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Meeting of Estates General
It was a general assembly that represented the three estates of France: The clergy, the nobles and the common people. The meeting was summoned by Louis the XVI to discuss the country's financial problems. -
Tennis Court Oath
The oath was a pledge signed by all but one of the 577 members of the Third Estate because they were kicked out of the Meeting of the Estates General. The purpose of the oath was to write a constitution. -
Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille was a royal prison that was stormed by the common people and the seven inmates who were inside were released. 98 attackers and one defender of the Bastille were killed. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration was created by the National Assembly to form a set of laws that preserved the "sacred rights of man." Their goal was to protect the former Third Estate and the people of France. -
March on Versailles
Otherwise known as the October March, this event started when women in the Paris marketplace started rioting over the prices of bread. They then proceeded to form a mob and marched to the Palace of Versailles. They stormed the palace and told the king their demands. The following day, King Louis XVI and his family returned with them to Paris. -
Flight to Verennes
This took place on the night of June 20 and continued into the 21st. The royal family unsuccessfully attempted to escape from their castle in Paris. It is called the Flight to Varennes because their journey only lasted until they were arrested in the town of Varennes. -
France Declares war on Austria
France declared this war because revolutionaries thought it would unify the country and help spread the revolutionary ideas to other European countries. The French did very poor for the first part of the war, but their army strengthened as the war went on. -
Execution of Louis XVI
Louis XVI was executed by guillotine in Paris. His death was seen by many as the beginning of the Reign of Terror. -
Period: to
Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
During this time period, there was great amount of fighting between the Girondins and the Jacobins. 16,594 people were executed by guillotine and another 25,000 executed, all without a trial. -
Napoleon's Coup D'Etat
This coup was seen by many as the end of the French Revolution. It brought Napoleon to power as the First Consul of France.
