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Estates Generals
The Estates Generals were summoned by King Louis XVI to discuss the monarchy's financial issues. Three classes were represented by the Estates Generals the nobles, clergy, and the Third-Estate. Each estate had one vote and the nobles and clergy could easily overrule the third-estate. The third-estate was worried about being a financial burden so they left and created their own National Assembly. -
Fall of the Bastille
An angry mob marched on Bastille, a fortress in Paris housing political prisoners. Angry, hungry, and unemployed partisans saw this as a chance to show their rage. For a while the commander of the Bastille, Marquis de Launay and his troops held the angry mob but had eventually surrendered. King Louis XVI could no longer stop the revolution, and the National Assembly became de facto the French Government. -
Womens' March on Versailles
In October hungry and unemployed people, mostly women, went marching up to talk to the the King. They asked for 'the Baker', 'the Baker's wife', and 'the Baker's son'. The King had agreed to come out and promised to hand out all the bread of Versailles. The King was stopped when the National Guard came to bring him back to Paris. Many women had reached the Queen's quarters and she barely slipped away to join the King. That was the last time the King saw Versailles. -
Ditching the Throne
While the National Assmebly was making the new French Constitution they decided to lessen the King's authority. Angering King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and making them feel like prisoners in their own city they decided to flee. The King wrote a letter denouncing the Revolution and the family left to go to Austria, they did not go far before they were noticed. The incedent was devasting to the National Assembly, they now have to deal with a monarch against their own constitution. -
The New Beginning
The long awaited constitution had finally come, it declared France a constitutional monarchy. With the new constitution came the destruction of the National Assembly. The Legislative Assmebly was created and not a single memeber from the National Assembly was allowed, this meant no advanced politians. -
France Declares War
With tensions raising high the thought of war was on everyone's mind. Revolutionary France was viewed with fear by neighboring European monarchies especially Austria. Louis XVI and hard line monoarchist wanted war because they believed that forigen armies would easily overthrow the new government. On April 20th, 1792, France declared war on Austria. -
Attack on the Palace
Between the spring and summer of 1792, France was having a difficult time between thinking their King was a trader and the Austrian army advancing on them. The Legislative Assembly was divided and France was getting out of control. On August 10th, 20,000 people attacked the Tuileries Palace, the King and Queen fled to safety with the Legislative Assembly. Over the next month hundereds of suspected royalists were executed in what became the "September Massacre". -
Republicans and Royal Trials
After the arrest of the King and Queen the Legislative Assembly was destructed and was replaced with the National Convention. The National Convention declared France a republic in September. On January 21st, 1793, Louis XVI was heading down the streets of Paris to get decapitated, he had been trialled for treason. Marie Antoinette was accussed of many things and was guillotine on October 16th. -
The Reign of Robespierre
The Committee of Public Safety had dominated the National Convention. Maximilien Robespierre had came to dominate the committee and claim himself the leader of the 'reign or terror'. Roberspierre had wanted to help protect France from all their enemies so from September 1793 to July 1794 about 16,000 people guillotined. Most of the leaders of the French Revolution were either dead or hiding, a committee leader George-Jacques Danton had been executed. July 28th, 1794 Robespierre was guillotined. -
Directory
After the reing of Robespierre the National Convention issused a new Constitution that would be implied starting in 1975. The new government was leaded by a Directory, which consisted of five executive council members. With the new government came many problems they mired in corruption, had political and financial problems, and had to rely on the military to stay in power. -
Napoleon
In 1799 a very successful military director came back from a military expedition and doused the Directory. Napoleon Bonaparte established what he had called a Consulate and announced himself the First Consul.
