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Nobility forces King Louis XVI to call the Estates General into Session
The king was in trouble. The nobilty was not happy with his attempt to tax their estate. Nobility wanted to pass the cost once again on the Third Estate. -
Estate-General meets in Paris
King Louis XVI calls body into session to approve a new tax on the 3rd Estate. Had not met in 175 years. -
3rd Estate refused to abide by the kings one vote for each estate order
The Third Estate made themselves a legislature and called themselves the National Assembly. They stated that they had the right to make laws for France and were furious that King Louis XVI only allowed one vote per estate. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Third Estate created this oath due to the unfair voting system. The Tennis Court Oath stated that the representatives from the Third Estate would not leave the courts until they wrote a constitution for France. -
The Storming of the Bastille
Louis XVI was sending troops to Paris to maintain his power. When he did this, the Natioanl Assembly thought he was going to shut their meetings down. Therefore, people tried to aid the National Assembly and decided to look for weapons in the Bastille prison. The mob and prison guards opened fire and the prison guard ended up dying. This was symbolic because it was one of the first uprisings by the Third Estate and it lead to the formation of the Great Fear. -
Great Fear Begins
The fall of the Bastille created a panic and widespread frear. There were endless stories about massacres, although some ended up to be rumors. Even so, many took advantage of the Great Fear and took revenge on landowners. -
National Assembly abolishes Feaudalism with August Decrees
The National Assembly erased and eliminated all feudal dues and services that many peasants had to the upper estates and to the government. Also, the National assembly eliminated the First Estate's legal privileges. This comes ot show that the Third Estate was not backing down and was serious about wanted to change matters in France. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
This document laid out the principles of the French Revolution and drew ideas from other well-known documnets, such as the American Declaration of Independence. This particular document stated all men are born equal and remain equal before the law. Guaranteed freedom of speech, the press, and religion. This is was unlike anything ever before in France. -
Womens of Paris March to Versailles for Bread
Louis XVI had called troops to Versailles in order to protect his throne. Women decided to march to his palace and demand for bread, and they eventually broke into his palace. Louis XVI decided to make peace by leaving and retuning to Paris. -
Royal Family's Flight from Varennes
Fearing for their safety, the king and queen put on disguises and fled to Paris. They were soon recognized and brought back to the Tuilernes Palace. This showed that things in France were intensifying and even the king and queen were fearful of their lives. -
New Constition adopted
A new legislative body was formed and it was called the Legislative Assembly. Citizens gained voting rights, but only those were were male taxpayers over the age of twenty-five. The monarchy remained intact, but the king's power and influence were severely limited. -
Beginning of Legislative Assembly
This new legislative body started making change as soon as they were created. One of the first things that they did was giving more power, control, and finluence to the people and taking away a lot of the king's power, control, and influence. -
Brunswick Manifesto warns that Royal family must not be harmed or else...
Austria sent 50,000 troops to France's border and once this took place, the Legislative Assembly declared war. France lost and there was a food shortage, high prices, and many financial strains. -
Storming of the Tuileries Palace
Thousands of revolutionaries made their way to the Truileries Palace. There, they slaughtered all of the guards and the king and queen were taken captive. Their kids were also captured. This occured because the king and queen were now commoners and could not do anything about it. Therefore, they were thrown into prison and waited to be put on trial. -
French Monarchy is officialy abolished
Revolutionaly government votes to abolish the monarchy and established the first Republic. Royal family imprisoned. -
French defeat foreign invaders (Austria and Prussia) who are attempting to preserce the monarchy
France turns the tide of war and takes the offensive against the invaders. -
The execution of King Louis XVI in Paris
King Louis XVI was put on trial and then executed by the guillotine. Maby outside France saw this event as savage and inhumane, but the revolutionaires were full of pride. -
Committee of Public Safety Established
This new committee managed the country's military defense gainst foreign forces on France's borders. They held a draft of healthy, unmarried men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five for military service. -
"Law of Suspects" passes - Beginning of the Reign of Terror in France
During the Reign of Terror, 300,000 people were arrested and 17,000 people were executed. Violence shocked many and fear took over the nation. All of this violence increased the foreign opposition to the Revolution. All those against the revolution were killed by the guillotine. -
End of the Reign of Terror - execution of Robespierre
Robespierre had suggested that the reign of terror should be less severe because it was getting out of hand. So, he was surrounded by the National Convention and his supporters were executed as well. This was meant to protect the revolution, but it resulted in actually weakening it. -
National Convention is dissolved and the creation of the Directorate
A new constitution was written and only men who owned property were now able to vote, The Directory was made up of five men (directors) and they were weak and corrupt because they always argued and did not lead the country of France forward. This new directorate had many qualities of the Old Order. -
Napoleon named First Consul
The Firectory was weak and inneffecitve. People were looking for stability and advancement. Napoleon promised that and he was then chosen as the leader/dictator of France, because people believed he would bring glory to their country. -
Coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France
France had become an empire and Pop Pius VII crowned Napoleon as the emperor of Paris. It has been said that Napoleon grabbed the crown and placed it on his own head. This shows the strength and confidence of Napoleon and his close relationship with authority.
