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Louis XVI calls the Estates General. The assembly calls together all three French classes, in order to pass the a nobility tax
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The third estate creates the National Assembly in order to enact laws and reforms for the people of France.
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Third estate is locked out of the estates general. Instead they create the tennis court oath and decide they need a new consitituion.
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King Louis sends troops to surround Versaillies. After hearing this, the people strom Bastille, obtain weapons, and kill the guards. This marked the first symbolic act of the Revolution
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Wild rumors and a wave of sensless fear circulated France. Peasants terroized nobles and rioted. The people wanted the king and queen to return to paris.
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The National Assembly completed the new constituion which king louis approved. The new constituion called for a legislative assembly to create laws and approve or reject declarations of war.
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The Jacobins, a radical political organization, take control. The Jacobins convince the Convention that King Louis is guilty of treason and Louis is beheaded by the guillotine.
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Maximilien Robespierre becomes leader of the Committee of Public Safety. Robespierre had as many as 40,000 people (mostly peasants) executed durring the Terror.
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The National Convention turns on Robespierre and demanded his execution by guillotine, ending the reign of terror.
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Napoleon stages a coup d'etat, taking power away from the Directory, and becomes France's dictator.
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Napoleon reforms the government and creates laws in favor of the people. Napoleon created the plebiscite, a national banking system, lycees, the naopleonic code and he signed the concordat, all of which were for the people's benefit.
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Napoleon decides to make himself emperor in 1804 and the French voters support him.
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As Napoleon's enemies began to understand his weaknesses, the European powers came together to defeat him. As a result they exiled him to Elba.
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At the Congress of Vienna European governments got toghether to creat peace. Austrian Prince Klemens von Metternich wanted to do three things. He wanted to contrain France, restore the balance of power, and restore the royal families to the French throne.
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Napoleon escapes from Elba and returns to France. He once again becomes emperor but is defeated at Waterloo ending his last bid for power (100 days).