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New tax of King Louis
Marie Antoinette spent much money on gowns, jewels, gambling and gifts. Rather than cutting expenses, Louis put off dealing with the emergency until he practically had no money left. His solution was to impose taxes on the nobility. However, the Second Estate forced him to call a meeting of the Estates-General an assembly of representatives from all the three estates- to approve his new tax. The meeting was held in Versailles in May 5, 1789. -
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National Assembly Phase of the French Revolution
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First Delibarate Act of Revolution
French voted to establish National Assembly, in effect proclaiming the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of representative government. This vote was the first deliberate act of the revolution. -
Fall of the Bastille
A mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed the Bastille, a Paris prison. The mob overwhelmed the guard and seized control of the building. The angry attackers hacked the prison commander and several guards to death, and then paraded around the streets with the dead men’s heads on pikes. The fall of the Bastille became a great symbolic act of revolution to the French people. Ever since July 14 “Bastille Day”. -
Noblemen and actions
A nobleman made grand speeches, declaring their love of liberty and equality. Motivated more by fear than idealism, they joined other members of the National Assembly in sweeping away the feudal privileges of the First and Second Estates, thus making commoners equal to the nobles and clergy. By morning, the Old Regime was dead. -
Declaration of Rights of the Man of the Citizen
National Assemblky adopted a statement of revolutionary ideals, the Declaration of Rights of the Man of the Citizen. Document stated: “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights”. -
Women riot for price of bread
Thousands of Parisian women rioted over the rising price of bread. Brandishing knives, axes, and other weapons, the women marched on Versailles. First they demanded the national assembly take action to provide bread and then they turned their anger to the king and queen. They broke into the palace killing the guards. The women demanded that Louis and Marie Antoinette return to Paris. Louis agreed and never again were seen back in the palace of Versailles. Their exit signaled the change of power -
State Controlled Church
Various of the National Assembly’s reforms focused on church lands and declared that their officials/priests were to be elected and paid. The Catholic Church lost both its land and its political independence. The reasons for the assembly’s actions were economic. Revenues from the sale of Church lands helped pay off France debt. The assembly’s actions aroused millions of French peasants, who were devout Catholics. They believed that the pope should rule over a church independent of the state. -
Royal Family tried to escape
The royal familiy tried to escape from France to the Australian Netherlands. As they neared the border, however, they were upprehended and returned to Paris under guard. Louis’s attempted escape increased the influence of his radical enemies in the government and sealed his fate. -
New Constitution
The national assembly completed the new constitution, which Louis reluctantly approved. The constitution created a limited constitutional monarchy. It stripped the king of much of his authority. It also created a new legislative body- the Legislative Assembly. This body has the power to create laws and to approve or reject declarations of war. However, the king still held the executive power to enforce laws. -
Declaration of War
Monarchs and nobles in many European countries watched the changes taking place in France with alarm. Revolutionary ideas spread around Europe and some countries took action. The legislative Assembly responded by declaring war in April 1792. -
Declaration of France as a Republic
Among pressure of from radicals in the streets and among its members, the Legislative Assembly set aside the Constitution and called for the election of a new legislature. This new governing body, the National Convention, took office on September 21. It quickly abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.