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A Growing Crisis
France is close to being bankrupt because of poor economic policies, famine and natural disasters just add salt to the wound of France. The industrial revolution in Britain put workers in France out of business. King Louis XVI seemed incapable when it came to solving the problems. Philosopher's idea of change becomes popular amongst the Third Estate and even some nobles. -
The Estates-General
in 1789 the 3rd state argued for change without aknowledgment for about 6 weeks and was still ignored. the Third Estate walked out of the Estate-General and met at a tennis court where they started a new government called the National Assembly, which is now called "The Tennis Court Oath". in this oath the vowed to not disband until they had written a constitution. King Louis XVI finally gave in and ordered all estates to work together, however many differences prevented any change. -
The Storming of Bastille Cont.
Despite the National Assembly's promise for change the poor did not want to wait for for talk. October 1789 a crowd of women mrched to Versailles angry about high food prices, the King and the Queen also are suspected to be plotting against th National Assembly. this made th Assembly trap the king and queen in Paris. The King and Queen then begin asking Austria for help. -
The Storming Of Bastille
this was the beginning of the French Revolution. Bastille was a huge prison fortress in Paris. the people of Paris armed with axes and some only there fists, free all 7 prisoners. Soldiers began to join with the riot. The people of this riot created there own army called the national guard. people in the country side also began to become impatient waiting for a change economically. -
The Storming Of Bastille Cont.
Peasants began to attack, loot and burn chateaux, they also burned all records of serfdom to garuntee freedom. due to this uprising the National Assembly had aquired new power. with this new power th Assembly abolished most feudal customs by August 4th. Nobles now needed to pay tax, the Declaration of rights was put into effect in August 26th 1789, basic rights and freedoms to all men (not woman as yet). There is still no food solution talk so the talk of Revolution grew. -
Losing Power
the royal family attempts to escape but they were caught and locked up. in 1791 the constitution created legislative Assembly forcing him to share power. Revolutionaries began to split into factions ( moderate and radical). the Girondiists (moderate) wante dto preserve a constitutional monarchy, where as the Jacobins (radicals) believed that the king could not be trusted and the demanded a true democracy. the Jacobins gained the upper hand as the French Revolution unfolded. -
A Republic
National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy and make France a republic. the king was then convicted of treason and was sentenced to the guillotine where he spoke his last words; "people, i die innocent". in october 1793 the queen found hersef facing the same fate has the king. even after the death of the monarchy the government became more radical and killed over 37,000 people just for speaking wrongfully about the Revolution. -
A Republic
National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy and make France a republic. the king was then convicted of treason and was sentenced to the guillotine where he spoke his last words; "people, i die innocent". in october 1793 the queen found hersef facing the same fate has the king. even after the death of the monarchy the government became more radical and killed over 37,000 people just for speaking wrongfully about the Revolution. -
Year of the Guillotine
the guillotine found some more action as Danton was sent to meet his fate at it after opposing radicalism in april 1794. Robespierre became a dictator running the Reign of Terror. he soon met the guillotine after failing to commit suicide in july 1794. -
Start Of The Revolution
French soldiers in American Revolution start spreading ideas of change back home in France. The people of France begin pushing for a republican government. in the 1770s and the 1780s there was a huge debate over how much France owed to the bankers. Despite obvious signs of economic disaster France continued to borrow money for for more wars and Versailles. France's support of American Revolution almost doubled it's debt.