French Revolution Timeline - Chapter 23

  • Period: to

    French Government in debt

    Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette spent massive amounts of money which sunk them into large amounts of debt.
  • Directory created

    An executive body of five men in a two-house legislature.
  • Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen

    The National Assembly adopted this which reflected the influence of the Declaration of Independence.
  • Great Fear

    Senseless panic in France
  • Estates-General

    Meeting of representatives from the three estates for Louis' new tax. (First one in 175 years)
  • Established National Assembly

    The estates finally voted to establish the National Assembly which would end the absolute monarchy and start a representative government.
  • Tennis Court Oath

    Third Estates broke down a door to an indoor tennis court and pledged for a new constitution
  • Legislative Assembly Created

    National Assembly completed the new constitution and also created a new legislative body called the Legislative Assembly
  • Reign of Terror

    The period where Robespierre governed France virtually as a dictator.
  • Execution of Louis XVI

    On this date Louis XVI walked up the steps of the scaffold to be beheaded by a machine called the guillotine.
  • Establishment of 3 Consuls

    Lawmakers established a group of three consuls in the Directory's place
  • Concordat of 1801

    Gained Napoleon the support of the organized Church as well as the majority of the French people. It was an agreement with Pope Pius VII for the church and state.
  • Sale of Louisiana to US

    Napoleon offered to sell the Louisiana Territory to the US and the US purchased it for $15 million.
  • Napoleonic Code

    Napoleon's greatest work with his comprehensive system of laws.
  • Louis XVI attempts to flee France

    Around the time of the Battle of Trafalgar Louis XVI tried to flee France. Establish himself elsewhere and come back but ended up being executed.
  • Continental System

    A policy made to make continental Europe more self-sufficient
  • Invasion of Russia

    Russians stopped selling grain to Britain which caused a breakdown in their alliance. So Napoleon invaded Russia as a result with more than 420,000 soldiers.
  • Exile to Elba

    Napoleon was given a small pension and exiled to Elba (a small island of the Italian coast)
  • Exile to Helena

    Napoleon escaped from Elba so the British shipped him to St. Helena, which was remote, and he stayed for six years. He died in 1821 from a stomach ailment.
  • 100 Days

    The defeat from the British and Prussians ended Napoleon's last bid for power which was called the 100 days.