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The French Revolution
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Tennis Court Oath
An oath made by members of the Third Estate who had just formed the National Assembly and were locked out of the meeting. These members of the Third Estate pledged to remain together until they had drafted and passed a new constitution. -
Storming Of The Bastille
The third class took charge and gathered up, marching to the Bastille, a prison. They requested gun-powder as well as the guards' fire arms. Two of the leaders were invited inside to negotiate but the longer it took the more impatient the crowd became. The crowd cut the chains on the draw-bridge and stormed the bastille, lighting it on fire and killing guards and officials. -
Great Fear
A period of panic and riot by peasants because of rumors of an “aristocratic conspiracy” by the king upper-class to overthrow the Third Estate. The Third Estate gathered troops around Paris and stormed the Bastille. -
The Declaration Of The Rights Of Man
A document that guaranteed due process of law and established authority among the French people. The themes found in the declaration made one thing clear-- every person was equal. The French people were for this while the King and Nobles were against it. -
Women March On Versailles
The price of the bread that people had been purchasing increased greatly. The people had so much trouble trying to get food that they would kill or steal from people to get it. The march on Versailles's main purpose was to obtain bread and force the price of bread down to where it had been. Bread was the main diet of the French people at this time. -
Civil Constitution Of Clergy
This law made by the National Assembly put the church under the control of the State. The State could now determine who was allowed to attend the Church as well as be apart of the Clergy in the Church. This upset many of the Clergy as well as the people. -
The Royal Escape
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette decided to dress up in costume and run away to Austria, the home of Marie Antoinette. From here, they planned to gain power back in France. They were recognized in the town of Sainte-Menehould, by a postmaster.The king and his family were eventually arrested in the revolutionary town of Varennes, 30 miles from their ultimate destination, -
Execution Of King Louis XVI
King Louis XVI was tried before the National Convention, where he was found guilty of having conspired against the liberty of the nation. Robespierre, who once thought King Louis XVI was his idol was the one who sent him to the Guillotine. -
Constitution Of 1795
A period of governmental restructuring. The new legislature consists of two houses: an upper house, called the Council of Ancients, and a lower house, called the Council of Five Hundred. -
The Directory
A new executive body of the government which has five officers, making up the Directory. Although it has no legislative power, it gave them the authority to appoint people to fill the other positions within the government. Also, annual elections were held to keep the new government in check. -
Napolean Becomes Consulate
A new government was formed, headed by three consuls—Bonaparte, Pierre Ducos, and Sieyfès. Napoleon became first consul. He worked to establish internal order in France, deciding in order to achieve this he wanted a period of peace. -
Concordat Of 1801
Pope Pius VII and Bonaparte re-established the Catholic Church in France. Bonaparte understood that the restoration of religious peace was above all things necessary for the peace of the country and the hostility to the new state of affairs was due to the fact that their Catholic consciences were outraged by the Revolutionary laws. -
Coronation Of An Emperor
Napoleon stole the crown from the Pope one day and put it on announcing himself an emporer. He eventually was allowed to become emporer, and at his ceremony he accepted this title. This shows that he has total control over France. This also coincides with the idea of Napoleon being chosen by God. -
Battle Of Trafalgar
A sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition. The British naval was victorious wotj twenty-seven ships versus the thirty-three French and Spanish ships . -
Battle Of Austerlitz
After nearly nine hours of difficult fighting Napoleon defeated the Third Coalition. The battle is often regarded as a tactical masterpiece. On 26 December 1805, Austria and France signed the Treaty of Pressburg, which took Austria out of the war and reinforced earlier treaties. -
Invasion Of Spain
Napoleon created a new enemy by referring to the Spanish throne in favor of his brother Joseph. The Spanish uprising that followed encouraged Britain to send an expeditionary force to the Iberian Peninsula. This war went on for years and in the end Napoleon was defeated by Wellington. -
Invasion Of Russia
The turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied a small part of their strength. Also, European politics made a major change as the French were dramatically weakened. Napoleon's reputation as an 'undefeated military genius' was practically ruined. Allies Prussia and Austria broke their alliance with France, triggering the War of the Sixth. -
Exile To Elba
Napolean, the dethroned Emperor left France for the isle of Elba, where he was exiled under the terms of the Treaty of Fontainebleau. Napoleon would be allowed to rule Elba, which had 12,000 inhabitants. The treaty allowed him to retain the title "Emperor." On February 26, 1815, Napoleon managed to sneak past his guards and somehow escape from Elba, slip past interception by a British ship, and return to France. -
Congress Of Vienna
An international conference that was called in order to remake Europe after the downfall of Napoleon. These conferences were held in Vienna, Austria. The main goal of the conferences was to create a balance of power that would preserve the peace. -
A Hundred Days
These Hundred Days marked the period between Emperor Napoleon of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII. -
The Battle Of Waterloo
The French Empire, under the leadership of Michael Ney and Napoleon Bonaparte were defeated by the Seventh Coalition and a Prussian Army, which was commanded by Gebhard Von Blucher. The Battle of Waterloo puts an end to the tyrant rule of Napoleon as the emperor of France. It had also marked the end of the 'hundred days' from Napoleon's return from exile. -
Declaration Of Pilnitz
In response to Louis XVI’s capture and forced return to Paris, Prussia and Austria issued the Declaration of Pillnitz on August 27, 1791, warning the French against harming the king and demanding that the monarchy be restored. The declaration also implied that Prussia and Austria would intervene militarily in France if any harm came to the king. -
Constitution Of 1791
The National Assembly released the Constitution of 1791, which created a limited monarchy for France. This move allowed King Louis XVI to maintain control of the country, The constitution also succeeded in eliminating the nobility as a legal order and struck down monopolies and guilds. It established a poll tax and stopped servants from voting-- making sure the country stayed in control by the middle class. -
Reign Of Terror
A ten-month period of oppression and execution, organized by Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety to suppress any enemies of the radical Revolution. This ended with the fall of Robespierre, who was arrested and executed. His death led to the establishment of the Directory as the form of government. -
Creation Of The National Convention
The body that replaced the Legislative Assembly. The convention abolished the French monarchy and declared France a republic. Though originally dominated by moderates, the convention became controlled by radical Jacobins in 1793.
