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Louis XVI crowned King of France
Louis’s father died on December 20th, 1765 which caused him to become the Dauphin when he was 11. His mother died March 13th, 1767. Louis became King after his grandfather’s, Louis XV’s, death on May 10th, 1774. -
American Revolution Begins
France allied with the American’s during the American Revolution, which was influenced by enlightenment ideas, and helped them fund. The American’s wanted freedom from Britain and Britain was a rival of France. Eventually, the revolution was contributing to France going bankrupt and the third estate wanting to overthrow their government. -
Calling of the Estates General
The Estates General was a general assembly who represented each estate. They had their first and last meeting at the beginning of the French Revolution. The king called the Estates General to resolve the financial crisis in France, but each estate got one vote and the problem was not resolved. -
Formation of the National Assembly
The national assembly was formed by representatives in the third estate at the beginning of the French Revolution. The assembly took the Tennis Court Oath on June 20th, that pledged to create a new constitution. -
Tennis Court Oath
The national assembly met at an indoor tennis court after being locked out of their meeting at Versailles. The nationally assembly consisted of people from the Third Estate. At the tennis court, they made an oath to never separate until a written constitution was established for France. -
Attack on the Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress, on East-side in Paris, that became a French state prison and a detention for those who had various offenses. The Bastille was stormed by an armed mob of Parisians who were angry with the ancien régime. This event symbolizes the end of the ancien régime. -
French Women Force Louis XVI to leave Versailles
The event where French women forced Louis XVI to leave Versailles is known as the October March on Versailles. Thousands of Parisians, that were mostly women, marched 12 miles to Versailles. After a day of some violence and tension the king and the assembly went back to Paris with the mob. -
Declaration of War against Austria
France declared war on Austria for supporting King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The Girondins’ were against monarchies, so they helped start the war with Austria to keep the revolution strong. -
National Convention is Formed
The National convention was formed out of those who wanted liberty and equality during the French Resolution. As the Revolution continued, the Nation Convention split up into the moderate Girondins and the radical Jacobins. After the overthrow of the monarchy, the National Convention was elected to form a new constitution for France. -
Louis XVI is executed
Louis resisted to be a constitutional monarch and was later imprisoned in August. In September, the monarchy was abolished by the National convention and in November, Louis was put on trial for treason. The next January, he was convicted and condemned to death by a guillotine. -
Period: to
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a period of time in which the Revolutionary government made “terror” the order of day and harming those who were against the revolution ideas. The Committee of Public safety dictated control over the French government. Many were executed during the Reign of Terror by The Committee of Public Safety. -
The Thermidorian Reaction
People in France were getting tired of executions during the “Reign of Terror” and many were plotting against Robespierre. Robespierre gave a speech on July 26, full of appeals and threats. The next day the national convention arrested him and he was executed. -
The Directory is Formed
The Directory was a new government that the French Revolutionary government set up by the Constitution of the Year III. The Directory was created after the dictatorship that was during the Reign of Terror and included the Crops Législatif. The Directory would lead to Napoleon Bonaparte taking over and having a more disciplined dictatorship. -
Napoleon Takes Power
Napoleon took power in a 1799 coup d’état. Napoleon surrounded the Royal palace at Saint-Cloud with troops and the next day the Directory was dead. -
Napoleon Invades Russia
The biggest mistake Napoleon made was invading Russia with his Grande Armée (680,000 men). Napoleon’s army won battles there, but most of the army died off within 6 months of cold weather, lack of food and diseases (120,000 returned). -
Napoleons defeat at Waterloo
Napoleon wanted to take down allied forces one by one. The Prussians at Waterloo defeated Napoleon’s army and made them retreat. On June 22, Napoleon went back to Paris, but he got sent to Saint Helena on July 15, after he surrendered to British protection.
