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Calling of the Estates General
Summoned by Louis XVI as a desperate attempt to get tax reforms approved as France was in a desperate financial situation. -
Forming of the National Assembly
The inefficiency of the Estates General led the third estate members to become the National Assembly. -
Bourgeois Revolt
The political uprising led by the Third Estate, especially the bourgeoisie, during the early stages of the French Revolution. Frustrated by their lack of power despite their economic importance, the bourgeoisie created the National Assembly on 17 June, and pushed for a constitutional monarchy and legal equality. This revolt marked the first organised challenge to the Ancien Régime, laying the groundwork for the Revolution by demanding reform, representation, and an end to privilege. -
Tennis Court Oath
The National Assembly was closed out of Versailles when they were supposed to discuss with the Estates General. The Tennis Court could hold all of them and they vowed never to separate until a constitution was formed. -
National Constituent Assembly
Ended 30 Sept 1791. It was elected by property owning males, and was controlled by the bourgeoisie. They abolished feudalism, adopted the declaration of the rights of man and citizen, reformed the church and drafted the constitution of France. -
Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille was a symbol of royal tyranny so Revolutionaries stormed it to gain weapons and killed the General De Launay who was in charge of the Bastille. -
The Great Fear
A wave of panic that spread through the French countryside as peasants feared that nobles would crush the revolution, so they revolted. They attacked manor houses, burned feudal due records, and took food supplies for themselves. -
End of Feudalism
The National Assembly abolished feudalism in response to The Great Fear. Nobles, Clergy, and other privileged groups renounced their feudal dues and other privileges over peasants. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
The document announced fundamental rights such as liberty, equality, and property, declaring that all men were born free and equal. It also limited the power of the monarchy and promoted the idea of a government based on popular sovereignty, based on enlightenment ideas. -
The Women's March
Thousands of Parisian women, angry over bread prices and its shortage, marched to Versailles demanding action from King Louis XVI. Joined by revolutionary guards, they forced the royal family to move to Paris to keep them under scrutiny. -
Flight to Varennes
The unsuccessful attempt by King Louis XVI and his immediate family to escape Paris during the night. The royal family was attempting to reach Montmédy, a city near the border, where they hoped to find refuge with loyal troops and initiate a counter-revolution. However, they were recognized, apprehended in Varennes, and forced to return to Paris, significantly damaging their reputation and accelerating the revolution's radicalization. -
Champ De Mars Massacre
Thousands gathered in Paris to sign a petition demanding the abdication of King Louis XVI after his failed flight to Varennes. Fearing disorder, the National Guard, led by Lafayette, opened fire on the unarmed crowd, killing dozens. The massacre revealed growing divisions within the Revolution between moderate constitutional monarchists and radical republicans, and marked a turning point in public trust, especially in the Lafayette-led bourgeois leadership. -
The 1791 Constitution
Some of the terms:
Louis XVI had the right to appoint ministers, he had a suspensive veto (could delay things for 4 years) however not for financial or constitutional matters, agreed that his office was subordinate to the assembly, and he had to obey the laws made by the assembly. He also needed the assembly's consent to declare war. -
Louis XVI swears loyalty to the Revolution
King Louis XVI formally accepted the Constitution of 1791, which established a constitutional monarchy in France. The next day, he publicly swore an oath before the National Assembly to uphold it. This came just months after the Flight to Varennes, which had severely damaged trust in the king. Although this act was meant to stabilise the Revolution and restore order, many revolutionaries remained skeptical of Louis’s sincerity. The oath was seen as forced rather than a genuine commitment. -
Legislative Assembly
Ended 20 Sept 1792. Elected by property owning males, its largest faction was the Feuillants, while and minority was the Girondins. The assembly depended on the way (politically) unaligned members voted. They declared war on Austria, Overthrew the King and suspended the monarchy. -
War with Austria and Prussia
The war with Austria and Prussia begins, as they invade France. France struggles. -
Journee
Parisian revolutionaries marched on the Tuileries Palace to confront King Louis XVI. They aimed to pressure the king to withdraw his vetoes of legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly. It aimed to be intimidating not violent. -
Brunswick Manifesto
Issued by the Duke of Brunswick, commander of the Prussian army, warning that if the French royal family were harmed, Paris would face severe punishment. Rather than calming tensions, the manifesto fueled revolutionary anger, as it appeared to confirm fears that the monarchy was plotting with foreign powers. It helped provoke the Storming of the Tuileries leading to the overthrow of the monarchy and the escalation of revolutionary violence. -
Louis XVI is overthrown
Known as the second revolution. Around 20,000 Revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace, the royal residence, and arrested Louis XVI, and his family. 800 guards were killed, and 500 were killed later. -
September Massacres
Rumors that the priests in prison would start a coo from within sparked vigilante groups to storm the Paris prisons. 1200 were killed. Ended 6th Sept. -
National Convention
Ended 26 Oct 1795. Elected by universal male suffrage and was controlled by radical Jacobins. They declared France a republic, executed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, started the Reign of Terror, and started a Dechristianisation campaign. -
Battle of Valmy
This was the first major victory for the revolutionary French army against the invading Prussian forces. Although the battle involved limited fighting, the French artillery and defensive positions held strong, boosting the morale of the revolutionary troops. The victory forced the Prussian army to begin retreating, halting their advance toward Paris and saving the revolution from immediate collapse. -
Execution of the King
King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine following his trial by the National Convention. Accused of treason and conspiring with foreign powers, the king’s death marked the definitive end of the monarchy in France. His execution shocked Europe, intensified the Revolutionary Wars, and deepened divisions within France. It also symbolised the radicalisation of the Revolution and the rise of the Republic. -
France declares war on GB and the Dutch
Revolutionary France declared war on Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. This was part of the wider conflict known as the War of the First Coalition, where European monarchies sought to contain the spread of revolutionary ideas. The war intensified France’s internal and external crises, leading to increased military mobilisation and political radicalisation. -
Creation of the Committee of Public Safety
Established by the National Convention as a temporary body to protect the French Revolution from internal rebellion and foreign invasion. France faced crises, like war with European powers and internal unrest, the Committee was granted powers to oversee the war effort, maintain order, and enforce revolutionary laws. It became the driving force behind the Reign of Terror. Its authority marked a shift toward radical centralisation and authoritarian rule during this turbulent period. -
The Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a period of intense repression during the French Revolution. Led by Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety, it aimed to eliminate enemies of the Republic through mass arrests and executions. Around 16,000 people were officially guillotined, including moderates and suspected counter-revolutionaries. Though meant to protect the Revolution, it spread fear and led to Robespierre’s own downfall in July 1794, bringing the Terror to an end. -
Festival of the Supreme Being
The Festival of the Supreme Being was introduced by Robespierre to promote a new, de-Christianised state religion based on reason, virtue, and belief in a Supreme Being. It was meant to unite citizens around revolutionary morality and replace Catholicism. Robespierre played a central, theatrical role in the event, which many found excessive or egotistical. The festival increased suspicion of his power and contributed to his fall the following month. -
Fall of Robespierre
Robespierre fell from power (9 Thermidor Year II) after losing support in the National Convention. His increasing paranoia, purges of both moderates and radicals, and the excesses of the Reign of Terror alarmed many. His role in the Festival of the Supreme Being also made him appear power-hungry. Fearing they might be next, his former allies turned against him. He was arrested and executed the following day, marking the end of the Terror and a shift away from radical Jacobin rule. -
The Directory
The Directory was the French government established after the fall of Robespierre, replacing the radical Jacobin regime. It featured a new constitution and a moderate, conservative structure: a five-man executive (the Directory) and a two-house legislature; Council of 500 and Ancients. The regime aimed to stabilise France after the Terror but was plagued by corruption, economic problems, and political unrest. It relied heavily on the military to maintain control and was eventually overthrown. -
Coup of 18 Brumaire (End of Directory)
Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the Directory in a coup that marked the end of the French Revolution. Backed by key figures like Sieyès, he used troops to intimidate and drive out deputies from the Council of Five Hundred at Saint-Cloud. Some members were forcibly removed or fled. The next day, a new constitution was declared, establishing the Consulate with Napoleon as First Consul. The coup replaced ineffective republican rule with a strong authoritarian regime under Napoleon. -
Consul for Life
After a national plebiscite, Napoleon Bonaparte was declared First Consul for Life, strengthening his control over France. This move ended any illusion of republican democracy and marked a key step toward one-man rule. It gave Napoleon the power to appoint his successor, control lawmaking, and dominate the state. Though some reforms continued, political opposition was suppressed, and personal authority replaced revolutionary ideals. -
Emperor Napoleon
Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, in the presence of Pope Pius VII. This marked the formal end of the French Republic and the start of the Napoleonic Empire. By crowning himself, Napoleon emphasised that his authority came from his own power and the people, not the Church. As Emperor, he centralised authority, expanded his control across Europe, and ruled as a strong, authoritarian regime, while maintaining the appearance of revolutionary reform. -
Napoleon's first exile
After his defeat in April 1814, Napoleon was forced to abdicate and was exiled to the island of Elba off the coast of Italy. Although he was allowed to keep the title of emperor and was given sovereignty over the small island, his power was greatly reduced. His exile was meant to end his rule peacefully and prevent further conflict. However, in February 1815, Napoleon escaped Elba, returning to France to begin the Hundred Days and briefly reclaim power. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo marked the final defeat of Napoleon. Allied forces under the Duke of Wellington and Prussian troops led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher combined to decisively crush Napoleon’s army. The defeat ended Napoleon’s Hundred Days return from exile and led to his permanent exile on Saint Helena. Waterloo ended over two decades of war in Europe and restored the Bourbon monarchy in France.