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The Estates-General was called by King Louis XVI
The Estates-General is a general assembly that represented the French estates of the realm which included the Church, nobility and the common people. This is important to the timeline as it signified the beginning of the French Revolution. For weeks, the Estates-General proposed various solutions to the King's financial issues but the 3 Estates could not come to a solution. From there, the National Assembly was formed from members of the third estate. -
Tennis Court Oath
After the National Assembly was formed, King Louis XVI retaliated by locking them out of the meeting hall guarded with soldiers. Outraged, they marched into a tennis court. There, they swore to "never cry to the king". This event signified the first time French citizens stood against King Louis XVI formally. -
The Storming of the Bastille
Often considered the flashpoint of the French Revolution, the storming of the Bastille is an icon of the French Republic. On July 14, 1789, a mob of angry citizens stormed the Bastille robbing it of its ammunition, killed off the guards and ultimately captured it. The Bastille held prisoners without fair trials for centuries and when it fell, it signified the true beginning of the French Revolution and is symbolic till this day. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
Upon abolishing the feudal system, The declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was born. This document reflected the ideas that were proposed during the enlightenment. Some of its ideas included that all men were born free and equal in rights and the abolishment of the class system. -
The Royal Family Escapes France
Disguised as servants of the Russian baronnes, King Louis XVI and his immediate family made an attempt to flee France to Austria on June 20 of 1791. Close to succeeding, they were stopped at the town of Varennes. Caught, they were brought back to Paris. -
The September Massacres
Mob violence blew up in the late summer of 1792. Half of the imprisoned people in Paris were executed including many nobles, women and young boys. Violence against the Roman Catholic Church was prominent. -
The King is No More
Following the King's attempt to flee to Austria, the people were left in doubt that they really needed a King. After a trial for treason and the discovery of his letters plotting against the revolution, he was found guilty and sentenced to the national razor. -
The Reign of Terror
For the next year of so, violence between the Girondins and the Jacobins erupted and resulted in tens of thousans of French citizens to fall under the national razor. Lead by Maximilien Robspierre, his Comittee of Public Safety ruled by creating fear. -
Robspierre is No More
Robspierre former friends turned against him and was later arrested for his crimes against France. During captivity, he was found shot as he attempted to commit suicide but failed. Him and the other leaders of the Revolution were victims of the national razor and were executed on July 28, 1794. -
The Directory and Beyond
Upon the execution of Robespierre, the revolution had ended with him. A new group of Directors established the Directory and ruled France again. Together, they balanced power and order within France until Napolean came in 1799.
