French Revolution and Napoleon

  • Estates General convened by King

    Estates General convened by King
    Under the Regime, Estates General (French: états généraux) was an assembly of all the estates of French subjects. The three estates had not met since 1614. On May 5, 1789, King Louis XVI calls on all the estates to meet and discuss the issues at hand at that time.
  • Tennis Court Oath

    Tennis Court Oath
    The Tennis Court Oath (French: Serment du jeu de paume) was a pledge signed by some members of the third estates that were rejected from entering or participating in the Estates-General. They were a group of about 576 to 577, led by Honoré Gabriel Riqueti. This group was known as the National Assembly, and they were out to protest against the inequalities of classes.
  • Storming of Bastille

    Storming of Bastille
    On July 14, 1789, the mobs went on strike to the Bastille ( an old prison were politic criminals and other offenders of the law were kept) to still weapons, getting ready for the French Revolution. They released all the prisoners and destroyed the prison. This was one of the early events of the French Revolution.
  • National Assembly decrees abolition of feudalism

    The Abolition of Feudalism was another big event of the French Revolution which occurred on August 4, 1789. The National Assembly took away all the rights of the Second Estate (the nobility) and the First Estate (the clergy). They all had equal rights as other citizens.
  • National Assembly Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizens

    National Assembly Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizens
    The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizens (French: Décleration des driots de l'Homme et du Citoyen) was a document of human rights. The National Assembly decrees this document on the 26th of August 1789 giving the rights of Liberty, Property, Freedom, and Security, Freedom of Speech to all citizens of France. Monarchy was henceforth restricted in France.
  • Women March for Bread to Versailles

    Women March for Bread to Versailles
    On October 5, 1789, women began the march to the king's palace at the market place of Paris because of the high price of bread and the scarcity of food. This was one of the earliest most significant events of the French Revolution. The women were very upset with the prices placed on bread and blamed it all on the queen. They marched to Versailles and demanded a change in the price of bread.
  • Abolition of nobility and title

    National Assembly abolished nobility and titles on June 19, 1790. Heredity of nobility was no more. Titles such as Prince, Duke, Count, Marquis, viscount, vidome, Baron, Knight, Lord, Squire, Noble were not to be used when addressing any citizen.
  • Black citizens of French colonies granted equal rights

    The society of the Friends of the Blacks (French: Sociétè des amis des Noirs or amis des noirs) was a group of French men and women, mostly white, who were abolitionists. In February 1794, the National Assembly legislated the Universal Emancipation decree, which effectively freed all colonial slaves.
  • Beginning of the legislative Assembly

    Between the time of the National Constituent Assembly and of the National convention, the Legislative Assembly provided the focus of political debates and revolutionary law-making. The legislative Assembly was overtaken by two opposing groups in September of 1792.
  • Jacobin masses storm the Tuileries Palace, massacring the Swiss Guard, and the King imprisoned

    When the Legislative Assembly had no idea on what they could do about King Louis, a Parisian suggested action instead of threatening. A group of people about 30,000 assembled at the city hall and stormed to Tuileries Palace where the royal family lived. The Swiss guards could not fend off the crowd, leading to the massacre of the swiss guard. About 600 guards were killed, and the crowd took King Louis XVI away.
  • Execution of King Louis XVI

    After King Louis XVI was arrested as part of the insurrection of 10 August during the French Revolution, he was sent to the national convention where he was found guilty of high treason. They decided to sentence him to death, so he was sent to the guillotine, where his head was cut off by a big blade. A citizen picked his head and showed it to the crowd. Hence, there was no more Monarchy in France.
  • Committee of Public Safety established

    Committee of Public Safety established
    National Assembly established the Committee of Public Safety (French: Comité de Salut public) to control the country's military against foreign forces of France. The committee created a military of unmarried men between the ages of 18 to 45.
  • Beginning of the Reign of Terror

    Beginning of the Reign of Terror
    It was a period of terror that began when the French Revolution entered the phase of political conflict namely between the political factions of the Girondins and Jacobins. The guillotine became the method of settling disputes. The law of Suspects allowed the creation of tribunals to try and execute anyone who does not agree with the French Revolution. Marie Antoinette and her children were the first victims. The revolutionary tribunal had ordered the death of 2400 people by July 1794.
  • End of the Reign of Terror

    End of the Reign of Terror
    Robespierre is arrested and executed ending the phrase known as the terror. He was sentenced because he was accused of trying to dictate the country, and turning the country into tyranny. New members were appointed the day after Robespierre's execution. The Committee of Public Safety was over by 1795. A new government was created called the directorate.
  • Creation of the Directorate

    The Directorate was the new government after the Committee of public safety created by the National Assembly. It was a complex of two houses: an upper house, called the Council of Ancients, consisting of 250 members, and a lower house, called the Council of Five Hundred, consisting of 500 members. A group of five officers called the Directory was the executive body of the directorate, although they had no powers. They appointed people to fill in positions in the government annually.
  • Napoleon Bonaparte named "First Consul," now effective dictator

    Napoleon Bonaparte named "First Consul," now effective dictator
    Napoleon was seen as a revelation "a star in the dark sky". He had victory over many wars. As the Directory started getting weak and ineffective, French leaders became afraid of what can happen if to France since they had no strong leadership at that time. Because Napoleon was an outstanding leader with many war victories, Directory legislature was forced to hand over their government to Napoleon. By December 1799, Napoleon was voted to take charge of France.
  • Napoleon consecrated as Emperor

    Napoleon consecrated as Emperor
    Napoleon was consecrated Emperor of France on December 2th, 1799. He had promised the people of France great power and infinity. As soon as he was gained power as emperor He began colonizing countries and states in different nations. In America, he had succeded to colonize Louisiana, Florida, and Haiti. When he lost Haiti, and Florida, and sold off Louisiana to the United States. He then extended to European nations like Great Britain fighting wars and colonized many African Countries.