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Charles de Calonne
The controller general of finance appointed by King Louis XVI in 1781, Calonne proposed a plan to shift the French tax burden from the poor to wealthy nobles and businessmen, suggesting a tax on land proportional to land values and a lessened tax burden for peasants. The French nobility, however, refused to pay these taxes. When they refused, Calonne's reputation plummeted and he was forced to leave the country. -
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Jacques-Pierre Brissot
A member of the Legislative Assembly and National Convention who held a moderate stance and believed in the idea of a constitutional monarchy. Brissot’s followers, initially known simply as Brissotins, eventually became known more generally as the Girondins. After unsuccessfully declaring war on Austria and Prussia, Brissot was removed from the National Convention and, like many Girondin leaders, lost his life at the guillotine during the Reign of Terror in 1793–1794. -
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Louis XVI
The French king from 1774 to 1792 who was deposed during the French Revolution and executed in 1793. Louis XVI inherited the debt problem left by his grandfather, Louis XV, and added to the crisis himself through heavy spending during France’s involvement in the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783. Because this massive debt overwhelmed all of his financial consultants, Louis XVI was forced to give in to the demands of the Parlement of Paris and convene the Estates-General—an action -
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Maximillien Robespierre
A political tactician and leader of the radical Jacobins in the National Assembly. As chairman of the Committee of Public Safety, Robespierre pursued a planned economy and vigorous mobilization for war. He grew increasingly paranoid about counterrevolutionary opposition, however, and during the Reign of Terror he attempted to silence all enemies of the Revolution in an effort to save France from invasion. When the moderates regained power they executed him. -
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Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte was a military and political leader of France. He was also Emperor of the French as Napoleon I. Bonaparte became important under the First French Republic. He led successful campaigns against the First and Second Coalitions. In 1799, he staged a coup d'état. Through this, he became a First Consul. He also caused many wars, also known as the Napoleonic Wars. -
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Ludwig van Beethoven
German composer who helped set the direction of musical romanticism. His music used recurring, evolving themes to convey the impression of natural growth - wasn't a fan of Napoleon being emperor -
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Simon Bolvar
The European-educated son of a slave owner who became one of the leaders of the Latin American independence movement in the 1820s, the South American country Bolivia is named after him. -
Great Fear
Rural French peasants panicked that the beggars crowding the roads from food shortages might be part of an aristocratic plot to starve the people by burning crops/barns, this led to peasant attacks on aristocrats or on seigneurial records of peasants' dues. -
Jacbon Club
The Jacbon Club was a French political club that inspired the formation of a national netwrok whose members dominated the revolutionary government during the Reign of Terror. This divided into 2 factions (Girondins & Mountain) after the fall of the monarchy in August 1792. -
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French Revolution and Napoleon
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Monarchy to Republic
n 1789, food shortages and economic crises led to the outbreak of the French Revolution. King Louis and his queen, Mary-Antoinette, were imprisoned in August 1792, and in September the monarchy was abolished. Soon after, evidence of Louis' counterrevolutionary intrigues with foreign nations was discovered, and he was put on trial for treason. In January 1793, Louis was convicted and condemned to death by a narrow majority. -
The Estates General opens Versailles
The Estates General at Versailles was the first meeting since 1614 of the FrenchEstates-General, a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the clergy (First Estate), the nobles (Second Estate), and the common people (Third Estate). Summoned by King Louis XVI to propose solutions to his government's financial problems, the Estates-General sat for several weeks in May and June 1789 but came to an impasse as the three estates clashed over their respective powers. -
The Third Estate decides to call itself the National Assembly
The apparent intent of the king and of Barentin was for everyone to get directly to the matter of taxes. The larger representation of the Third Estate would remain merely a symbol, while giving them no extra power. Director-General of Finance Jacques Necker had more sympathy for the Third Estate, but on this occasion, he spoke only about the fiscal situation, leaving it to Barentin to speak on how the Estates-General was to operate. -
"Tennis court oath" shows determination of deputies to carry out a constitutional revolution
The Tennis Court Oath (French: Serment du jeu de paume) was a pivotal event during the first days of the French Revolution. The Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members from the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of the Estates-General on 20 June 1789. -
Fall of the Bastille
Rural and urban uprisings throughout France at this time saved the Third Estate from the King's intervention. The most famous of uprisings was the Fall of the Bastille, which occurred on July 14, 1789. The increased mob activity in Paris resulted in the formation of a permanent committee to keep order. This organized popular force broke into a royal armory and collected arms and then stormed the Bastille, inspired by a rousing speech delivered by Camille Desmoulins on Ju -
National Assembly abolishes "feudalism"
Less than a month after the storming of the Bastille, France's National Assembly held a meeting in which the nobles and clergy, driven partly by fear and partly by an outburst of idealism, relinquished their manorial rights within the course of a few hours. Shortly afterward, the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, a manifesto comprised of the principles that inspired the French Revolution. -
National Assembly passes Declaration of the Rigghts of Man and Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, or Declaration of Human and Civic Rights is a fundamental document of the French Revolution and in the history of human rights, defining the individual and collective rights of all the estates of the realm as universal. It was influenced by the doctrine of natural law. -
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Women march to Versailles
Women march to Versailles and are joined by men in bringing the royal family back to Paris. -
Emergence of conservatism
The political doctrine that rejected much of the Enlightenment and Revolution. It preferred monarchies over republics, tradition over revolution, and established religion over Enlightenment skepticism and this justified the restoration of the government. -
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution, that subordinated the Roman Catholic Church in France to the French government. It caused a schism within the French Church and made many devout Catholics turn against the Revolution. -
Louis and Marie-Antoinette attempt to flee in disguise and are captured at Varennes
The Royal Flight to Varennes was a significant episode in the French Revolution during which King Louis XVI of France, his wife Marie Antoinette, and their immediate family attempted unsuccessfully to escape from Paris in order to initiate a counter-revolution. . The king's attempted flight provoked the charges of treason which ultimately led to his execution in 1793. -
Declaration of Pillnitz
An August 27, 1791, warning from Prussia and Austria announcing that they would intervene militarily in France if any harm came to King Louis XVI, who had just been captured trying to escape with his family from Paris. The declaration prompted then Legislative Assembly leader Jacques-Pierre Brissot to declare war on Austria and Prussia. -
Declaration of war on Austria
France declared war on Austria first, with the Assembly voting for war on 20 April 1792, after a long list of grievances presented by foreign minister Dumouriez. Dumouriez prepared an immediate invasion of the Austrian Netherlands, where he expected the local population to rise against Austrian rule. However, the revolution had thoroughly disorganized the army, and the forces raised were insufficient for the invasion. -
Insurrection in Paris and attack on Tuileries
The Insurrection in Paris and attack on Tuileries palace lead to the removal of the king's authority. The insurrection besieged the Tuileries palace and King Louis XVI and the royal family took shelter with the Legislative Assembly. This lead to the removal of the king's authority. -
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Murder of Prisoners in Paris
The murder of prisoners in Paris was also known as the "September massacres." They were a wave of mob violence which overtook Paris and by the time it had subsided, half the prison population of Paris had been executed: some 1,200 trapped prisoners, including many women and young boys. -
Establishment of the republic
The French First Republic was formed on 22 September 1792, by the newly made National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I. -
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Reign of Terror
In June 1793, the French Revolution enters its most violent and turbulent phase when the Jacobins seized control of the National Convention from the more moderate Girondins and instituted a series of radical measures, including the establishment of a new calendar and the eradication of Christianity. Many of the killings were carried out under orders from Robespierre, who dominated the draconian Committee of Public Safety. -
Execution of Louis XVI
After events on the 10 August 1792, which saw the fall of the monarchy after the attack on the Tuileries by insurgents, Louis was arrested, interned in the Temple prison with his family, tried for high treason before the National Convention, found guilty by almost all, and condemned to death by a slight majority. His execution made him the first victim of the Reign of Terror. -
Beginning of uprising in the Vendée
small bands of Vendeeans carried out retaliatory attacks on symbols of the republican government: departement officials, juring priests and so forth. Few government troops were based in the Vendee so little could be done initially, so over the coming fortnight their numbers began to swell. -
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Insurrection leading to arrest of the Girondins
ORganized resistance broke out in many parts of France. The arrest of the Girondin deputies in Hune 1793 sparked insurrections in several departments. After the government retook the city of Lyon, one of the cneters of the revolt, the deputy on mission ordered sixteen hundred houses demolished, and the name of the city changed to Lieberated City. Special courts sentenced almost two thousand people to death. -
Roberspierre named to the committee of Public Safety
In July 1793, following the defeat at the Convention of the moderate Republicans (or Girondists), the prominent leaders of the radical Jacobins: Maximilien Robespierre, Saint-Just, and Georges Couthon, were added to the Committee. -
Convention establishes General Maximum on prices and wages
The General Maximum was a law that enacted several economic policies: setting price limits, detering price gouging, and allowing for the continued flow of food supply to the people of France -
Execution of Marie-Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was convicted of treason and sentenced to be guillotined. On October 16, 1793 she was taken through the streets of Paris in an open cart. She maintained her dignity until the bitter end. -
Abolition of the worship of God: Cult of Reason
Abolition of the worship of God: Cult of Reason. It is a belief system established in France and intended as a replacement for Christianity during the French Revolution. -
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Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction was the parliamentary revolt initiated on 9 Thermidor, year II (July 27, 1794), which resulted in the fall of Maximilien Robespierre and the collapse of revolutionary fervour and the Reign of Terror in France. -
Slavery abolished in the French colonies
On 4 February 1794, the First Republic (Convention) voted for the abolition of slavery in all French colonies. The abolition stated, "The Convention declares the slavery of the Blacks abolished in all the colonies; consequently, all men, irrespective of colour, living in the colonies are French citizens and will enjoy all the rights provided by the Constitution." -
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Arrest, trial and executions of "ultrarevolutionaries"
The Committee of Public Safety arrested and executed a handful of "ultrarevolutionaries" (a collection of local Parisian politicians) - "The Revolution was devouring its own children" -
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Arrest, trial, and executions of Danton and his followers
Committee of Public Safety dealt with the "indulgents" (favored a moderation of the Terror)- included deputy Danton, once a member of the committee & friend of Robespierre- Revolution's most flamboyant orator, high-living, excitable politican- at every critical turning point in natl. politics his voice had swayed opinion in the Natl. Convention- Revolutionary Tribunal convicted him & followers of treason & sentenced them to death. -
Arresting of Robespierre
On July 17th, Robespierre appeared before the Convention with yet another list of deputies to be arrested. Many feared they would be named and shouted him down, ordered him to be arrested along with his followers on the committee and other key people. This resulted in an armed uprising led by the Paris city government, but it failed to save Robespierre because most of the National Guard took the side of the Convention. This spurred the beginning of the end of the Reign of Terror. -
Directory government takes office
lThe Directory government launched an extremely aggressive policy of creating semi-independent "sister republics" wherever the armies succeeded. -
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The Succession of Italian victories by Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Austrian armies in northern Italy and thus created the Cisalpine Republic. He overwhelmed Venice and handed it over to the Austrians in exchange for a peace agreement that only lasted less than 2 years. He also set up the Helvetic Republic and restricted many Catholic church priveleges. Napoleon conquered the Papal States and installed a Roman Republic, forcing the pope to flee to Siena. -
Napoleon named first Consul
The Coup against Directory occurs and Napoleon becomes First Consul. He is the most important of the three consuls established by the French Constitution of 1800. The title of "Consul" was taken from ancient Rome. -
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Napoleon
Napoleon was a French general who became First Consul in 1799 & emperor in 1804; after losing the battle of Waterloo in 1815, he was exiled to the island of St. Helena. He ended the French Rev. & steered France toward an authoritarian state and his new Civil Code strengthened Enlightenment/Revolution principles with an insistence on a hierarchy (people having power over other people) -
Civil Code Completed
The French legal code formulated by Napoleon ensured equal treatment under the law to all men and guaranteed religious liberty but curtailed many rights of women. It reasserted the Old Regime's patriarchical system of male dominance over women & insisted on a father's control over his children, which revolutionary legislation had previously limited. -
Battle of Austerlitz
This was considered Napoleon's greatest victory, his army trounced the Austrians, who had been joined by their new ally, Russia. It was fought on the first anniversary of his coronation -
Continental System
This was the boycott of British goods in France and its satellites ordered by Napoleon. It had success but was later undermined by smuggling and the British retaliated by confiscating merchandise on ships that sailed into or out of ports from which the British were excluded by the system. -
Invasion of Russia
Napoleon striked quickly but the Russians avoided confrontation and retreated eastward. Napoleon engaged the Russian force in battle of Borodino - french: 30,000 men dead; Russians: 45,000 -
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The Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a series of face-to-face negotiations between the great powers to settle the boundaries of European states and determine who would rule each nation after the defeat of Napoleon. Conservatism bolstered this and in some places went hand in hand with a revival of religion. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloowas fought onWaterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. An Imperial French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon was defeated by the armies of the Seventh Coalition, comprising an Anglo-allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher. It was the culminating battle of the Waterloo Campaign and Napoleon's last. -
Reform Bill of 1832
The Reform Bill of 1832 was a measure passed by the British Parliament to increase the number of male voters by about 50 percent and give representation to new cities in the north. It set a precedent for widening suffrage and altered Britain's political structure in significant ways but gains were not revolutionary.