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Estates General Meeting
The common people of France were summoned by King Louis XVI to propose solutions to his governments financial problems. The third estate becomes their own national assembly, going against the kng. This marked the beginning of the French Revolution. -
Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille, the medieval prison in the center of Paris, represented the authority of the higher class. Although it only withheld seven prisoners at the time of it's fall, it symbolized the abuses of the monarchy. Bastille Day is now a public holiday. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Similar to the American Constitition, the Declaration of rights is an outline for the equality of all men under the state. It was passed by France's National Constient Assembly. It had a major impact on democracy and liberty in Europe and worldwide. -
Women's March on Versailles
The queen had been withholding a large sum of wheat in the castle, this caused many peasant women to revolt in the marketplace. They were uphauled by the high prices of grains. They pushed for the king and queen to depart from France. -
Guillotine
The guillotene is an apparatus for execution for beheading. On October 16th, Louis XIV was found guilty of treason and is sentenced to his death. On the same day, Marie Antionette was found guilty of multiple crimes and is beheaded by the guillotine. -
War
France declares war on Austria. France had pushed for war because they thought it would unify the nation and spread the ideas of the Revolution to the rest of Europe. -
Attack on Tuileries Place
A crowd of approximately 20,000 citizens attack Tuileries Place, angered by King Louis' resitance to their demands, causing the king and queen to flee. Over the course of one month, large amounts of royalists are executed. These executions were named the "September Massacre." -
Reign of Terror
Maximillien Robespierre, new leader of the National Convention, had grown increasingly paranoid about counterrevolutionary influences. This reign led to over 15,000 executions at the guillotine. Without any further justifications for his extreme actions, Robespierre was executed in July of 1794. -
The Thermidorian Reaction and the Directory
The Thermidorian Reaction was the era that followed Robespierre's reign. During this time France reconstructed their government, which led to the new Constitution. The Directory was a group of people established to control executive appointments and responsibilities. -
Napoleon Bonaparte
French armies led by Bonapart were making significant progress in many directions. In Paris, he led a coup against the Directory, who had been misusing their power, then named himself the first consul, or the leader of France. Under his leadership, the Revolution ended.
