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Revolt of the Saint Domingue planters
the planters of, the sugar-producing colony, Saint Domingue (now known as Haiti) were angry that they did not receive the same rights as the people of France. Then the enslaved Africans began demanding rights, too. This created a civil war between the government and the planters. The planters, led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, took control over the colony. When Napoleon tried to take back the colony, his soldiers were ravaged by disease. The rebels were also great fighters. -
King Louis XVI calls for assembly of the Estates General
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Third Estate becomes National Assembly
The Third Estate was unhappy that the Second and First Estate had much more political and social power. Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes (accent on the e, after the y in Sieyes), a clergyman, was sympathetic for the Third Estate. He suggested that they name themselves the National Assembly and create laws for the French people, and they agreed. This proclaimed the end of complete monarchy in France. -
Tennis Court Oath is established among the National Assembly
The National Assembly was locked out of their meeting room. They decided to break down the door of a tennis court and made an oath to never leave until they have created a new, and effective, constitution for France. -
Storming of the Bastille occurs
The people of France were gathering weapons to defend against a possible attack from foreign troops. They thought that King Louis XVI was planning to massacre them. On this date a mob of French citizens were searching for gunpowder and arms decided to storm the Bastille, in hopes of finding weapons. This event led to many more mini-revolutions around France, called the Great Fear. -
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The Great Fear
These are the events that led after the Storming of the Bastille. most of these events were just attacks on noble manors by the peasants. [http://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/greatfear.jpg] -
Nobles renounce feudal rights
The noblemen of France made speeches declaring their love of liberty and equality, renouncing their feudal privileges. They were more motivated by fear, rather than the actual ideas of the National Assembly. They then joined them. This made the commoners equal to the clergy and noblemen. Most of the First and Second Estate joined them. -
National Assembly creates Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration of the Rights of Man guaranteed the people of France complete social equality. It also granted them equal justice, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, resistance to oppression, and many other rights. -
National Assembly issues constitution
This constitution created a limited constitutional monarchy. It took away practically all of the king's power. It also formed a new legislative body called the Legislative Assembly. -
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King Louis XVI attempts to escape to Austria
King Louis XVI thought it was unsafe for him and his family to stay in France. He tried to escape France and go to the Austrian Netherlands. He and his family were caught and then brought back to Paris under guard. [http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/searchimages/187.jpg] -
France declares war on Austria and Prussia
Other European countries witnessed the expulsion of monarchy from France, and grew alarmed and worried that this might spark revolutions across Europe. Austria and Prussia urged the French to restore power back to Louis. The Legislative Assembly responded by declaring war on the two countries. -
Parisians invade royal palace and imprison Louis
The Prussian commander threatened to destroy Paris if any of the revolutionaries harmed a member of the royal family. This seemed to enrage the revolutionaries. On this date about 20,000 men invaded the royal palace and killed all of the royal guards. They then imprisoned Louis and his family. -
National Convention is formed
The Legislative Assembly called for the election of a new legislature. When the National Convention took office it immediately abolished any form of monarchy and declared France a republic. This granted adult male citizens the right to vote and hold office. -
Robespierre becomes leader of the Committee of Public Safety
Maximilien Robespierre and his supporters set out to create a "republic of virtue" by destroying all evidence of past France. After he became leader of the Committee of Public Safety he governed France, practically as a dictator. His period of rule became known as the Reign of Terror. During this period Robespierre killed thousands of innocent people, under suspicion that they were "internal enemies". -
King Louis XVI is executed
The National Convention, guided by radical Jacobins, convicted Louis of treason and sentenced him to death by the guillotine. -
Robespierre is executed
Some of the members of the National Convention feared for their lives when they realized innocent people were being executed. They turned on Robespierre and ordered for his arrest and execution. This ended the Reign of Terror. -
Directory is formed
Moderate leaders of the National Convention created a new plan for the government. It gave power to the upper middle class and called for a two-house legislature and an executive body consisting of five men. This became the Directory. Even though some of them were corrupt, they still gave the country a period of order and rest. They also found a general to command the French army. It was Napoleon Bonaparte. -
Napoleon saves the Directory from royalist mob
On this day Napoleon and his gunner were given the task to defend the delegates from a royalist mob. They bombarded the mob with a hail firepower and made them flee. He was hailed throughout Paris for saving the delegates from the royalists. -
Napoleon appointed to lead the French army
The Directory appointed Napoleon to lead the French army in war against Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia. After crossing the alps, He led the army into Italy and achieved several victories. Next, to protect French trade interests by disrupting British trade with India, they marched into Egypt. Sadly, they were held at Egypt by the British because they defeated Napoleon's naval forces. -
Coup d'Etat
By then the Directory had lost all political control and the confidence of the people of France. When Napoleon returned from Egypt, his friends urged him to seize political power. Napoleon then ordered his troops to surround the National Legislature and drive out it's members. The ones who stayed voted to terminate the Directory. They then created the Consulate, which consisted of three consuls, Napoleon being the first of the three. This event became known as the Coup d'Etat -
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The Napoleonic Era
This is the time period in which Napoleon gained control over France. [http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2017/05/Napoleon_at_the_Great_St._Bernard_-_Jacques-Louis_David_-_Google_Cultural_Institute.jpg] -
Plebiscite is held to approve new constitution
A plebiscite, or vote of the people, was held to approve a new constitution for France. The people voted in favor of the new constitution, which gave all real power to Napoleon, as the first consul. -
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Napoleon makes peace with Britain, Austria, and Russia
The three nations signed a peace treaty, as a result of war and diplomacy, with France. This allowed for Napoleon to focus on restoring France. -
The Louisiana Purchase
After failure to take back Saint Domingue, Napoleon needed to gain back his losses. He offered the US the Louisiana Territory for $15 million. The US accepted and Napoleon was now able to fund his future military expeditions. -
Napoleonic Code is promulgated
The Napoleonic Code was a system of laws that Napoleon created to abolish many injustices. However, this new system actually demoted liberty and promoted authority over individual rights. -
Napoleon is crowned emperor
On this day, Napoleon decided to make himself emperor of France. He walked down the aisle of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The pope then stood at the end of the aisle with his crown, which Napoleon took from the pope and placed it on his head. This now meant that Napoleon was more powerful than the church. -
The Battle of Trafalgar
This was a crushing defeat for France. Horatio Nelson, the British commander, was excellent in naval warfare. He was able to split the larger French fleet, which allowed them to capture many French ships. The British destroyed the French fleet in this battle. This created supremacy of the British Naval fleet and made Napoleon throw away his plans to invade Britain. -
Battle of Austerlitz
Probably the most famous of the series of battles leading after the Louisiana Purchase. Napoleon and his army were victorious in most of these battles. His enemies were so badly beaten up by the French forces that it forced them to sign peace treaties with France. The only threat left was Britain. -
The Continental System
Napoleon placed a blockade to prevent trade and communication between Great Britain and other European countries. He was hoping to be able to make Europe more self-sufficient. His blockade was not good enough to stop traders, with the British, from passing through. His allies also did not follow the policies. The British also made a blockade, which was far more powerful and strict than Napoleon's. -
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The Peninsular War
This war sparked in an effort to get Portugal to except the Continental System. The people of Portugal were upset, and they became even angrier when Napoleon put his brother in place as the new king of Portugal. When the people decided they had enough they began attacking the French forces. They were in small groups and attacked them. After, they would run away and hide. They became known as guerillas. They constantly stuck the French forces. This tactic was very effective. -
The Invasion of Russia
When the Russian Czar did not stop selling grains to Britain, and having suspicion that the two countries had the same plans for Poland. Napoleon then invaded Russia. When Napoleon advanced, the Russians pulled back. As Napoleon followed, the Russians destroyed every possible food source for the French. Then finally, the two armies met and fought. Napoleon, later, decided to head back to France. On their way home, his army went from 420,000 troops to 10,000, due to wounds, disease, etc... -
Napoleon gives up his throne
In April, Napoleon was forced to surrender, due to the circumstances of his past defeats. he could no longer fight his enemies and had practically crumpled to the ground in defeat. He was then exiled to Elba, where his enemies expected him to stay and cause no further trouble. This meant that Louis XVIII was now able to take back the throne. -
Napoleon escapes Elba and goes back to France
Napoleon wanted his throne and his power back. He decided to escape from Elba and then return to France. When he arrived in France, he was happily greeted by large crowds and very quickly regained his power in France. This began Napoleon's "Hundred Days" of rule in France. -
Battle of Waterloo
When Napoleon's enemies found he escaped Elba, they quickly gathered their armies. The British army prepared for a battle near a village called Waterloo, in Belgium. On this date, Napoleon attacked the British forces. The British were easily able to hold their ground against the French. Then when Prussian forces arrived to help the British, they pushed back the French and defeated them. This marked the end of Napoleon's Hundred Days of rule. They then quickly shipped him off to St. Helena. -
Napoleon dies
After being confined in St. Helena for six years, Napoleon finally passed due to a stomach ailment.
