an old fortress) where they believed gunpowder was stored, this signalled the start of the French Revolution. The French people had united to take control of their country; their slogan was 'Liberté, Égalité, Fratenité'. As a result of this the National Assembly began to construct a new regime, 'Declaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen', the basic principle of this was "all men are born free and equal in rights". The Revolution introduced democracy to France for the first time, and it still has an effect on the way France is governed, for example the basic principles of the French Republic are still 'Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité'. Today you can still see the effects of the revolution in the spirits of the French people, they are always ready to stand up for their beliefs and will protest if they believe they have been done an injustice. For example in recent years we have seen how French farmers have blockaded the channel tunnel to protest against the import of British beef. I believe that this culture of standing up for your rights is shown more strongly in the French people than anywhere else.
             In 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself the emperor of France and created the first French empire. Napoleon was a modern man and agreed with the principles of the revolution of equality of opportunity. He laid the foundations of the French legal, education and financial systems. After the defeat of his army at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was exiled on the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic .
             In 1848 France's Second Republic was established, the two major parties within the governme
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