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Louis Calls for the Estates General
France was dealing with major economic problems. There was a series of bad harvsets and the price of food was nearly doubled. In response to this crisis, Louis XVI was urged by the nobliity to tax the peasants. -
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Moderate Phase
The first phase of the French Revolution began when the Estates General was called. It ends when Vendee revolts and sparks a counter- revolution, causing a new form of government to emerge. -
Tennis Court Oath
When the third estate was locked out of a meeting about the Estates- General, the Bourgeoisie led an assembly in a tennis court. The peasants vowed to save France and resulted in the "National Assembly". This assembly began to make laws in the name of the people. -
Storming of the Bastille
The king's prison was raided by the third estate. Even though they only released seven prisoners, this event was a turning point in the revolution. It sparked riots in other cities and marked the beginning of defeat over despotism. -
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
On August 4, 1789, the National Assmbly ends serfdom and feudalism. Peasants were no longer tied to their landlords, the payment of the taille along with other church taxes was abolished. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
"The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen," written by Rousseau, gave an idea on what the National Assembly believed to be fair and equal rights for all men. -
Factions of National Convention
The two groups that branched from the National Convention were the "Giorndin" and the "Mountain". The Girondin wanted the king to live becuase if he was executed, they believed his death would bring a wrath to France. However, the other group, Mountain, wanted to kill the king to better the republic. In the end, King Louis XVI was guillotined. -
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The Reign of Terror
Started by the Committee of Public Safety. Its purpose was to eliminate enemies of the revolution. -
Marat's Death
Jean- Paul Marat was assassinated by Charlotte Corday while in his bath. -
Levee En Masse
Levee En Masse was establisged by the Committee of Public Safety in response to France's military crisis. -
Reign of Terror
The second phase of the Revolution began when a new form of government was instated. It was led by Robespierre, Danton, and Marat. -
Cult of the Supreme Being
Robespierre institutes the religion, "Cult of the Supreme Being". It was intended to become the prime religion of France, and was largely based on the ideas of Deism. -
Robespierre's Downfall
An attempted assassination of Robespierre provoked him to instigate the "Law of 22 Parial". Subsequently, forty to fifty thousand citizens were killed because of this law. -
Thermidorian Reaction
Robespierre was executed. This was the starting point of a power vacuum, putting the National Assembly in charge. -
Renovation of Churches and Constitution
The churches had been reopened by the moderates. The "Directory" became a neew form of government body. It consisted of: a Council of 500, a Council of Ancients, and a 5 man executive board. -
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Directory or Napoleonic Phase
The Directory was the third stage of the Revolution; beginning with Napoleon saving the Directory from a royalist mob and ending with Napoleon replacing the Directory with the Consulate. -
Napoleon Saves Directory with "Grapeshot".
Napoleon defends the Directory from the French with "grapeshot". -
The Rosetta Stone
One of Napoleon's soldiers found the Rosetta Stone, enabling them to translate hieroglyphics. -
Napoleon Removes the Directory
Bonaparte abolishes the directory and replaces it with a 3-man Consulate. -
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Napoleon's Great Military Campaign
Napoleon's armed forces fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
He possessed control over Europe from 1805 to 1809 up to Russia. He puts his relative in charge of the monarchs. -
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Trouble With Spain
After receiving aid from a Spanish army, Napoleon betrays the Spanish monarch and invades Spain. -
Napoleon Divorces Josephine
Josephine did not produce a male heir to the throne so he divorced her and married her grand-niece. -
British Blockade
British Blockade hurts France Economy under Napoleon's rule. -
Invasion of Russia
Napoleon made the mistake of invading Russia, leaving France with more than 422,000 men and returning with 28,000. -
Napoleon Defeated
At the Battle of Nations, the Austrian, Prussian, Russian, and Swedish allied against Napoleon. He accapts the defeat and is exiled to Elba the following year. -
End of the French Revolution
The Congress of Vienna made sure revolutions like France's would never happen again. -
Napoleon Defeated at Waterloo and Death.
At the Battlle of Waterloo, Michel Ney, one of Napoleon's commanders, lost his canon nails, enabling the British to take over the canons. Napoleon dies in St. Helena.
