French Revolution Research Paper

HISTORY

Since the beginning of human development, humans had to rely on finding food, water, and shelter in order to survive. Traveling to different places to find these sources humans entered the territory now known as France. Humans first started to settled in France about two million years ago. According to the National Geographic, “by 300,000 B.C., Neanderthals arose there, and by 40,000 B.C., Cro-Magnons had arrived.” Over time, there where Celtic tribes that were from central Europe who moved into their region. When the Romans occupied their territory it then became Gaul, part of the Roman Empire. In 51 B.C. Julius Caesar gained full control over Gaul. Then around 400 A.D., the Roman Empire was diminishing. The National Geographic stated that “Gaul was attacked by neighboring tribes, including Visigoths, Vandals, and the Germanic Franks, from which France would eventually get its name.” In 843 A.D. they created a treaty to form the territory known as West Francia, which later became France.

Several wars were fought over who would rule France, including the Hundred Years War, from 1337 to 1453. In 1789, a violent period of change called the French Revolution began. Louis XVI was king during the time as the peasants and people of France revoulted eventually ending in the overthrow of the monarchy. French then became its own country after the French Revolution led by Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon then pursued the Napoleonic wars which gave up some territory allowing to a greater German territory and British Empire. This in result ended the reign of Napoleon