-
Storming of Bastille
Women march and protest the king and queens lavish lifestyle. -
Signing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man
The signing of the Declaration of the Rights of man was a pivotal event in the French Revolution because it was the first time in the revolution that the people organised their rights into a clear document. The fact that it was a document is also important because it showed the monarchy that the revolution was literate and meant business. The document borrowed heavily from the ideas of Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. The document was essentially the rights the people wanted -
Bread March
The March to Versailles was staged in an effort to obtain bread and force the high prices of bread down. Versailles was known as a royal paradise, reserved for the royal families and their entourages. Versailles was a symbol of the excessive luxuries available only to the king and his family. This naturally became the destination for the angry French women who merely wanted to feed themselves and their families. -
Period: to
Flight to Varennes
King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette fled to Belgium in June 20 of 1791 and returned on June 25 1791 -
France Goes to War Against Austria
On April 21, 1792, the French government declared war on Austria. As Prussia was allied with Austria, France found itself fighting a war against both countries. -
Paris Mob Attacks the Tuileries
On August 10, 1792 they turned against their king. The mob stormed the Tuileries where the royal family was being held. They demand a new constitution and a convention to replace the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly dissolves and is replaced by the National Convention. -
Trial of King Louis XIV
Louis was officially arrested on August 13, 1792 and sent to the Temple, an ancient Paris fortress used as a prison. On 21 September, the National Assembly declared France to be a republic and abolished the monarchy. On 15 January 1793, the Convention, composed of 721 deputies, voted out the verdict, which was a foregone conclusion – 693 voted guilty, and none voted for acquittal. -
Period: to
September Massacres
In the fall of 1792, hysteria, uncertainty, and fear gripped the city. Rumors circulated that the 3000 prisoners held in Paris prisons were planning to stage an uprising. News that Verdun was threatened by the Prussian army was the spark that began what are called the "September Massacres". An angry mob led by Jean Paul Marat stormed the prisons and killed about 1600 prisoners. -
The Execution of King Louis XIV
After six weeks of debate in the National Convention, with the Girondins wanting clemency for the king, whereas the Jacobins wanting to execute him. On January 21, 1793, the French government sent its former king to the guillotine. -
Napoleon’s coup d'état
In 1799, members of the Directory conspired with Napoleon to take over the French government. It was successful, and Napoleon quickly asserted his superior intelligence and will over others. By 1802 he had full power (elected first consul for life), and by 1804, he proclaimed himself Emperor Napoleon I.