These pesky peasants, do not know what they are starting, I don’t even believe that they can grasp the magnitude of what they are igniting. You can hear them chanting in the streets: Egalite(Equality)! Fraternite(Brotherhood)!Liberte(Liberty)! What a joke, they are dears picking a fight with a lion.

You could feel the uneasiness ever since the taxes were raised on the peasants. They started to riot in the streets of Paris. In the countryside, peasants were becoming very agitated. As this started to happen food production started to slow down, soon famine struck. The citizens of the 3rd estate started to crave bread, they also argued that the laws only ensured nobles favoritism however that was not true the laws have always been just. The riots started to continue and bakery raids became more frequent. France, a once magnificent country was starting see a crash in its economy. Quite recently only 1 short month ago on June 20th, 1789 577 members of the 3rd estate were locked out of the Estates General a meeting only between the 2nd and 1st estate. The peasants wanted to present a constitution to the 1st and 2nd estate concerning all these problems that they were facing. It was mostly about how the laws only favored the 1st and 2nd estate. These irritating peasants complained and complained its no wonder they got locked out. Have they no common sense? Its a meeting specifically for the 1st and 2nd estate. Clearly they are just ignorant people.

After these troublesome peasants got locked out of the meeting, they must have gotten really mad and wanted to feel as if they have power. Just yesterday they stormed a prison! On July 14th, 1789 what seemed like thousands of members of the 3rd estate stormed the Bastille. The Bastille was a magnificent structure. One night my pregnant wife and I hired a carriage to go to my good friend Henri’s birthday dinner. However usually we would take our own carriage but our coachmen refused to come, I believe he took part in the storming. Henri lived close to the Bastille. I often made comments about his homes location, but he would always say that he was far enough. After the party was over our hired carriage had left us. We were very mad, it was extremely inconvenient. We decided to walk around and see if we could find another carriage. We were walking closer to the Bastille without actually knowing it. Suddenly when we were walking through an alley way dangerously close to the prison I heard gunshots and cannons firing.

My wife and I were stunned, at that time we did not know what was happening. Suddenly down an alley way I saw a group of peasants charging at us. I thought they were going rob us, but they ran right past us. It turns out they were running away from guards that were close on their heels. One of the prison guards aimed to take a shot I grabbed Louise and we both ducked behind a bunch of boxes hoping to get out of his line of vision. The guard took a shot at the youngest and slowest of the pack that had fell behind. The bullet pierced his back, he collapsed. In my mind all I was thinking was run, run as fast as I can with Louise. But then the boy... he was hurt and clearly in pain, I could not bear to imagine what the guards would to do to him if they caught him. But I couldn't I had to save myself, my love and my child. I turned tail and ran. We quickly ran out of our cover then ran towards the corner. I was running as fast as I could, just before we were about to turn the corner, I looked back and saw the guards brutally kick him in the stomach until the body was lifeless, until the color drained out of his eyes. They then dragged him away. We walked as fast as we could away from the Bastille. Eventually we hit another main road, where we hired a carriage. That night was a horrible, traumatizing experience. Just earlier today the news of the storming had already spread through the entire city of Paris! The news that I heard was that the peasants stormed the prison with torches, pitchforks and pikes. Once they got into the prison they acquired guns.I assume that was their aim all along. They are calling themselves the Vainqueurs de la Bastille(winners of the Bastille). This really scares me as now the revolutionaries have the vision as well as the firepower. The Bastille was not only a brilliant complex, it was also made with the thought that it would symbolize authority. Now that it has been raided, I have no idea what King Louis XVI will do. In my mind, I can at least foresee that France is about to take a change for the worst.

Antoine

The execution of King Louis

XVI"Execution of Louis XVI." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.

January 24, 1793 King Louis XVI is dead. The end of the French monarchy! He was publicly executed just 3 days ago on January 21 1793. People from the third estate think he was a terrible king, I thought he was a strong, powerful, fearless leader. But it turns out he is a coward. I do not want a ruler that is not strong that cannot stand his ground. Maybe the peasants are right, maybe a revolution is needed for France to change for the better. France’s future is most definitely uncertain. Our motherland’s power is slowly deteriorating. I want France to change for the better, more then anything else. I also want my boy to be raised in a somewhat stable society. But with whats been happening I highly doubt that anyone is going to be safe right now.

Why can’t these peasants just stay in there place? They are worthless people, they are lucky that I even employ them. Men had stormed the Bastille and now shortly after the women marched straight to King Louis XVl palace in Versailles. On their way they started to behead guards and stick their heads on pikes. They say say that they just wanted bread, they also wanted to King Louis XVI to come back to Paris with them. I was hoping that King Louis would stand his ground but he was a complete wimp and came back to Paris with them in fear. The march to versailles happened on 5th october 1789 only a few short months after the storming of the Bastille. Besides the peasants causing trouble, we also had to fight a war! On april 20, 1792 France went to war with Austria! This war also led to decline of the French monarchy. I can’t believe how many noble French troops were lost in that war. Our army suffered multiple defeats in the war, I was starting to lose hope in our army as well as our king. These events and the effects of these events paved the way for Maximilian Robespierre to rise in government standings. I rather have a leader like Robespierre who is decisive and capable to rule rather then someone who is ineffective like King Louis. I rather raise my child in a country that that is flourishing rather then one that is torn apart.

3 days ago I joined thousands and thousands of other people in Paris to witness the execution. As everyone watched King Louis emerge from his royal carriage looking prepared to die for the treason he committed. You could hear people hollering, shouting and overall booing. I could hear phrases and words like: crétin(moron),roi stupide(stupid king), lâche(coward) being shouted out. I never wanted him to be executed. I just wanted him to abdicate his throne. Before he was about to be executed he gave one last weak attempt at regaining his dignity, by trying to make a somewhat pathetic speech. I could not even hear it. All I heard was shouting and booing. As he laid down on the guillotine, I felt a rush of emotions. I wanted a better King for our land but, what if there is no better leader? What is going to happen next? I watched as they released the blade, as his head was sliced off. It reminded me of whenever I cut butter, the knife seamlessly hits the butter then continues on throughout without any hesitation. King Louis XVI is now dead. I’m wondering if I should support the peasants. Just 4 years earlier I was disgusted by how these peasants wanted to make a change and what they did to try and make a change. However now I see what they were trying to do and why. France’s king was weak and did not deserve to rule. After King Louis death life just continues on. Louise, Elliot(son) and I are trying to live our lives to the fullest considering what is going on around us. Although, I can’t help but shake off the feeling that something bad is coming, as if a reign of terror is approaching. Antoine

"Napoleon Crossing the Alps." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.

Napoleon crossing the Alps

November 11th, 1799Finally! France is flourishing. France, a country that underwent a 10 year revolution has changed for the better. Our leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, has seized political power, I even heard that he will soon crown himself emperor of France. Even though some people dislike Napoleon I support him. He is a successful military general that led France to a lot of foreign victories. He is smart, tactical and brave. Everything that France needs in a king. I believe he will ensure a strong future for France. That is all I want, a country in which Elliot (8 year old son) can grow up in. In time he can grow up and call France his home.

A few years ago, I lost all hope for France. The reign of terror had begun and the genocide of the French people had started. Guillotines were wheeled into town centers and people were brought up to be executed. During that horrible time more then 40,000 people were killed. I thought we would be out of harms way as I am a noble but Robespierre was not only ordering the execution of peasants, he was also targeting and killing government officials and nobles. No one was safe. When Henri got be headed I just mentally broke down. It was as if there was no law anymore as if anyone could report anyone and they would get killed. I started to think about fleeing to Switzerland, I just wanted to protect Louise & Elliot. Thank god Robespierre was finally executed. Alexandre (friend) has connections within the government and he told me that there was a group of officials that knew that they were next on Robespierre’s list to be head. These members then devised a plan to get Robespierre hated by the public then executed. I am grateful for what they did to stop the mastermind behind the massacre. After he was executed a directory of 5 members was set up. The directory lasted for 4 years, I believe that time period was known as the Directory Era. The directory members really did not do anything to help France. They were as useless as a carriage without a horse. I suppose that was one of the reasons Napoleon came to power so easily. In contrast he is far greater then the directory. The directory basically paved the way for Napoleon to come into power. Thank god that happened!

Now that we have Napoleon, our best military general, who won the war against Austria for us, I believe he will bring France back to her former strength. Napoleon is not only Frances best general, he is very clever, likable, brave and extremely charismatic. No wonder after we won the war he jumped to the top of political standings. It is quite astonishing that a 34 year old could be this successful. He has all of the characteristics that King Louis XVI never had. As I look back into the years, I always wonder what would have happened if the revolution failed. Or if King Louis XVI was still king. France would be a very different country. It’s been a crazy 10 years. I can still remember that day when Elliot was not even born yet and Louise and I almost had a near death experience during the storming of the Bastille. When I saw the boy get beaten to death, when I witnessed the very King I once supported get executed. Now I can stand here proud to watch Napoleon come to power. I once mocked and disapproved of what the peasants were doing and what they were starting. However now my view has changed, now I realize that change was needed. I am proud to be French as we have had our hardships but in the end we are strong and we will stay strong. France, a country that has suffered in the past years and endured a revolution, is now starting to gain back her former power.

Antoine