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King Louis XVI called in the Estates General to help solve the tax issue. There was a large debt that had to be paid, and the Estates General recommended that they tax the Commoners more than they had before. This started the rebellion against the King. They were already working hard and starving because there were little to no resources. -
After the General Estates were called, the Third Estate decided to make their own group called the National Assembly. It was the representative of the people, not the king. 98% of the population now had their own group to go against taxation which eventually started the rebellion. -
The newly formed National Assembly began to meet together. At first, they were locked out of a building by King Louis XVI, so they met at a tennis court. This is where the Tennis Court Oath was made. Together they pledged to stay assembled until France had a constitution. This was the first time that the citizens formally opposed King Louis XVI. -
The angry citizens attacked the Bastille. Their main goal was to obtain some ammunition which would be vital against the King and his forces. The prison was a symbol of monarchy's dictatorial rule. Even though they only freed seven inmates, it was the spark of the revolution because it was the first big act of violence done by the citizens. -
The angry citizens attacked the King's palace and demanded a new constitution be made. He reluctantly made it and the National Assembly took charge of it. The citizens (men) now had more power and were deciding on what to do with the King and Queen of France. -
The King and Queen attempted to flee the country, but was found out and seen as traitors. The National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This allowed more equal opportunity, freedom and representative government. They wondered what to do with the King and how much authority he would uphold. -
Following all the violence the people had made, they made a more significant execution, the guillotine. First King Louis XVI was beheaded on acts of high treason and crimes against the state. The Queen was executed nine months later for the same acts. All this beheading led the French Revolution's most violent and brutal phase: the Reign of Terror.
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After the monarchy's execution, suspected enemies of the revolution were beheaded. A new figurehead, Maximilien Robespierre, ordered many of the killings. It went on for 10 months until Robespierre was executed. -
Robespierre was executed, which ended the Reign of Terror. Now that the bloodshed was dying down, people were in poverty, discontent, and political corruption. Who would save them now? As the French Revolution ended in 5 years, a new era began. The Napoleonic Era. It was a wild ride for the French, but in the end, this was the birthplace of nationalism.