124852 600x450 french flag

French Revolution

  • Period: to

    Beginning of revolution to Fall of Napolean

  • Women March on Versailles

    Women March on Versailles
    When the price of bread sky rocketed, this angered 6000 Parisian women who rioted. They marched to Versailles and demanded bread from the royals, when none came they broke into the palace and captured Louis and Marie, taking them back to Paris. The royals were now prisoners of the people.
  • Tennis Court Oath

    Tennis Court Oath
    Act of defiance by the representative members of the third estate.at the beginning of the revolution, this estate realized that in any attempt at reform they would be outvoted by the the clergy and the nobility. on June 20 they were locked out of their usual meeting hall at Versailles instead of leaving they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court There they took an oath never to separate until a written constitution had been established for France.
  • Fall of Bastille

    Fall of Bastille
    A group of Parisian revolutionaries seized the Bastille in a dramatic act of protest against King Louis XVI. The storming of the Bastille was the symbolic start of the French Revolution, which would overturn the monarchy and establish the First Republic.
  • "Great Fear"

    "Great Fear"
    The nobility were the ones afraid, the peasants began attacking them with pitchforks and torches, they burnt down documents and houses. this all started because of the rumors spread throughout France that nobles hired outlaws for security, This terroized the peasants.
  • Declaration of the Rights of Man

    Declaration of the Rights of Man
    Adopted by the national assembly, major influences were the enlightment and the Declaration of Independence. Believed in "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" for all men, not including women.
  • Civil Constitution of Clergy

    Civil Constitution of Clergy
    A decree by the National Assembly that established a national church system with elected clergy. The country was divided into eighty-three departments, each was governed by an elected official and represented by an elected bishop. The voting for these positions was open to anyone who met certain relatively criteria, such as property ownership.
  • Constitution of 1791

    Constitution of 1791
    Moderate revolutionaries declared France to be a constitutional monarchy, The Legislative Assembly was an indirectly elected body. It was made up of representatives selected by Electors, who themselves were elected by "active" citizens. An active citizen was a male citizen who paid annual taxes equal to the local wages paid for three days of labor. About two thirds of the male citizens were able to vote.
  • The Royal Escape

    The Royal Escape
    Louis XVI and his family attempted to escape to the Austrian border, where they were supposed to meet the Austrian army and arrange an attack on the revolutionaries. However, the royals were caught just before reaching the border and brought back to Paris. This escape attempt weakened the kings power and lowered his regard in the eyes of the French people.
  • Declaration of Pillnitz

    Declaration of Pillnitz
    In response to Louis XVI’s capture and forced return to Paris, Prussia and Austria issued the Declaration of Pillnitz warning the French against harming the king and demanding that the monarchy be restored. The declaration also implied that Prussia and Austria would intervene militarily in France if any harm came to the king
  • Execution of a monarch

    Execution of a monarch
    20000 angry parisans killed the 900 swiss guards that were protecting louis XVI, they imprisoned the royal family in a stone tower. Radicals called the king an enemy of the revolution and should be killed first. He was found guilty of treasonand was sentenced death by the Guillotne.
  • Creation of National Convention

    Creation of National Convention
    During the most critical period of the French Revolution, the National Convention was elected to provide a new constitution for the country after the overthrow of the monarchy. The Convention numbered 749 deputies, including businessmen, tradesmen, and many professional men. Among its early acts were the formal abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the republic
  • Reign of Terror

    Reign of Terror
    Started after the execution of the king, Jacobins wanted top remove every trace of french monarchy and nobility. However victims of the terror included rival political figures, priests, peasants who were not radical enough. Those that the Revolution was for were mainly the victims (85%) of peasants died during the terror
  • Death of Robespierre & end of Terror

    Death of Robespierre & end of Terror
    Members of the National Convenion became afraid of Robespierre and in order to protect themselves they turned on him. He was arrested and guillionted the next day. This was the end of the terrror.
  • Creation of Directory

    Creation of Directory
    Moderates regained control over the national convention, and drafted another constitution, creating a bicameral legislature and a five person executive. They called it the directory
  • Constitution of 1795

    Constitution of 1795
    The new legislature would consist of two houses: an upper house,consisting of 250 members, and a lower house, consisting of 500 members. Two-thirds of the members of the first new legislature had to have already served on the National Convention. The new constitution also said that the executive body of the new government would be a group of five officers called the Directory
  • Napolean becomes consulate

    Napolean becomes consulate
    Napolean overthrew the current Directory and replaced it with a new government: the Consulate. Sieyes and Napoleon both installed themselves as consuls, though the popular Napoleon became First Consul.
  • Concordat of 1801

    Concordat of 1801
    Agreement between Napolean Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII, this helped reestablished the Roman Catholic Church in France. This religion was known to be the most popular religion in French citizens.Archbishops and bishops were to be appointed by the governement.
  • Coronation of an Emperor

    Coronation of an Emperor
    Napolean was crowned emperor of France in 1804, Napoleon threw himself a spectacular coronation ceremony at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
  • Battle of Trafalgar

    Battle of Trafalgar
    Naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, which established British naval supremacy for more than 100 years; it was fought west of Cape Trafalgar, Spain. A fleet of 33 ships (18 French and 15 Spanish) under Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve fought a British fleet of 27 ships under Admiral Horatio Nelson. This shattered Napoleans plans to invade England.
  • Battle of Austerlitz

    Battle of Austerlitz
    The first engagement of the War of the Third Coalition and one of Napoleon's greatest victories. His 68,000 troops defeated almost 90,000 Russians and Austrians, forcing Austria to make peace with France ( Treaty of Pressburg) and keeping Prussia temporarily out of the anti-French alliance
  • The Invasion of Spain

    The Invasion of Spain
    When Napoleon manipulated the Bourbon king of Spain off the throne and put on his brother, Joseph as king, an anti-French war broke out. Britain seizing an oppurtunity to hurt the French, allied with Spain to aid the spainish people (peninsulars). The war was bloody, and decreased a lot of Napoleans resources. In the end France lost the war, and severely weakened them.
  • Invasion of Russia

    Invasion of Russia
    Napolean led an army made up of soldiers from the several nations under his control, he expected a short war, to attack on sight. However the russian leader Alexander kept retreating whenever napoleans army arrived, burning down what they left behind. french army not having enough supplies caused them to grow weaker. they were deep in Russia when they decided to retreat themselves, because of the harsh Russian winter Napoleans army started at 600,000 turned into 100,000.
  • Exile to Elba

    Exile to Elba
    Napoleon's broken forces gave up the fighting of Moscow, and Napoleon offered to step down in favor of his son. When this offer was rejected, he abdicated and the Treaty of Fontainebleau, banishes him to the Mediterranean island of Elba
  • Congress of Vienna

    Congress of Vienna
    All the powers of Europe sent delegates to decide the reorganization of the chaotic Europe Napoleon's conquest had left behind. The members of the Congress were all afraid of a strong France, so they created strong border states.
  • A Hundred Days

    A Hundred Days
    Having escaped from exile in Elba. Promising to return France to glory, Napoleon swept through the country and raised an army. Louis XVIII quickly fled, and Napoleon made a last effort at conquest in a period called the Hundred Days. The Congress of Vienna was shocked, and immediately declared Napoleon an outlaw. At the battle of Waterloo,the British and the Prussians managed to defeat Napoleon. and exile him once again.
  • Battle of Waterloo

    Battle of Waterloo
    The Battle of Waterloo takes place near the Waterloo, Belgium. This battle was fought between the French Empire under the leadership of Michael Ney and Napoleon Bonaparte. They were defeated by the Prussian Army, commanded by Gebhard Von Blucher. This battle puts an end to the tyrant rule of Napoleon as the emperor of France. It had also marked the end of the hundred days of Napoleon from exile return.