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Louis XVI Calls the Estates General
In an attempt to approve new taxes that would address a large amount of debt from expensive wars, Louis XVI was forced to call the Estates General. This was the first such assembly in decades and it would kick off the revolution as the Third Estate found issue with voting procedures and a series of events were set in motion. -
The National Assembly Forms
The calling of the Estates General opened the doors to Third Estate criticisms about not voting as a whole body and that they weren't allowed to sit as one whole assembly. This lead the Third Estate, invigorated by the concepts summarized by abbe Sieyes, to set itself apart as the National Assembly; the true representative body of France. This Assembly would go on to oversee the turmoil of the Revolution. -
The Tennis Court Oath
This was the vow of the National Assembly, then only comprised of the Third Estate, to not leave a tennis court that they had been relegated to until they had drafted a new constitution. This was an escalation of the desire among conscious members of the French middle class to put Enlightenment principles into practice. It would go on to influence Louis XVI as he ineffectively sought to tip-toe around these sensitive issues. -
The Storming of the Bastille
The National Assembly had so failed to make an impact on the lives of the working poor, who were suffering from crippling inflation. In response, they began to revolt as they feared rising bread costs and unemployment. As part of this revolt, hundreds marched on a prominent symbol of royal authority, the Bastille. As a result the causes of the insurrection, including the firing of the finance minister and the mobilization of troops, were undone. -
The Great Fear
As the Revolution began to unfold, rural peasants sought to secure their own liberties by pushing against feudal lords. They attacked manors and burnt feudal documents. The Great Fear was the panic of retribution from the Lords. Many suspected mercenaries would be called in or that grain supplies would be cut off. This led to later conciliatory efforts by the National Assembly. -
The National Assembly Adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The National Assembly and revolutionary lawmakers were keen to appease the rowdy peasantry. Part of their effort to do so was a continuation of the efforts to employ Enlightenment ideals with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This constitution guaranteed equality before the law and individual freedoms. It would not suffice in the eyes of many as it failed to address the daily difficulties faced by the peasants. -
Women's March on Versailles
In response to rising bread prices and rising revolutionary fervor in Paris following the call of the Estates General, around seven thousand French women stole weapons from the armory and marched on Versailles. They would successfully demand that Louis XVI and the National Assembly return with them. This occurred even after some of the first advancements of the Revolution, and further hastened efforts of reform. -
Louis XVI Executed
The monarchy of Louis XVI was not in line with the revolutionary fervor of the time, and the French people began to call for Louis' head after reported treason in the first days of the war against Prussia and Austria. This was cemented by the National Assembly's decision that he was guilty of treason and as a result sentenced to death. This further stirred fear among the rest of Europe, expecting what was coming. -
Robespierre's Reign of Terror
The Jacobin Club had hosted many members of the newly formed National Convention, but within the Club existed two opposing subgroups: the Mountain and the Girondists. The Girondists and Mountain both sought to take opposing paths. The more radical Mountain wanted to move ahead with their agenda, and with Maximilien Robespierre, they persecuted any opposition. This Second Revolution would stir fears from landed European nobles and began a fearful attitude towards France. -
Napoleon Coup d'Etat against the Directory
Following the execution of Robespierre in 1794 by legislators fearful of persecution in the Thermidorian Reaction, the National Convention installed a Directory to lead the nation. This was a 5 man group to act as the head, but it would result in a weak and often morally unjustified dictatorship. Resentment over the nature of the Directory would spur later events. -
Napoleon Declared French Consul
The National Convention allowed for a young and ambitious general by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte to lead a coup d'etat against the Directory. This allowed for a convenient replacement of a weak dictatorship with a strong one. This did fit in with a popular interpretation of the Enlightenment, that a constitutional monarch was the most advantageous form of government. Napoleon's time as consul would see domination over Europe and a dramatic downfall, which is unsurprising considering his rise. -
The Continental System is Established
Napoleon, having set his sites on all of Europe and beyond, was also keen on taking the islands of Great Britain. In the hopes of economically crippling them to depose their navy, he would enact the Continental System to blockade their ships from European ports under his control. This would prove unsuccessful for Napoleon, as a reverse blockade would negatively effect the French. -
Napoleon Defeated in Russia
As mentioned before, Napoleon set his sights on all of Europe. This included Russia once the formerly allied state rebuked Napoleon and he decided to invade. Once again proving the ferocity of the Russian winter, the brilliant general would have to retreat in a devastating loss that would see him lose his seat as Emperor and be exiled to Elba. -
Napoleon Defeated at Waterloo
Following a cunning escape from imprisonment in Elba, Napoleon gathered forces using his previous and still loyal officers and soldiers in France. He would not, however, be able to secure the aid of formerly allied states and would see the last stand at Waterloo where his efforts met an end. This was a remarkable continuation for Napoleon, and evidence of his popularity and that of French pride at the time. -
Napoleon Exiled to St. Helena
Following his loss at Waterloo, Napoleon would finally be exiled far out of reach of the coast of Africa. This followed an unsuccessful attempt to cage the genius in Elba. Ultimately, this would be the end of the former Emperor at the hands of an incredible coalition of almost all of Europe. Napoleon would not pose a threat any longer, although domestic turbulence in France persisted.