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Tennis Court Oath
The third estate was locked out of the National Assembly so in order to regain control, they broke down the door to the indoor tennis court. The people demanded a new constitution threatening to stay in the tennis court until they were given the constitution. The stake out seemed to have worked because King Louis allowed the constitution. This was the first moment where French citizens stood opposite the King. It gave the people hope. -
National Assembly
The National Assembly allowed the third estate to help pass laws and reforms in order to end monarchy. It gave the lower class an opinion in what happened to their country. Thanks to Sieyés, this was the first act of revolution. With the National Assembly and enlightenment, the French citizens were sparked with the idea of demanding liberty and equality. -
Stroming of Bastille
A mob searching for weapons stormed the Paris prision(Bastille) and seized control. They hacked the commander and guards to death. In order to obtain weaponry and show resistance, the mob succeeded by storming Bastille. This was one of the first acts of revolution and it declared the begining to the French Revolution. Even today Bastille Day is celebrated in France as a holiday to signify freedom. -
Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly was another way for the third estate to show their significance. The Legislative Assembly allowed others to create laws and reject wars although the King still had power to change laws. Radicals opposed monarchy and sat to the left. Moderates, who sat in the middle, believed in making some changes. Conservatives, who sat to the right, were clearly influenced by the direction of the government. This event was imperative in order to obtain power and option. -
Reign of Terror
Robespierre terrorized and killed many revolutionsists who challenged his leadership. With the guillotine, he also beheaded King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. 85% who died were peasants and middle class. He helped murder 40,000 men. The Reign of Terror was essentially the symbol for the civil war especially because of the large number of deaths created. -
Coup d'État
Npoleon, an army lieutenant, took power and became the first consul and dictator of France. This gave Napoleon all of the power to disprove of the new constitution. Although Napoleon could look selfishly, he strengthened some of the revolution goals and kept the economy on good footing. Without Napoleon gaining power, France might be in deeper debt then the already were. He listened to the revolution when no other monarch had. -
Napoleon's Empire
Napoleon's empire kept the French stable for 5 years, from 1807 to 1812. He acclaimed various battle successes and wanted more land. Although, he also kept the people's interest in mind. Napoleon created the concordat and Napoleonic Code. Napoleon greatly improved the conditions of the French. -
Battle of Trafalgar
France was fighting Spain when the Spanish commander, Nelson, split the French fleet. He obtained many of Napoleon's ships, allowing himself to win the battle. Nelson ensured supremacy of British navy for 100 years. This loss did not allow Napoleon to invade Birtain anymore. This really influenced Napoleon's rule. -
Peninsular War
Napoleon makes a mistake by having an invasion through Spain threatening the Spanish. The powerful and loyal Spanish came together to fight off the French. Guerrillas killed 300,000 French men weakening the empire. Other countries soon began to realize thanks to the guerrillas that loyalty is the strongest weapon. -
Congress of Vienna
Instead of having a duration of four weeks, the Congress of Vienna lasted 8 months. It consisted of Russia, Prussia, Austria, Great Britain, and France. Metternich wanted balance of power and so did the other countries, the Congress also controlled political affairs and created peace throughout Europe for 40 years. This was the most successful peace meeting in history. Without this meeting, the French Revolution would have a lot of difficulty finally ending.
