Unit 5
The late 18th century saw a shift in the balance of power in Europe. The traditional powers of France, Spain, and the Hapsburgs would be surpassed by the ascendancy of the British Empire. The rise in power would not come easy. The ideas of the Enlightenment sparked revolution in Britain’s North American colonies. The Enlightenment philosophies also ignited revolution in France. The revolution began in part as a reaction to the life styles of the French elite and the uncompromising views of the French absolute monarchs. By the late 1790s Napoleon rose to power in revolutionary France and his wars of conquest would ultimately involve most of Europe. The revolution also had an impact far beyond European shores. Revolutions in Haiti and South America began as a consequence. Though ultimately the French Revolution would fail its consequences had a lasting impact on Europe throughout the 19th century.
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