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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 a body into session to approve a new tax on the 3rd estate. Had not met in 175 years. -
3rd Estate refused to abide by the kings one vote for each estate order
Third estate was inspired by Enlightenment ideas
The Third estate declared themselves the Nation Assembly, a legislature, so they could obtain the right to make laws for France. -
Tennis Court Oath
When getting kicked out of the Estates-General meeting, the Third estate representatives met in an indoor tennis court and swore they would not leave the tennis court until getting a written constitution for France. There, Louis allowed each representative to have a vote -
The Storming of the Bastille
A group of Parisians went to the Bastille in search for weapons. They viewed the huge building as a sign of hardship and suffering so the swarmed the Bastille, killing the guard. This was a powerful symbol of the French Revolution since it was the beginning of it -
Great Fear Begins
Everyone was in panic mode and paranoid for what they had done to the Bastille. They feared that Louis would punish them severely this putting an end to the revolution. Many people spread and hear rumors about the king sending in foreign soldiers to help with the punishment -
National Assembly abolishes Feudalism with August Decrees
The assembly decided to organize the way things were being handled to calm angered peasants. Article one of the Decrees states that the Assembly declared the feudal system abolished. They also took away many of the clerical and noble rights and privileges. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration states basic principles of the French revolution, "liberty, equality, fraternity [brotherhood]". They were inspired by the U.S Bill of Rights and projects by Enlightenment philosophers. The declaration stated the equality present for all man. It guaranteed freedom of speech, the press, and religion. -
Women of Paris March to Versailles for Bread
About 7,000 women marched from Paris to Versailles demanding bread from Louis. They also demanded that the prices of the bread to be lowered. The mob of women broke into the palace so to make peace with them, Louis agreed to live in Tuileries Palace with his family. -
Royal Family's Flight from Varennes
Louis had become emotionally paralyzed so he decided to disguise his whole family including himself as a Russian baroness' acquaintances and make an escape. They were then recognized, arrested and returned to the Tuileries Palace. -
New constitution Adopted
The new constitution created a new legislative body called the Legislative Assembly. Citizens gained the right to vote but only 25 year old tax paying males could. The constitution kept the monarchy but limited the king's power. -
Beginning of Legislative Assembly
Many of the members of the first Legislative Assembly lacked political experience since most were young men. The House was organized according to political views- the right consisted of monarchists, the left favored a republic ans the middle was a non definite party. -
Brunswick Manifesto warns that the Royal family must not be harmed or else...
Threatened that is the Royal family was harmed, so would French civilians. Austria sent in 50,000 troops to the French border and thus the Legislative Assembly declared war. In the end, the war resulted in France's defeat. -
Storming of the Tuileries Palace
A mob marches to the Tuileries Palace, killed all the guards and threw the royal family in prison. -
French Monarchy is officially abolished
Revolutionary Gov't votes to abolish the monarchy and establish the first Republic. Royal family 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 put on trial after the National Convention and then sentenced to death by the guillotine. News of the execution spread across Europe quickly. -
Committee of Public Safety Established
The National Convention created the Committee of Public Safety to manage military defense against foreign invaders. They ten drafted unmarried men to the military and established a court intended to eliminate anyone who opposed the revolution. -
Law of suspects passes - Beginning of the Reign of Terror in France
Revolutionary leaders feared of loosing control so the decided to take drastic measures and had many trials and executions for anyone accused of opposing to the Revolution, -
End of the Reign of Terror- execution of Robespierre
Robespierre was the leader of the Committee of Public Safety and was responsible for the Reign of Terror which consisted of executed anyone who even looked like they opposed the revolution. His plan back fired when he was executed by the guillotine and then ending the Reign of Terror -
National Convention is dissolved and the creaton of the Directorate
The Directory was not an effective government mainly because of the directors' weakness. Eventually they shared many of the characteristics of the Old Order and resulted in a power vacuum. -
Napoleon named First Consul
Napoleon had become a dictator, but the structure of a republic was still there. Even though they just overthrew a monarch, the let a dictator run them because of his promises of order and stability. -
Coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France
Napoleon wanted his power to be permanent and hereditary so he wanted to be the emperor of France and all his supporters voted yes to his question. When being crowned by the pope, he took the crown himelf and placed it on his head signifying that he was his own authority.
