John-Diary+Entry+1

December 14th, 1812 Dear Diary,

France is now in war with several nations and won under the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte. I am proud to be one of the soldiers in Napoleon's own squad. With my fellow friend Edgar, we are planning to take all means to make our lives better than as it is. So far our expeditions were not as harsh as this one. We needed to withstand to cold weather when going to invade Russia. About 300,000 men died from Russia's winter so our forces have decreased immensely.

By the time we reached the Russian territory, all the soldiers were hungry and tired. I could see that their shoulders drooped down and their eyes were half shut. I constantly nudged on Edgar to keep him from stopping. If you stop walking in the cold, it is likely that you won't be able to walk again. Some of the soldiers were frozen and could not battle their way through.

Napoleon directed the army with his military tactics and we all stood in position. The Russian troops were spotted far ahead. The gunshots came closer and closer. We came out when the time was right and shot the Russian soldiers to the ground. I looked beyond the defeated soldiers and saw a massive army heading towards us. Unfortunately, our army needed to retreat since our soldiers did not have power from lack of food and rest. Many soldiers were killed when they attempted to retreat but luckily Edgar and I survived through the chaos.

January 21, 1793 Dear Diary,

Finally the king has been executed with 387 to 334 vote from the National Assembly. The cowardly ruler has now fallen so we must create our own government. The Jacobins thought of the king as a traitor but the Girondins felt that the Revolution has gone far enough and didn't want to execute the king. Louis Francois Cartier and I entered the execution site to entertain ourselves. Louis Cartier was a customer of mine that I was very friendly to. He was an apprentice learning how to make a watch so I understood his hardships. There the guillotine stood in the middle of the execution site bringing tension to the crowd. Shouts and laughter arose throughout the crowd surrounding the giant guillotine.

"Aren't you to young to watch the execution?" I asked. "They wouldn't notice. There are many other boys at my age desperate to watch this scene", said Louis Cartier.

The huge blade was released and it sliced the head of King Louis XVI. The man infront of the machine took held the head by its hair and lifted the head of Louis up in the air.

Unfortunately, my bakery has shut down because there are not many customers and the cost of the land was too expensive. Many of my neighbors were angered since most of them were forced to move out or sell their house. A large group of people gathered together and plotted an attack against the landlord of the town, Pierre Lafite. The bakery my family had for years is now gone and so I was determined to deliver a message to Pierre Lafite saying that your demand of price is too high. The peasants supplied the group with farming materials that could act as an adequate weapon. I gripped a small hoe and headed out. Louis Cartier was coincidently was heading out as well in the attack against Pierre Lafite. I wasn't able to do much since Lafite had a lot of guards but I stabbed the leg of Lafite's son.

May 6, 1789 Dear Diary,

The bakery that served many customers delicious bread is now empty. Due to the enormous amount of taxes and the famine, the cost of a simple loaf of bread increased 50%. Even though everyone in the Third Estate is struggling to even get enough food for survival, rumors say that King Louis and Maria Antwinet have a decent life in the Palace of Versailles. I have been eavesdropping on my customers' conversations and I learned that the King is using his money for not only food but luxurious goods as well. It seems as though many are angered by the selfishness of the monarch and wishes to join the parliament.

Recently, many of my past customers were called to attend the first assembly of the "National Assembly" which was created by the Third Estate. The National Assembly has been created even though it has been frowned upon by the First and Second Estates. Unfortunately, I am not well educated in the field of politics and economy so I plan support my fellow representatives to make a change in the crisis we are in as of right now. I am reluctantly waiting for a change to occur so that my business can be successful once again.

Rosabel Côté came to my bakery often for breakfast in the past but she is too busy caring for her siblings and earning money for the family. She is my only customer that comes by even at this time of crisis. Rosabel cannot afford to cure her younger brother's flu so I wish to lend her a hand. I'm not in a very good shape as well though. I have just enough money just to eat and that is about it. I always give Rosabel a discount for coming to my bakery.

I'm always envious of Amélie Genevive for she has become a teacher in a noble family. She does not need to worry about her food or her shelter. In the past when Amélie was an apprentice, she would come to my father's bakery to always have breakfast. But now as we moved onto our own ways, we slowly became separated. I think she is uncertain about the creation of the National Assembly because her family background may be included in the Third Estate but her occupation makes her a part of the Second Estate.

The taxes on bread and on my bakery is getting higher even as I write this letter. I hope my bakery can stay in business. It is the only occupation I am skilled in.