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Nobility forces King Louis XVI to call the Estates General into session
The king was in trouble. The nobility was not happy with his attempt to tax their estate. Nobility wanted to pass the cost once again on the Third Estate -
Estate-General meets in Paris
King Louis XVI calls body into session to approve a new tax on the 3rd Estate. Had not met in 175 years -
3rd Estate refused to abide the king's one vote for each estate order
The Third Estate wanted to change the voting process, as they would always get overruled, so they proclaimed a legislature, the National Assembly, which allowed them the right to make laws for France. This was the Third Estate's first successful action towards change. -
Tennis Court Oath
This inner tennis court was the place where there 3rd Estate went to (and stayed in) until the King would let them write a constitution for France. King Louis XVI eventually gave in. -
The Storming of Bastille
The 3rd Estate went to Bastille in order to get weapons for their revolt, however, the attack on the prison that help the people who spoke against the monarchy became a symbol of the 3rd Estate's intentions. -
Great Fear Begins
People were going paranoid after they attacked Bastille. They believed that the King would attack the Thrid Estate. Fear grew in all of France. -
National Assembly abolishes Feudalism with August Decrees
The National Assembly successfully got rid of all the feudal fees and services that the peasants had to give to the landowners, along with the the First Estate's legal priveleges. This was the beginning of a new government and the ending of the monarchy, -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Inspired by the English Bill of Rights, the National Assembly adopted this declaration to give everyone rights. -
Women of Paris March to Versailles for Bread
A mob of women marched from Paris to Versailles broke into King Louis XVI's palace, demanding bread. To calm down the mob, King Louis XVI returned to Tuileries Palace in Paris. -
Royal Family's Flight from Varennes
King Louis XVI and his family tried to flee from Paris once again to begin a counter-revolution. This attempt however failed, when a man named John-Baptiste Drouet recognized the king. King Louis XVI and his family was brought back to Paris two days later. -
New Constitution adopted
On this day, France adopted a new constitution that limited monarchy's power and gave the Legislative Assembly the power to make laws. -
Beginning of Legislative Assembly
25+ year old tax paying male citizens gained voting rights; it showed how their attempt was successful and that they are reaching closer towards bigger change. -
Brunswick Manifesto warns that Royal family must not be harmed or else
Brunswick Manifesto was a proclamation that stated that if the royal family gets harmed, so will French civilians. This proclamation was used to threaten the revolutionaries, but it had an opposite effect, eventually leading a war between the king and the revolutionaries. -
Storming of the Tuileries Palace
Mobs invaded the Tuileries Palace, killing the guards and throwing King Louis XVI and his family (who became commoners) into prison. This action led to a new legislature, the National Convention, which was devoted to abolishing the monarchy and declaring France as a republic. -
French Monarchy is officially abolished
Revolutionary government votes to abolish the monarchy and establish the first Republic. Royal family is imprisoned. -
French defeat foreign invaders (Austria and Prussia) who are attempting to preserve the monarchy
France turns the tide of the war and takes the offensive against the invaders. -
The execution of King Louis XVI in Paris
King Louis XVI was executed in order to prevent the monarchy from coming back. Although many people supported his execution, some people were against the execution, believing that the execution was an act of savagery. -
Committee of Public Safety Established
This committee showed the effort of the National Convention in tightening the control of France. This committee also controlled the military's defense against foreign forces on France's borders. -
Law of Suspects passes - Beginning of the Reign of Terror in France
The Reign of Terror was initiated to prevent a counterrevolution from starting, but this caused much fear throughout the country. -
End of the Reign of Terror - execution of Robespierre
When too many innocent people were getting killed, Robespierre and 100 of his men were executed at the guillotine, ending the Reign of Terror. -
National Convention is dissolved and the creation of the Directorate
The Directorate was run by five directors and was created to stabilize the country, but it was very weak and inefficient. -
Napoleon named First Consul
As the Directorate of France had become weak, and the country was at risk of being placed under a monarchy once again, Napoleon's supporters planned a coup d’état to give Napoleon more power. After gaining power, Napoleon was voted to be the First Consul, The people were desperate to have stability in their country and hoped that Napoleon would make a change for the better. -
Coronation of Napolean Bonaparte as Emperor of France
Once Napoleon stabilized France, he planned on conquering Europe. With the favorable votes from the people of France, he declared himself as the Emperor of France. This was the beginning of Napoleon's reign over Europe.
