-
The Tennis Court Oath was a pledge taken by the Third Estate. They were not to leave/separate until they had successfully created a constitution for France. -
On July 14, 1789 Parisian rebels formed a mob and seized control of the prison known as the Bastille in Paris, France. The fortress was a symbol of French Royalty, so rebels took control of the Bastille and supplied themselves with ammunition and guns. This marked the beginning of the French Revolution and was the first act of violence in the revolution as over 90 people died. Primary source, page 10: https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/education/french-revolution.pdf -
On August 26, 1789 the French National Constituent Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This document cites the tensions between citizens and French government, while also establishing the rights of liberty, equality, and brotherhood. This was significant because it granted civil rights to some individuals (commoners) who had been oppressed by the First and Second Estates. -
A mob of thousands of women marched to Versailles, where King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antionette resided. This was triggered by the lack of bread and increase in prices. This made it more difficult to provide for their children and the women had reached their breaking point. The march was long and some armed themselves with weapons to threaten the monarchs and killed some of their guards. Marked the beginning of the end of monarch's power. -
The Flight to Varennes was an unsuccessful attempt of the royal family to flee France. Following the Women's March on Versailles, the royal family felt unsafe and Louis XVI's inability to act led to the family's attempt to flee Paris. When discovered, the royals were forcibly taken back and confined to the Tuileries Palace. This led to an increase in the already hostile views/opinions of the king and of the French monarchy. This event would be key in the king's eventual execution. -
Following the disastrous attempt to flee Paris, the royal family were prisoners of the revolution. On September of 1792, the National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy in favor of a republic in France. This was the first republic of France and marked a turning point in the revolution. This event also highlights the animosity many held towards the French monarchy and it would not be long before many called for the deaths of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. -
After being caught with evidence counterrevolutionary letters to Austrian monarchs, King Louis XVI was put on trial in November of 1792. He was quickly found guilty by the National Convention and on January 21, 1793 he was publicly executed via guillotine. His wife, Marie Antoinette would be tried and on October 16, 1793 she would meet the same fate as her husband. -
The Reign of Terror lasted from 1793 to 1794 and was a series of widespread massacres and public executions, mostly through the use of a guillotine. The architect of this event was Maximilien Robespierre, who would ironically meet the same fate as many of the Terrors' victims. This was very much a witch hunt to seek out potential enemies of the revolution, as noted in the Law of Suspects and carried out by the Committee of Public Safety. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1794robespierre.asp -
Lasting four years, the Directory was the French government from 1795 to 1799. It was a bicameral legislature, five-member committee and was subject to widespread corruption, favoring those and enacting policies that benefitted the individuals who supported the French Revolution and its’ members. During this time inflation and famine were still major issues plaguing France. The Directory would be overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte and replaced with the Consulate. -
In 1799 Napoleon seized power in a coup d’état, replacing the five person Directory with a three person Consulate. He rose to power fairly quickly due to his success in the military throughout the Revolution, which also aided in the spread of nationalism. In 1804 Napoleon would crown himself Emperor of France. His rise to power and rule marked the end of the French Revolution and the beginnings of the Napoleonic Age.