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Louis XVI calls the Estates- General
Louis summoned the Estates- General to help solve the debt that France had. Jacques Necker came and tried to get the 3 estates to have taxes not just the 3rd estate. They didn’t agree which called the Tennis Court Oath and they would not leave until they got a new constitution.
The New Assembly was born -
Storming the Bastille
The citizens of Paris stormed the bastille looking for weapons and other supplies. They killed 5 guards and the commander. They put the commanders head on a stick and praised it around the town. -
Divided french society/financial troubles
In 1789 France like the rest of Europe still clung to an outdated social system. France was divided into social classes there were three classes and they only made the poor people pay taxes they didn’t tax the rich. France was in financial troubles they had a huge deficit. -
Threats from abroad
The failed escape of Louis XVI brought further hostile rumblings abroad. The king of prussia and the emperor of Austria issued the Declaration of Pilnitz. The document said that they would intervene to protect the French monarchy. The revolutionaries in France took this seriously and prepared for war. -
Civil War (Radicals Take Over)
Assignats were the new currency, causing the value to drop and prices of things to rise. This caused a food shortage and when you have a food shortage it starts a revolution. The citizens were mad and wanted a new constitution, already. -
Revolt/national assembly acts (rights of man, womens march, church constitution)
Declaration of rights of men was written and stated ALL men are equal and remain free and equal, it took away all special rights from the king and higher powered peoples.This declaration did not include the king at all. Then the women marched to versailles and demanded rights and bread, they chased the king and queen back to paris and in 1791 the first constitution was written. Later on Louis the king and his robot family tried to escape to the border but they were caught when they entered a sm -
Monarchy is abolished
As the revolution continued well trained prussian forces were cutting down french recruits. On August 10,1792 a crowd of parisians stormed the royal palace. -
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Robespierre and the Reign of Terror
Robespierre is most famous for abusing the use of the guillotine. 300,000 people were arrested and 17,000 of them were executed. Argued that these deaths were needed for the revolution to work. After Robespierre and other radicals fell the execution slowly dropped. -
The Spread of Nationalism
France began to finally feel great pride in their country. After being ruled for so long by a monarch it’s now feeling Nationalism. France from the port city of Marseilles troops marched to a new song. The song La Marseilles” soon later became their national anthem.
OH yea! -
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Third Stage of Revolution
Because of the reign of terror moderates created a brand new constitution. It was a five man directory and had a two- house legislature which were elected by the male citizens. This document created peace with Prussia and Spain but they still fought Austria and Great Britain. Napoleon Bonaparte was planned to be used for their own goals because of his brilliant victories against Austrians and Italy. Soon Napoleon then outwitted them and became the ruler of France.
