French Revolution 1789.E2.80.931815 18th-century history of Germany

the confederation of rhine, confederation of client states of first french empire, existed 1806 1813.

german reaction french revolution mixed @ first. german intellectuals celebrated outbreak, hoping see triumph of reason , enlightenment. royal courts in vienna , berlin denounced overthrow of king , threatened spread of notions of liberty, equality, , fraternity. 1793, execution of french king , onset of terror disillusioned bildungsbürgertum (educated middle classes). reformers said solution have faith in ability of germans reform laws , institutions in peaceful fashion.

europe racked 2 decades of war revolving around france s efforts spread revolutionary ideals, annex belgium , rhine s left bank france , establish puppet regimes in netherlands, germany , italy. french revolutionaries open , strident republicanism led conclusion of defensive alliance between austria , prussia on 7 february 1792. alliance declared violation of borders of empire france cause war. extremists among french revolutionaries saw war chance defeat domestic opponents , embarrass king, austrian wife, marie-antoinette, emperor leopold ii s sister. demanded austria not disarm abandon alliances directed against france. upon leopold ii s refusal, france declared war on austria , prussia on 20 april. austria , prussia invaded france, defeated @ battle of valmy (1792). german lands saw armies marching , forth, bringing devastation (albeit on far lower scale thirty years war, 2 centuries before), bringing new ideas of liberty , civil rights people. prussia , austria ended failed wars france (with russia) partitioned poland among in 1793 , 1795. french took control of rhineland, imposed french-style reforms, abolished feudalism, established constitutions, promoted freedom of religion, emancipated jews, opened bureaucracy ordinary citizens of talent, , forced nobility share power rising middle class. napoleon created kingdom of westphalia (1807–1813) model state. these reforms proved largely permanent , modernized western parts of germany. when french tried impose french language, german opposition grew in intensity. second coalition of britain, russia, , austria attacked france failed. napoleon established direct or indirect control on of western europe, including german states apart prussia , austria. old holy roman empire little more farce; napoleon abolished in 1806 while forming new countries under control. in germany napoleon set confederation of rhine, comprising of german states except prussia , austria.

prussia tried remain neutral while imposing tight controls on dissent, german nationalism sharply on rise, small nation blundered going war napoleon in 1806. economy weak, leadership poor, , once mighty prussian army hollow shell. napoleon crushed @ battle of jena (1806). napoleon occupied berlin, , prussia paid dearly. prussia lost acquired territories in western germany, army reduced 42,000 men, no trade britain allowed, , berlin had pay paris heavy reparations , fund french army of occupation. saxony changed sides support napoleon , join confederation of rhine; elector rewarded title of king , given slice of poland taken prussia.

after napoleon s fiasco in russia in 1812, including deaths of many germans in invasion army, prussia joined russia. major battles followed in quick order, , when austria switched sides oppose napoleon situation grew tenuous. defeated @ battle of leipzig in late 1813, , empire unraveled. 1 after german states switched oppose napoleon, rejected peace terms. allied armies invaded france in 1814, paris fell, , in april napoleon surrendered. returned 100 days in 1815, defeated british , german armies @ waterloo. prussia big winner @ vienna peace conference, gaining extensive territory.