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Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre was a politician, he started of a very peaceful man. He gained power inside the Committee of Public Safety. He grew to be one of the main supporters of executions, towards the end of his life he created a religion and people started to think he was loosing it. He was eventually executed by his own committee in the fear of Robespierre having them executed. -
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was the Queen of France, she was Austrian. Marie loved many luxuries while the rest of the country starved. Many people blame her for the French revolution, some had even come close to taking her life. She was eventually execute along with the King. -
Let them eat cake.
"Let them eat cake," was a line that was thought to be something Marie Antionette had said. This is not true, it was a statement that basically said she was oblivious to the fact that the people were starving. Also that cake is just more or less a fancy bread. -
Estates General Meeting
The monarchs of France had a problem with finances so King Louis the XVI, each estate only gets one vote. Because of this the 3rd estate is always out voted. This leads to the creation of the Tennis Court Oath and the National Assembly. -
Tennis Court Oath
The 3rd estate was tired of being outvoted by the 1st and 2nd estate even though they were much smaller, they tried to change this by creating the national assembly. After being locked out of there usual meeting place in the palace of Versailles the 3rd estate went to a tennis court close by. They took an oath that they would meet there at that tennis court until a new constitution was made. On the 27th Louis XVI had the other 2 estates join the national assembly with the 3rd estate. -
Storming the Bastille
This is considered the beginning of the French revolution. The Bastille was a symbol of royalty and the monarchy. It was a prison, holding only a few prisoners and very poorly protected by actual people. The guards of the Bastille surrendered after a mob of people gathered around it. They then proceeded to take apart the building itself, brick by brick. -
Flight to Varennes
That night King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette tried to escape France. In the town of Sainte-Menehould they are recognized and eventually caught in Varennes. This is not taken very well by the French and many of them, if not already become hostile towards the Kind and Queen. -
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Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a time when fear was used to run the revolution. People such as Robespierre were leaders during this time. There were many executions of anyone who was even thought to be against the revolution. It ended when Robespierre was executed on the 28th of July in 1794. -
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Napoleon's Control of France
From 1804 to 1814 Napolean was the emporer of France, he is a great military leader. He conquered many places, certain countries thought if he was gone it would bring peace back to Europe. France signed a treaty exiling Napolean to an island, he returns in an attempt to return to power. He is exiles to the island of Saint Helena, he does make any attempts to escape. -
Guillotine
Before the guillotine, many French people did not think it was fair that more wealthy people got less painful deaths. While it was not first used in France, the guillotine was most famously used during the French Revolution. This device would behead people, it was a quick and seemingly painless death.
