The French Revolution (1789-1799) is one of the most important events in the country's history. This decade of immense political and social upheaval had some important consequences for France and its people. First of all, the revolution abolished the monarchy and executed King Louis and his wife, Marie Antoinette. In their place came the creation of a French Republic, defined by the famous slogan, 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,' and built as a democratic institution.
Secondly, the French Revolution saw the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, the emperor of this new state, and his military and political conquest of much of Europe. In 1815, Napoleon was defeated by the English at the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to St Helena where he died in 1821. His death prompted European leaders to reorganise European boundaries in the hope that another dictator could never conquer the continent again.
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