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Economic downturn
The french economy slowed down due to bad harvests, rising prices for food, and unemployment led to almost 1/3 of the population being poor. -
Period: to
French Revolution
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Meeting of the Estates-General
The meeting was doomed from the start, with the issue of voting being the biggest issue. The estates began to realize that the First and Second estates could outvote the third even if they had a higher population. -
Storming of Bastille
Parisians stormed the armory and prison and then dismantaled it brick by brick to send a message to the king that he can no longer control them. They also gained some weapons and ammo. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Inspired by the Declaration of Independence and the American Constituiotion, this charter of basic liberties affirmed that every French citizen has the right to freedom. -
King Concedes
The king is escorted by a group of armed woman back to Paris and is basically a prisoner to the revolutionaries. As a gesture, the royal family brought flour with them to give to the citizens. -
War with Austria
The rulers of Austria and Prussia stated that if France does not restore power to the king they would invade and make sure he gets his power back. France didn't like this so they declared war on Austria. -
Reign of Terror
The committee of public safety took over the country and began to execute people almost randomly. Close to 40,000 people were killed and over 16,000 were killed by the guillotine. -
End of Terror
Robespierre wanted to get rid of the courruption in the government, but the people who feared him had him executed, and after that the revolution cooled down and the Reign of Terror ended. -
Raising of an Army
The revolutionaries called for a mobilization of arms, and in turn, raised the largest army in the history of Europe. They fought back against the allies invading France and pushed them back across the rhine, and even conquered the Austrian Netherlands. -
Coronation of Napoleon
Napoleon topples the new government, and first becomes the consul of the government. However, he eventually declares himself emperor after an assassination plot is found out.
