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Palace of Versailles
Under the guidance of Louis XIV (reigned 1643–1715), the residence was transformed (1661–1710) into an immense and extravagant complex surrounded by stylized French and English gardens. Every detail of its construction was intended to glorify the king. -
King Louis moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles
Louis moved in, and changed the capital from Paris to Versailles to escape the turmoil Paris was subject to. He invited all of the aristocracy to live with him on the grounds, not because he liked them, but because he could control them. -
King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette
King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette as part of a strategic alliance between France and Austria. The marriage took place on May 16, 1770, at Versailles. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was a dramatic act of defiance by representatives of the nonprivileged classes of the French nation during the meeting of the Estates-General at the beginning of the French Revolution. It marked the end of absolute monarchy and the birth of the National Assembly, which aimed to create a fair and just society for all French citizens. The oath signified unity and determination among the people to bring about change. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, one of the basic charters of human liberties, containing the principles that inspired the French Revolution. Its 17 articles, adopted between August 20 and August 26, 1789, by France’s National Assembly, served as the preamble to the Constitution of 1791. -
Women’s March on Versailles
The Women's March on Versailles, also known as the October March or the October Days, was a defining moment in the early months of the French Revolution (1789-1799). On October 5, 1789, crowds of Parisian market women marched on Versailles, demanding reforms. They besieged the palace and forced King Louis XVI of France to return with them to Paris. -
Bastille is Stormed
July 14, 1789, hundreds of Parisians stormed the Bastille, a state prison, seizing 250 barrels of gunpowder and freeing its prisoners. The storming of the Bastille was a pivotal moment in the French Revolution, the violent result of a multitude of social, economic, and political crises. -
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French Revolution
The French Revolution was a watershed event in world history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s. During this period, French citizens radically altered their political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as the monarchy and the feudal system. It witnessed the collapse of the monarchy, the establishment of the First French Republic, and culminated in the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. -
The Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a period during the French Revolution from September 5, 1793, to July 27, 1794, characterized by state-sanctioned violence, mass executions, and public massacres. It was a response to revolutionary fervor, anticlerical sentiment, and accusations of treason by the Committee of Public Safety. Thousands of people were arrested and executed during this period. -
King Louis XVI executed
In September 1792, the new National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Louis was found guilty of treason and executed at the guillotine on 21 January 1793. Marie Antoinette was executed nine months later. -
Napoleon launches a Coup d’Etat on the weak & corrupt Directory.
Coup of 18–19 Brumaire, (November 9–10, 1799), coup d’état that overthrew the system of government under the Directory in France and substituted the Consulate, making way for the despotism of Napoleon Bonaparte. The event is often viewed as the effective end of the French Revolution. -
Napoleon crowns himself emperor
After victory against the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo (1800), he embarked on the Napoleonic Wars. The formation of coalitions of European countries against him led Napoleon to declare France a hereditary empire and to crown himself emperor in 1804. -
Creation of the Napoleonic Code
After four years of debate and planning, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte enacts a new legal framework for France, known as the “Napoleonic Code.” The civil code gave post-revolutionary France its first coherent set of laws concerning property, colonial affairs, the family and individual rights. -
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Napoleon as Emperor
After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d’état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804. Shrewd, ambitious and a skilled military strategist, Napoleon successfully waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his empire. -
Defeat in Russian Campaign
Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 ended in defeat due to harsh winter conditions, scorched-earth tactics, and Russian resilience. The catastrophic retreat from Moscow decimated the Grande Armée, marking a turning point in Napoleon's fortunes and ultimately contributing to his downfall. -
Napoleon was exiled
Emperor Napoleon was exiled because he was seen as a threat to the stability of Europe. After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the victorious powers of Europe (Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia) agreed to exile him to the island of Saint Helena. Prior to this, he had been exiled to the island of Elba in 1814, but he escaped and briefly regained power during the Hundred Days. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was Napoleon Bonaparte's final battle, where his forces faced the combined armies of the Seventh Coalition, led by the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. Despite initial success, Napoleon's strategic errors and the timely arrival of Prussian reinforcements led to his decisive defeat, effectively ending his rule as Emperor of the French.