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Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was "a pivotal event during the first days of the Frech Revolution." The members that signed pledged to continue to meet until the constitution has been written and put into effect. This event was important as in it marked the first time that citizens formally opposed Louis XVI. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_Court_Oath -
Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille represented royal power, as well as the center of Paris. This was the 3rd major event in the opening stages of the revolution, and was caused by the frustration of the people due to the lack of progress in the writing of the constitution.
This event is important because it was the 3rd major event, and an act of rebelion against Louis XVI. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storming_of_the_Bastille
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091020161021AAW76Tw -
The Great Fear
Peasant rebellions and rural unrest caused by rumors of an aristocrat "famine plot." Peasants armed themselves and attacked manor houses.
This revolt by the peasants was a deciding factor in the decision to abolish feudalism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fear -
National Assembly Forms
The Third Estate delegates, mostly members of the bourgeoisie whose views had been shaped by the Enlightenment, were eager to make changes in the government. They insisted that all three estates meet together and that each delegate have a vote. This would give the advantage to the Third Estate, which had as many delegates as the other two estates combined. (World History eBook, Chapter 23)
This was the dawn of the French Revolution. The Assembly had basically decided to end absolute monarchy. -
A Limited Monarchy
The National Assembly completes the new constitution, which is agreed to by a reluctant Louis XVI. The Legislative Assembly is created, which had the power to create laws, as well as reject or approve declarations of war. This event is important in the French Revolution because it created a limited constitutional monarchy, which stripped Louis of much of his power as king. -
Jacobins take control
The Jacobins were members of a radical political organization, which was responsible for much of the political changes that took place on September of 1792. The National Convention, guided by the Jacobins, tried Louis for treason. This was an important event because the Jacobins were responsible for much of the change that happened. -
Robespierre assumes control
Jacobin leader Maximillion Robespierre slowly rose to power built a "republic of virtue" by wiping out all traces of France's past. Robespierre and his followers changed the calendar and renamed each month, and closed churches. For the next year, Robespierre ruled virtually as a dictator. Many people were executed on weak charges, and his rule was soon known as "The Reign of Terror." This event is important because the Reign of Terror was a landmark in the French Revolution. -
Robespierre is executed
The Reign of Terror, a radical phase of the French Revolution, came to an end when members of the National Convention feared for their own safety and demanded that Robespierre be arrested and executed. This event was important to the French Revolution because public opinion shifted dramatically after Robespierre was executed. People had grown weary of the terror and the high prices for bread and other neccesities. People also found a ruler to bring order to their armies. Napoleon Bonaparte. -
Napoleon is crowned as emperor
The crowning of Napoleon as emperor marked the beginning of the empire that Napoleon created for himself as a result of the Napoleonic wars. Napoleon had a large role in the extension of the French empire and played a large part in the French Revolution. -
End of the Napoleonic wars
Napoleon's defeat allowed for the freed European countries to establish a new order. Under this new order, a balance of power system was put in place so that no European country could easily defeat another. Source: HMH World History eBook, Chapter 23, Section 4.2
