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The Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was a result of the third estate of the estates general being locked out of their court room. The third estate, wanting representation for themselves, created the National Assembly. They met in a tennis court and swore an oath to not stop meeting until the king recognized them as a governing body.
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Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of the Bastille was on July 14, 1789. Members of the third estate had been gathering muskets and other weapons. However, they needed gunpowder and ammunition. Since the Bastille was a storage for gunpowder, the revolutionaries marched to the fortress gates and demanded that the Bastille be surrendered and the stockpiled gunpower be handed over. When Governor de Launay refused, the mob became angry. The Bastille guards fired into the crowd. The fighting had begun. -
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The French Revolution
A time of Ideas and revolt that lead to the France we have today. -
Women's March
On October 5th, 1789, a large group of woman congregated together and marched on the palace of Versailles. Their goal was to confront Louis XVI and demand bread for their families. Many of these women were from the fish markets, so they were strong and ruthless. The crowd attracted many followers, including many men. When they got to Versailles, the guards were overrun and beheaded and Queen Marie Antionette was almost captured by the mob. This resulted in the Royal family returning to Paris. -
Invention of the Guillotine
The guillotine was a popular method of execution in late 1700s and early 1800s France. The inventor, Doctor Joseph Ignace Guillotin, invented the guillotine as a swift and painless execution method. His invention backfired when the machine was used to kill hundreds of thousands of people. He tried to change the name of the invention in vain, and distanced himself with it during the insanity of the 1790s.
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The flight of the Royal Family
King Louis became wary of the direction in which the French Revolution was heading and he feared the safety of his family. However, he was unable to take a strong stance as he was resistant to take any step that would see him openly side with foreign powers against the Assembly. On the night of 20th June 1791, the royal family fled the Tuileries Palace. The next day the King was recognized and arrested.
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King Louis XVI formally signs the New Constitution
The New Constitution of France basically stripped King Louis of all his power. The threat of execution hung over him everyday and, to avoid that, he signed the document.
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France Declares War on Austria
As Austria was the homeland of Marie-Antoinette, the country was considered a threat. Political Leaders also wanted to declare war as a way of spreading revolution. King Louis also wanted the war against Austria in hope of crushing France and saving him and the Queen.
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Reign of Terror
The reign of Terror was a period of time during the French Revolution where Robespierre, the political leader and dictator of the time, accused and killed thousands of people for being suspicious or anti-revolutionary. Notes - Hatcher -
Massacre of Nobility
The September Massacres were a result of the war against Austria and Prussia. Citizens thought that, since the French Military had been brought to the border to fight, there was no enforcement to contain the massive amounts of political prisoners kept locked away. On September 1, 1792, a political leader named Georges-Jacques Danton gave a fiery speech that was misinterpreted and eventually lead to the mass killings.
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Execution of King Louis XVI
King Louis XVI was executed on the 21st of January, 1793. His death was a result of many mistake on his part. As king, he was a role model for all of France, but he hardly ruled. He was easily swayed by the last person who talked to him, and enjoyed building things with wood more than leading a country.
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Death of Marat
Marat was a strong supporter of poor peoples' right. Marat's newspaper expressed extreme opinions about political leaders in France. Because of Marat, thousands were killed. Charlotte Corday, a revolutionary who opposed radical groups, decided that if Marat died, France would return to peace. She entered his house, saying she had a list of names of anti-revolutionaries and stabbed him.
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Execution of Queen Marie Antoinette
The execution of Marie Antoinette took place on October 16, 1793. The Queen was executed because of a number of things that happened during her reign. She was an avid spender and was blamed for the instability of the French economy. She also tried to escape after the abolishment of the nobility. After her and her husband's capture, Louis was executed and she was locked in prison. She was eventually put to death.
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Death of Robespierre
Robespierre was a radical leader in the French Revolution. He initially wanted to get rid of the death penalty, but after gaining power he became ruthless. He ordered any anti-revolutionaries to be killed. After gaining power, he became extremely paranoid and accused everyone around him. When political leaders started to get tired of the constant killing, them arrested him and executed him.
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Napoleon's Coup d'état
Napoleon was a genius on the battlefield. He created many strategies that won him countless battles. Many of his strategies are still used today. Napoleon lead a Coup against the French government and became emperor. He conquered a great amount of territory and remains one of the greatest leaders of all time. Notes - Hatcher