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Louis XVI takes throne and is a well intentioned but weak leader.
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The people of Paris strom Bastille, a much hated prison that symbolized autocratic rule. Revolution had then begun.
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Louis' government is about to go bank rupt because of bad harvests. The National Assembly is born.
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National Assembly adopted Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen. This guarenteed rights to liberty, property, security and resistance of opression to all people.
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Peasants were fearful that the nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize them. They rioted, stormed Versailles and demanded that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette return to Paris.
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National Assembly broke up so that the new Legislative Assembly can take over. Creates a Constitutional Monarchy; strips power from the king and gave Assembly power to create French Law.
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Revolutionary leaders turn on each other and three factions in the Legislative Assembly form. Radicals, Moderates, and Conservatives.
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Austria, and Prussia, who supported Louis XVI, sent troops to Paris.
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20,000 Parisians ivade the royal Palace, Louis, Mary and her children are imprisoned.
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National covention abolishes the Monarchy and declares france as a Republic. All males can vote, no women.
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Louis is no longer king, is tried by Jacobins for treason and sentenced to death.
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Louis is executed by guillotine
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Great Britain, Holland and spain join Prussia and Austria in fighting France. National Assembly drafts 300,000 French Citizens to the army.
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Maximilian Robespierre sets out to gather power into his own hand. He becomes the leader of the Public Saftey Committe. Tried and executed people thought to be enemy of the Republic in the same day.
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Marie Antoinette executed. Revolutionary courts declare death sentences on those that challenge Robespierre
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National Commitee turns on Robespierre, claiming that he is a Tyrant. He is executed July 28.
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Robespierre governed France nearly as a dictator, this period became known as The Reign of Terror. Approximently 3,000 were executed in Paris. As many as 40,000 were killed total.
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Moderate leaders in the National Convention draft a new Constitution. It creates a two house Legislature and an executive body of 5, known as the directory. Napolean Bonaparte is chosen the lead france.