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Convening the Estates General
Louis XVI called this together when he proposed to tax the nobility. This was a the first meeting of the three French estates in 175 years. -
Tennis Court Oath
After being locked out of the meeting room, the third estate refused to leave the indoor tennis court until a new constitution would be written. -
Storming of the Bastille
Various rumors flew into Paris of the military trying to crush the people, so they stormed the Bastille, killing guards and taking weapons along the way. -
Great Fear
Rumors went through the countryside that nobles were paying men to terrorize peasants. These rumors spurred the peasants to break into noble's homes and burn their legal papers that tied them to feudal dues. Sometimes they even burned their homes. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
This document guaranteed that all men are born and remain free and equal. It also guaranteed freedom of speech, equal justice, and freedom of religion. -
Women's March to Versailles
Many women, angry over the outrageous price of bread, march to Versailles to demand that Louis and Marie return to Paris. -
Louis and Marie's Flight to Varennes
King Louis XVI tried to escape Paris with his family. This provoked charges of treason leading to the king's demise. -
Constitution of 1791
After Louis tried to escape he reluctantly agreed to sign the new constitution, transforming France into a limited constitutional monarchy where the king had little power. -
Brunswick Manifesto
Ausstria and Prussia urged France to return to the absolute monarchy. France was angry with this, leading to the Revolutionary Wars. -
National Convention
This new legislature abolished the monarchy in favor of a republic. This lead to to the new radical Jacobin leaders directing it, like Jean-Paul Marat. -
The Reign of Terror
Lasting until the 24th of July, 1794, this was a time of violence. In trying to root out enemies, Robespierre set executions via the guillotine every day. The executed include Danton and Marie Antoinette. -
Directory
In France's new form of government, the country has a two house legislature with an executive body of five directors. -
Napoleon Bonaparte Takes Over
Napoleon and his army surround the legislature and forcibly disband the Directory. Napoleon becomes one of three ruling consuls but soon becomes dictator. -
Concordat of 1801
An agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII that solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France. -
Louisiana Purchase
The US purchases the Louisiana territory from France for about 60 million francs or $15 million. It was a vital achievement for then president Thomas Jefferson. -
Napoleonic Code
Civil code set by Napoleon that forbade privledges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and made government jobs go to the most qualified. It stressed on clearly written law. -
Napoleon Becomes Emperor
Napoleon's coronation ceremony to bevome emperor takes place at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. Notably, at the coronation, instead of letting Pope Pius VII crown him, he crowned himself and his queen Josephine. -
Battle of Trafalgar
This was a sea duel between the British Royal Navy and the combined French and Spanish Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The British won in the end. -
Continental System
The system was a foreign policy of Napoleon and a large-scale embargo against British trade. -
Peninsular War
A war between France and the combined Spain, UK, and Portugal. When French armies had backstabbed Spanish armies while the two were invading Portugal, mayhem ensued. -
Invasion of Russia
This event was the turning point of the Napoleonic Wars. It triggered a major shift in European politics and greatly weakened French hegemony. -
Exile to Elba
Napoleon was dethroned from France and left for the island of Elba. He was exiled because of the Treaty of Fontainebleau. He was allowed to rule Elba and its 12,000 inhabitants. -
Battle of Waterloo
A battle fought at Waterloo in present day Belgium. Here, Napoleon lost to the British and Prussian armies. This defeat put an end to Napoleon’s rule for the second time. -
Exile to St. Helena
Napoleon was declared an outlaw by the Congress of Vienna and sent here. This was his second place of exile after Waterloo and the place where he died.
