The French Revolution

  • Louis XVI calls Estates General

    In a desperate attempt to address France's mounting financial crisis, King Louis XVI summoned the Estates General, a representative assembly of the three estates, and in 1789, but it ultimately failed to resolve the issues, sparking the French Revolution.
  • Tennis Court Oath

    What happened in the Tennis Court Oath was that the representatives of the Third Estate met in a tennis court and swore an oath to never disband until France had a written constitution.
  • Storming of Bastille

    What happened in the Storming of Bastille, a Parisian mob stormed the Bastille, a state prison and symbol of royal authority
  • Declaration of the Rights of Man & the Citizen

    What happened in the Declaration of the Rights of Man the Citizen was that a document that proclaimed fundamental human rights and limited government power, freedom, equality before the law, and right to participate in government.
  • Louis XVI brought to Paris

    In October 1789, after a mob demanded it, King Louis XVI and his family were forcibly moved from their palace at Versailles to Paris, and later, in 1791, they attempted to flee but were caught and brought back, ultimately leading to his trial, execution, and the end of the French monarchy.
  • Execution of Louis XVI

    On January 21, 1793, Louis XVI, the last king of France, was publicly executed by guillotine after being convicted of treason by the National Convention, marking a pivotal moment in the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy.
  • Committee of Public Safety created

    During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety, established in 1793, was a powerful body tasked with protecting the newly formed republic from both internal and external threats, ultimately leading to the Reign of Terror.
  • Fall of Girondins

    The moderate Girondin faction lost power to the more radical Montagnards, leading to the arrest and execution of many Girondin leaders and the rise of the Reign of Terror.
  • Death of Marat

    The French Revolution, is depicted slumped in his bathtub, mortally wounded after being stabbed by Charlotte Corday
  • Reign of Terror Begins

    Robespierre gave the Committee the ability to imprison and execute anyone suspected of threatening the Revolution when he created the Law of Suspects.
  • Execution of Marie Antoinette

    the last Queen of France, was executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793, after being found guilty of treason by the Revolutionary Tribunal, a symbol of the French Revolution's radical shift away from the monarchy.
  • Execution of Dantonists

    Powerful French Revolutionary leader Georges Danton and his supporters were executed on April, 05,1794, highlighting the Revolution's increasing violence and internal Struggles.
  • Thermidorian Reaction

    The Thermidorian Reaction, a coup within the French Revolution, marked the end of the Reign of Terror, with the execution of Maximilien Robespierre and other radical leaders.
  • Robiespierre executed

    Robespierre, a key figure in the French Revolution and leader of the Reign of Terror, was arrested, tried, and executed by guillotine, marking the end of his power and the beginning of the Thermidorian Reaction.
  • Constitution of the Year III

    The Constitution of 1795 established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes.
  • Napoleon saves the Directory

    Napoleon used his troops to crush a rebellion against the French Directory on October, 5, 1795, solidifying his power.
  • Fall of the Directory

    Napoleon seized power in a coup, ending the French Directory on November 9, 1799.
  • Napoleon becomes First Consul

    Napoleon Bonaparte seized power, becoming the First Consul of France, effectively establishing a more authoritarian and centralized government, though not yet declaring himself Emperor.
  • Napoleonic Code

    The Napoleonic Code was a comprehensive legal system that codified French law, establishing principles of equality before the law, freedom of religion, and abolishing feudalism, while also reinforcing patriarchal structures and limiting women's rights.
  • Napoleon crowns himself emperor

    Napoleon Bonaparte, in a bold move, crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a symbolic act signifying his rejection of the authority of the Pope and the establishment of the First French Empire.
  • Napoleon invades Russia

    Napoleon Bonaparte's Grande Armée invaded Russia, aiming to force Tsar Alexander I to rejoin the Continental System, but the campaign ended in a disastrous defeat for the French due to the scorched-earth tactics, harsh Russian winter, and Napoleon's inability to decisively defeat the Russian army.
  • Napoleon defeated in Russia

    Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, a campaign that began with a large French army, ended in a devastating defeat due to the harsh Russian winter, scorched-earth tactics, and the Russian army's ability to inflict heavy casualties.
  • Napoleon exiled to Elba

    After Napoleon's defeat, he was exiled to the island of Elba by the Treaty of Fontainebleau, where he ruled as its sovereign for about a year, making improvements and organizing his court, before ultimately escaping and returning to France to regain power.
  • Monarchy Restored

    Charles II, son of the executed king, returns to the English throne.
  • Napoleon escapes Elba

    Napoleon Bonaparte, exiled to the island of Elba, cleverly orchestrated his escape, landing in France with a small force and sparking a period known as the "Hundred Days" where he briefly regained power before being defeated and exiled again.