-
In desperation (because the aristocrats blocked Louis XVI’s plans), Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General to addres the economic crisis.
*The Estates General had not gathered in more than 170 years. -
The Third Estate and some clergy who had joined them, took it upon themselves (after being locked out of their meeting hall) to meet at a royal Tennis court in Versailles. There, they swore the Tennis Court Oath, vowing to stay put until a new constitution was created.
*This was the first time that citizens formally stood in opposition of Luis XVI. -
About 600 angry Parisians stormed the Bastile prison, killing the guards and commanders and confiscating the weapons. This was a symbolic act of revolution to showed that citizens could make great changes. -
This declaration prohibited traditional privileges enjoyed by the monarch, the clergy and the aristocracy. The 17 articles of the declaration became the basis of the new French constitution and it defined the rights of all people. -
It confiscated church properties and regarded the church as a form of public authority. Archbishoprics were revoked/prohibited and all clergy received salaries from the state. -
It was the first written constitution in France, created after the collapse of the absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. -
The sans-culottes wiped out all the political prisoners, aristrocats and the clergy.
*They were influenced by the Jacobin journalist, Marat. -
Jacobins and sans-culottes stormed Tuileries and officially arrested Luis XVI, taking an end to his reign. -
The National Convention put the monarch on trial for treason to France. He was then executed by the guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris.
*His last words were ignored as the noise from the crowd masked them. -
During this period there were tens of thousands people killed by the guillotine. Citizens who went against the ideas of the Revolution were instantly put in prison and killed. If any ordninary person said said something counter-revolutionary they would end up beheaded. 40,000 nobles and clergy, middle-class citizens and peasantas died during this time, sparking a terror. -
Marie Antoinette was executed under the crimes of molesting her son, treason and counter-revolutionary activity. -
After Robespierre made up a new religion (The Cult of the Supreme Being) it convinced the people that he was no longer a viable leader.
He was overthrown and the next day Robespierre was executed along with his friends. -
After France’s misfortunes in war, Napoleon returned and Joseph Sieyès(who didn’t want the Directory)planned a military coup with Napoleon to topple the Directory. Napoleon overthrew the Directory, dissolved the legislature and included himself as the lader of the dictatorship. He ended the french revolution.
*Napoleon was married 4 times and had 4 children. -
Napoelon put on the crown himself in the company of the Pope to show that he is higher in authority than the Pope. -
Napoleon led his army of about 72.000 troops against 68.000 British men. The British army caused the final defeat of Napoleon.