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versaille was built
king louis XIV builds Versaille palace. a huge very costly palace for him to live in moving the capital to versaille. -
Meeting of the Estates General
The French economy was in chaos by the late 1780s. The decades of war had drained the treasury, and the country was nearly bankrupt. To raise money, Louis XVI decided that the people, including the French aristocrats, should pay more taxes. But the aristocrats blocked Louis XVI's plan. In desperation, Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General to address the economic crisis. In fact, when Louis called the meeting, the Estates General had not gathered in more than 170 years. -
Formation of the National Assembly
Members of the Third Estate, were determined to change the system and create a constitution that set out equal rights for all men. The group, led by Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes, declared themselves the National Assembly, saying that they were the only group who represented the nation. It became an assembly not of the Estates but composed of "the People". Formation of the National Assembly inspired Parisians to storm the Bastille few days later. Citizens of France rose up against nobles and clergy. -
The Tennis Court Oath
The Third Estate and some clergy who had joined them went to their meeting hall. But the door was locked. Suspecting a plot, they rushed to a nearby indoor tennis court. There, they swore the Tennis Court Oath, vowing to stay put until they had created a constitution that placed power in the hands of the people. This signified the first time that French citizens formally stood in opposition to Louis XVI. It also inspired a wide variety of revolutionary activity in the months afterwards. -
Storming of the Bastille
About 600 angry Parisians successfully attacked the Bastille and took control of this symbol of tyranny. This event inspired other French people to take up arms against the king and the nobility. Storming of Bastille became a nationalist symbol, because they helped share a sense of belonging to a nation. It became a central part of their national myth because it said, "We are a nation. We can govern ourselves." It showed how the actions of ordinary citizens can lead to great change. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
This declaration abolished traditional privileges enjoyed by the monarch, the clergy, and the aristocracy, sparked a bloody struggle that eventually led to the creation of a French nation based on new principles. It established France as a secular republic. The 17 articles of the declaration set out these principles and became the basis of the new French constitution. It defined the individual and collective rights of all people.The declaration became the catechism of the Revolution in France. -
Women march to Versailles and the outbreak of the Paris mob
The March on Versailles, was also known as The Bread March of Women. Although the National Assembly had taken the Tennis Court Oath and the Bastille had fallen at the hands of the crowd, the poor women of Paris still found that there was a considerable bread shortage and the prices were very high. Rumors had been spreading in Paris that the royals were hoarding all the grain. A hungry mob of 7,000 largely working-class women decided to march on the Versailles, taking with them weapons. -
Louis XVI accepts the Constitution formally
It was Lafayette's dream to join the constitution and the monarchy, creating a Constitutional monarchy. The oath to the Constitution speech by Lafayette was significant as it brought the citizens of France together, feeling happy for themselves and others around them. Louis XVI accepting the Constitution shows the beginning of the constitutional monarchy. The National Assembly abolished many “institutions which were injurious to liberty and equality of rights” in the Constitution. -
First session of National Convention
The National Convention decreed assistance to "all peoples wishing to recover their liberty." It also ordered that French generals, in the occupied areas, should dissolve the old governments, confiscate government and church property, abolish tithes, hunting rights, and seigneurial dues, and set up provisional administrations. Thus revolution spread in the wake of the successful French armies.Prominent members included Robespierre of the Jacobin Club, Marat, Danton of the Cordeliers. -
Louis XVI is guillotined
The Convention put Louis XVI on trial for treason, and unanimously pronounced him guilty. As the revolution took hold in France, the ruling elites in other countries watched with growing fear. They were afraid that the events in France might inspire people in their own country to take similar actions. As a result, created threats. In response to outside threats and to ensure that the gains made during the revolution would not be lost, they executed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in 1793. -
Start of Reign of Terror
Not everyone in France agreed with the way the revolution was being carried out. Many people were horrified by some brutal acts that were taking place and by the execution of the king and the queen. Fearing opposition within the country, revolutionary leaders began a crackdown that became known as the Reign of Terror. This period lasted for 11 months in 1793 and 1794. The constitution was suspended and anyone who criticized the revolution was targeted. About 17,000 people were sentenced to death -
Robespierre is guillotined and end of the Reign of Terror
Robespierre arrested, guillotined without trial, along with other members of the Committee of Public Safety. End of the Reign of Terror. Also called The Thermidorian Reaction. Thermidorian Reaction was a revolt in the French Revolution against the excesses of the Reign of Terror. It was triggered by a vote of the Committee of Public Safety. Thermidor were "bourgeois". The Convention closed the Jacobin club, the most radical group. This ended the most radical phase of the French Revolution. -
Directory established
The first formally constituted French Republic, known as the Directory, lasted only four years. Its weakness was that it rested on an extremely narrow social base, and that it presupposed certain military conquests. Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate. With the establishment of the Directory, the Revolution might seem closed. The nation only desired rest and the healing of its many wounds. -
Napoleon Bonaparte overthrows the Directory
Napoleon overthrows the Directory by coup d'état, trickery, and force. Directory and the French Revolution itself came to an end with the coup d'état in which Napoléon overthrew the Directory and replaced it with the Consulate. Coup d'état is the sudden unconstitutional deposition of a legitimate government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another, either civil or military. -
Napoleon crowns himself Emperor
Napoleon crowns himself Emperor, in the company of the Pope. Napoleon used the plot to justify the re-creation of a hereditary monarchy in France, with himself as Emperor. Napoleon put on the crown himself, shows that he is higher in rank and authority than the Pope. Claims that he seized the crown out of the hands of Pope during the ceremony to avoid his subjugation to the authority. Beethoven a long-time admirer, was disappointed at this turn towards imperialism. -
The Congress of Vienna
Although representatives from all the states which had participated in the wars were invited, the principal negotiations were conducted by the "Big Four," Britain, Russia, France, and Austria. The congress met to reconstruct the map of Europe and develop a balance of power that would prevent another massive take-over by one country. Objective resulted in the redrawing of the continent's political map, and undo changes made by Napoleon in Europe. Napoleon is replaced with Louis XVIII, a Bourbon.