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Financial Crisis in France
During the reign of Louis XVI and long before then, taxation in France was unfair and favored the upper class. Typically, only those individuals of the Third Estate were required to contribute to tax revenue, and the nobles and the king were exempt from that, all while Louis XVI and Marie Antionette were throwing extravagant parties. This lack in tax revenue and high government spending along with a poor harvest season led France into financial crisis. -
The Great Fear
This event took place during the early stages of forming the Revolution. It involved rumors spreading throughout the countryside that the aristocrats and the king were conspiring to overthrow the Third Estate. This made those who were represented by the Third Estate increasingly less willing to trust the higher classes and the government. -
Louis XVI Calls the Estates General
When Louis XIV called the Estates General in 1789, it was the first time that it was called since 1614 and the members present were not satisfied with this form of government that they felt to be outdated. Furthermore, when it was established that every group would only get one vote despite the size of the population that they representation, conflicts and tensions heightened as this meant the Third Estate would continually be outvoted by nobles and clergymen. -
Tennis Court Oath
This meeting of the Third Estate occurred at a meeting of the Estates General at the beginning of the Revolution. During one of the meetings, the members of the Third Estate were suspected of conspiring against the King. because of this, they were locked out of the meeting hall of Versailles. Rather than give up, these individuals met at a nearby tennis court and vowed not to disband until France had a new constitution. -
First and Second Estates Join the National Assembly
As the Third Estate began to realize they would never be granted the representation they deserved in speaking before the King, they began meeting on their own and referring to themselves as the National Assembly. Soon, people from the First and Second Estates joined them in order to discuss France's economic crisis and the large amounts of debt being created by the monarch. -
Storming of Bastille
Bastille was a state prison located in Paris that soon began to be a symbol representative of the power of the monarch. The Third Estate had been continually demanding more of a say in government and continued to be refused, so they grew concerned that the king was planning an attack against them. The prison had large amounts of ammunition that the Third Estate needed to defend itself. After fighting broke out, the fortress was eventually surrendered. -
The National Assembly Adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man
The National Assembly continued to meet and discuss a new way to organize the post-feudal government of France. They deemed it necessary to add articles containing guarantees to human rights into the constitution, and thus the Declaration of the Rights of Man was created. The main points of this document are the insurance of natural rights for all men and for the government to be the protectorate of those rights. -
Womens' March on Versailles
The price revolution in France due to the financial crisis lead to expensive bread prices in the markets. Women were primarily the individuals who were buying the bread for their families, so when they arrived at the markets only to see the inflated prices and were unable to sustain their families, they grew angry. The angered women gathered in a large crowd, marched to Versailles, and demanded to meet with the king and queen, particularly to discuss the queen's lavish spending. -
Legislative Assembly Declares War on Austria
European monarchs surrounding France became worried that the same revolutionary fervor that managed to overthrow Louis XVI would soon spread to their countries. However, the revolutionaries wanted the war to spread to the rest of Europe because they felt that letting foreign government involve themselves would cause a turn back to the old regime. To make the revolution spread, the Legislative Assembly declares war on Austria on this day. -
Louis XVI Executed
Despite many efforts to flee the country and save himself, Louis XVI was eventually tried and found guilty by the National Convention and condemned to death. He was publicly executed by guillotine, and his wife Marie Antionette was executed the same way months later. -
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Robespierre's Reign of Terror
During this time period, the Revolutionary Government led by Robespierre implemented policies of harsh punishment and execution against anyone suspected of disobeying the revolution. Laws were passed to define the individuals who were to be considered counter-revolutionaries and these people were arrested. Government took control of prices and lands were confiscated. Policies of de-Christianization were also implemented. -
The Directory is Formed
The Directory was a revolutionary government that included the first bicameral legislature in French history. Five men were elected by a Council of Five Hundred to be in charge of the government in France. While it did consolidate many of the goals of the National Convention, the Directory was plagued by corruption and only lasted four years. -
The Constitution of 1791 Sets Up a Constitutional Monarchy
The Constitution of 1791 allowed for France to remain as a monarchical state, however this time the political sovereignty rested in the Legislative Assembly. Enfranchisement rights were limited to "active" citizens that paid a minimum amount of taxes, and about two-thirds of men had the right to vote. Women were still disenfranchised under this system. This constitution lasted a year.