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King Louis XVI answers nobles' request for an Estates General
The king was troubled by the nobles; they were angered by his attempt to tax the Second Estate. The nobles wanted to pass the burden of taxes onto the Third Estate. -
Estates-General meets in Paris
King Louis XVI calls for Estate General to approve a new tax on the Third Estate. This was the first time the body had met in 175 years. -
Third Estate denies King's order of one vote per Estate
The Third Estate was influenced by Enlightenment ideas, espeically the bourgeoisie. They wanted change, and declared themselves a separate legislative body: the National Assembly. -
Tennis Court Oath
King Louis XVI denied the Third Estate their meeting place. The Third Estate countered by meeting in a tennis court, not leaving until they had written a constitution. It was the first time the Third Estate had formally opposed the king. The king eventually gave in, granting the representatives each a vote in the Estates General. -
The Storming of the Bastille
A message by the people to intimidate the king. It raised the morale of the revolutionaries, and became a symbol of the French Revolution. -
Great Fear Begins
Peasants feared that the king would punish them for what they had done. Paranoia and rumors spread throughout the Third Estate. Violence was started by peasants who destroyed the homes of landowners. -
National Assembly abolishes Feudalism with August Decrees
Peasants no longer had to pay landowners any taxes. The First Estate could no longer bypass the law. The National Assembly began to construct a new government that was more equal for all. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
A document by the National Assembly that was influenced by Enlightenment thinkers and the Declaration of Independence. It declared all men equal and entitled to freedom of expression. However, women were not included. -
Women of Paris March to Versailles for Bread
Mob broke into king's place; king was intimidated and relocated to Paris to live in the Tuileries Palace. This encouraged revolutionaries to take bolder steps, such as selling church lands to pay off national debt and depowering the clergy. -
New Constitution Adopted
New constitution severely restricted the power of the royal family and the king. It also created the Legislative Assembly. -
Beginning of the Legislative Assembly
New legislative body was created, it gave citizens that were at least 25, paid taxes, and were men, the right to vote. -
Brunswick Manifesto Warns that Royal Family must not be harmed or else...
Austria and Prussia, allies of French monarchy, threatened war if French royal family was harmed by revolutionaries. Legislative Assembly declared war; France lost. -
Storming of the Tuileries Palace
Mob stormed Tuileries Palace and killed the guards, and proceeded to imprison the royal family. -
French Monarchy is officially abolished
Revolutionary Government votes to abolish the monarchy and establish the first Republic. Royal family is imprisoned. -
French Defeat Foreign Invaders (Austria and Prussia) who are attempting to preserve the Monarchy
France turns the tides of the war and takes the offensive against the invaders. -
The execution of King Louis XVI in Paris
Planned by Montagnards, to suppress the monarchy; king had his head cut off by the guillotine, and it was held up for all to see. Louis XVI had tried to protest before he was executed. Europeans outside of France were horrified. -
Committee of Public Safety Established
This committee was created to manage France's defense; all men from 18-45 that could fight were drafted for the army. -
Law of Suspects passes - Beginning of the Reign of Terror in France
Under this law, anyone who seemed suspicious of doubting the Revolution was arrested, and usually beheaded by the guillotine. -
End of the Reign of Terror - execution of Robespierre
Robespierre, head of the revolutionaries and the Reign of Terror, was eventually taken into custody, and killed by the guillotine. -
National Convention is dissolved and the creation of the Directorate
New constitution was written, and voting rights were restricted. The new governing body was called the Directory, and it was made up of 5 Directorats; it was not very effective. -
Napoleon named First Consul
Napoleon Bonaparte, national war hero, created a coup d'etat and overthrew the Directoroy and seized power. -
Coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France
Napoleon used a plebiscite to find out that French voters wanted him to become emperor of the French Empire; he was crowned emperor by Pope Pius VII, but put the crown on his own head instead of letting the Pope do it. This indicated that he seized power through his own hands, not through someone giving it to him.
