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Eighth Crusade
The Eighth Crusade of 1270 CE was, like the Seventh Crusade (1248-1254 CE), led by the French king Louis IX (r. 1226-1270 CE). As previously, the idea was to attack and defeat the Muslims first in Egypt and then either reconquer or negotiate...

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Louis XVI Educating His Son in the Tower of the Temple
As a prisoner in the Tower of the Temple, King Louis XVI of France still made sure to educate his son, the dauphin Louis-Charles (Louis XVII of France) on history and geography. Image by unknown author. Museum of the French Revolution, Vizille...

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Napoleonic Concordat of 1801 & Religious Pluralism
The Napoleonic Concordat of 1801 defined France's relationship with the Catholic Church for over 100 years. The Organic Articles were added in 1802 and provided state recognition of the Reformed and Lutheran confessions alongside the Catholic...

Definition
Storming of the Tuileries Palace
The Storming of the Tuileries Palace, also commonly known as the Insurrection of 10 August, was a defining moment in the French Revolution (1789-99) that saw the armed revolutionaries of Paris invade the residence of King Louis XVI of France...

Definition
Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction refers to the period of the French Revolution (1789-1799) between the fall of Maximilien Robespierre on 27-28 July 1794 and the establishment of the French Directory on 2 November 1795. The Thermidorians abandoned...

Definition
Declaration of Pillnitz
The Declaration of Pillnitz was a joint statement issued on 27 August 1791 by Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (r. 1790-1792) and King Frederick William II of Prussia (r. 1786-1797). The declaration appealed to all European powers to unite...

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The War of the Camisards in the Cévennes
The War of the Camisards (1702-1705) was launched by Protestant Huguenots in the Cévennes region of southern France. After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 by Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715), Huguenots worshipped illegally...

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Louis XVI on the Scaffold
At around 10 am on 21 January 1793, King Louis XVI of France was executed at the age of 38. This engraving depicts the executioner, Charles-Henri Sanson's attempt to bind the king's hands. Louis had begun to resist until his confessor, the...

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La Rochelle, a Protestant Stronghold of the French Reformation
La Rochelle emerged early in the French Reformation as a Protestant political and military center. The city's fortifications withstood repeated sieges over the years. In 1627, La Rochelle was besieged by Cardinal Richelieu (l. 1585-1642...

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Robespierre & the Death Penalty
"I come to ask, not the gods, but legislators…to erase from the code of the French the blood laws that command judicial murders" (Robespierre, 6). These impassioned words, spoken by Maximilien Robespierre before France's National Constituent...