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Louis XVI crowned King of France
On May 5, 1774, Louis Auguste became Louis XVI, with the death of his grandfather Louis XV. He wanted to be a good king but he faced enormous debt towards a despotic monarchy. -
American Revolution Begins
The conflict arose from tensions between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government. April 1775 kicked off the armed conflict, and by the following summer, they were fighting a war for their independence. -
Calling of the Estates-General
The First Estate was the clergy, the Second Estate the nobility, and the Third Estate was the rest of the French society. On May 5, 1789, Louis XVI called the Estates-General. -
Formation of the National Assembly
During the French Revolution, the National Assembly was created. It was a revolutionary assembly formed by the representatives of the Third Estate of the Estates- General. -
The Tennis Court Oath
On June 20, 1789 they found themselves locked out of their regular meeting place, so they gathered at an nearby tennis court and vowed that they would continue to meet until they had established a new constitution for France. -
Attack on the Bastille
On 14 July 1789, a state prison on the east side of Paris, known as the Bastille was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. The prison had become a symbol of the monarchy’s dictatorial rule. -
French Women force Louis XVI to leave Versailles
In early October 1789 thousands of Parisians, mainly women, marched 12 miles to Versailles, the residence of Louis XVI. The aims of this crowd varied. Some were desperately hungry and wanted to petition the king and his government to fix bread shortages. -
Declaration of war against Austria
On April 20, 1792, the Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria. Although the French fared poorly at first, the armies became more successful as the war progressed. -
The National Convention is formed
The National Convention was elected to provide a new constitution for the country after the overthrow of the monarchy. The Convention numbered 749 deputies, including businessmen, tradesmen, and many professional men. -
Louis XVI is executed
One day after being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers and sentenced to death by the French National Convention. King Louis XVI is executed by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris. -
Reign of Terror
Robespierre was the mastermind of the Reign of Terror. He was the leader of the Committee of Public Safety, the executive committee of the National Convention, and the most powerful man in France -
The Thermidorian
It was a reaction to the Reign of Terror after the execution of Maximilien de Robespierre. The original Thermidorians were made up of members of the two committees members of the moderate party and ex-terrorists. -
The Directory is formed
The Directory was the name of the government that ruled France during the final stage of the French Revolution. The government was based off a new constitution called the "Constitution of Year III". -
Napoleon Takes power
The coup of 18 Brumaire brought General Napoleon to power as First Consul of France. In the view of most historians he ended the French Revolution. -
Napoleon Invades Russia
In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia with about 600,000 men and over 50,000 horses. His plan was to bring the war to a conclusion within twenty days by forcing the Russians to fight a major battle. -
Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo
Napoleon had been defeated in 1814 and was forced to give up his imperial throne. Exiled on the island of Elba, he plotted a return to power that he launched in March 1815 with his escape and return to France.
