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Continuation of Estates-General
This meant the Third Estate held little to no power if the First and Second decided to tax them, which they often did.
This lead to much of the resentment towards the Higher classes from the poor of the Third Estate, and the first seeds of the revolution began as Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès inspired the Third Estate to form the National Assembly (source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959034/View). Sorry about this, the original was too long. -
Estates-General
On May 5th, 1789, the French government held a meeting of the estates-general due to the terrible financial state of France. The three estates, First, Second, and Third, each held one vote in this meeting, despite the fact that the First Estate held representatives for 0.5% of the population, the Second Estate for 2%, and the Third Estate holding representatives for 97% of the population (source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959032/View). -
Formation of the National Assembly
The National Assembly, the first of many governments to take hold of France during the revolution, sparked the flame of rebellion by open disregarding the rule of King Louis XVI and proclaiming a representative government. However, on the morning of the third day, they found the door to their meeting room locked, so they met in an indoor tennis court and proclaimed the Tennis Court Oath which dictated they would not leave until they had drafted a constitution. -
Continuation of the Formation of the National Assembly
In response to this, some members of the First Estate joined their cause whilst King Louis XVI stationed Swiss guards outside Versaille (source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959034/View).
This open rebellion began to give the people the courage to stand against the monarchy, and the terror of uncertainty as to what the king intended to do with the new army. -
The Seige of Bastille
Courage and terror mixed to form the riotous horde that sieged the prison for its weaponry so as to defend the people from the mysterious army the king hired. The people were emboldened to resist monarchal rule by the actions of the National Assembly and overcome by the fear of the rumored massacre from the Swiss army awaiting them. -
Continuation of the Seige of Bastille
They reacted to this stress by overrunning the Bastille to acquire arms and killed the guards who dared stand in their way and put the head of the general who managed the Bastille on a pike (source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959034/View).
This event, widely considered the beginning of the French Revolution and considered a holiday, was the first violent uprising from the people of France, and a grim herald for what was to come. -
The National Assembly Declares the Rights of Man
The declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen effectively ended the "Old Regime" through giving every male citizen equal rights, such as “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.” Additionally, all citizens were given "equal justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion." However, women still had fewer rights than men and when Olympe de Gouges attempted to give women more rights she was denied and later executed. -
Continuation of The National Assembly Declares the Rights of Man
(source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959038/View) This declaration effectively removed the old system known as the "Old Regime," and suddenly made France one of the first European powers without a monarchy, lighting the way for the many republics and democracies of the modern day. -
Women's March
Due to the consistently rising prices of bread, thousands of women armed themselves and marched to the royal palace in Versaille. Desperate for supplies, bold against authority, and concerned for their future, they broke down the grand doors and raided the palace, demanding an audience with the royal family. Killing several palace guards along their way, the horde convinced the royal family it was in their better interest to agree to their demands and return to Paris. -
Continuation of Women's March
(source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959035/View). This violent riot inside the royal palace did not only show just how frightened the people were for their future, but showed the nigh-complete disregard for the royal authority, permanently damaging the relationship between the poor and royal. -
The Legislative Assembly Rises to Power
In September 1791 the National Assembly finally made the decision to strip the king of his legislative powers, forming the Legislative Assembly to replace him. King Louis XVI accepted this change, not having much choice, however, as the royal family was now in Paris and any resistance would likely lead to rioting. As such, the king no longer had the authority over laws, nor over any declarations of war (source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959039/View). -
Continuation of The Legislative Assembly Rises to Power
This reduction to the king's power demonstrated just how little control he had, and how much control the new Revolution had. The National Assembly was not temporary: It was France. -
France Declares War on Austria and Prussia
In response to King Louis XVI's removal from power, the nearby nations of Austria and Prussia feared their own citizens revolting and threatened the National Assembly, warning them that if they did not return King Louis XVI to the throne or declare war. The French beat them to it, however, and kidnapped the royal family and slaughtered the palace guards before declaring war on Austria and Prussia. This started a war that would last until Napolean formed the French Empire. -
Continuation of France Declares War on Austria and Prussia
(source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959040/View) This declaration of war also declared that France was no longer a monarchy, and would rather die than return to one. -
Continuation of Maximilien Robespierre Executes his Allies
Robespierre had Danton tried due to a recommendation that they cut down on the executions, and defended himself "so skillfully" that the court denied him the right to speak. (source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959041/View) This was a major blow not only to the new revolutionary government but to Robespierre's image, as Georges Danton was a very respected figure and his death likely influenced the members of court when they decided to execute Robespierre. -
Continuation of Maximilien Robespierre Becomes Tyrant of France
(source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959041/View) The time of Robespierre's reign is aptly named the "Reign of Terror," as he advocated fear as a legitimate political strategy, and it was Robespierre who perhaps contributed the most to the French Revolutions modern image with his consistent maniacal beheadings. -
Maximilien Robespierre Becomes Tyrant of France
A fanatic of the Jacobin political group, Maximilien Robespierre came to power and ruled with an iron fist. In the first months of 1793, Robespierre founded and ruled a group dedicated to transforming France into a "Republic of Virtue." How Robespierre accomplished this was when he became the leader of the Committee of Public Health in July, and he ordered thousands of executions based on the grounds that those he beheaded would have betrayed the revolution and risen against it. -
Maximilien Robespierre Executes his Allies
During the "Reign of Terror," an estimated 40,000 people were executed for nearly any charges, including people who were at the forefront of the Revolution. Those who were executed included an eighteen-year-old man who accidentally cut down a tree planted as a symbol of freedom and Georges Danton, one of the leaders of the new government. -
Maximilien Robespierre Falls Upon his own Sword
By July of 1794, the people were terrified as Robespierre hoped: yet so was the government he ruled. To put an end to Robespierre's "Reign of Terror," the government now known as the National Convention had him arrested and put to the guillotine, as he had sent so many before. Robespierre was executed near the end of July, leaving in his wake a new government that was less radical called the Directory. (source: https://courses.vhslearning.org/d2l/le/content/408188/viewContent/2959042/View) -
Continuation of Maximilien Robespierre Falls Upon his own Sword
The death of Robespierre is often considered the end of the French Revolution in modern times, however untrue, largely because he was the face of the bloodiest time of the revolution and his death would certainly be the end of it. However, apart from his modern image the death of Robespierre was celebrated as the end of government dictated terror in France, impacting how the French government would be formed forevermore to avoid such events from reoccurring.
