Unit Timeline

  • National Assembly in power

    The national assembly existed from 1789 to 1791 and was made of up of the people of the 3rd estate of the estates general. Their most important work was getting rid of feudalism, serfdom, and class privileges.
  • Women's March on Versailles

    Another one of the earliest events of the revolution the march started as women rioting in the market place on October 5th over the high prices of bread. The riot eventually grew into a mob of thousands mixed with revolutionaries and in the end they ended up surrounding Versailles where the king and queen where and forcing them to return to Paris with them.
  • Estates General called to session

    The Estates general were called together in 1789 for the first time since 1614. Louis VXI called them together after being advised to do so by Necker since the financial problems France was in were only getting worse.
  • Tennis Court Oath

    On June 20th members of the French Estates General for the 3rd estate gathered together to take the tennis court oath which said that they would continue to meet together until they had established a new constitution for france. This was one of the first acts of defiance since the 3rd estate was not allowed to act as the national assembly.
  • Storming the Bastile

    On july 14t 1789, a crowd armed with muskets swords and other weapons stormed and raided the bastile for the weapons and small amount of gunpowder that it had. They ended up completely destroying it later. This event signaled the start of the revolution and was the first victory that the revolutionaries had.
  • Legislative Assembly in power

    The Legislative Assembly was the governing body of France between 1791 and 1792. The Legislative Assembly replaced the Constituent Assembly which had already completed most of the work that they were made to complete.
  • Escape Attempt by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

    As the revolution started to pick up speed and become more serious, Louis and his family who recently had been forced out of Versailles felt like they needed to leave to escape the growing conflict. His plan was to head north to Montmédy with his family where they could be protected by royalist officers. They left during the night of june 20th and only made it as far as Varennes where they were arrested after being recognized at their previous stop.
  • Overthrow of the Monarchy

    Sansculotte militants invade Tuileries where Louis was staying after the march on Versailles and they forced the legislative assembly to suspend their power and place the royal family under the National assembly which ended the monarchy.
  • Execution of Louis XVI

    Louis XVI was charged with treason and conspiracy with foreign powers. He was sentenced to death by the National Convention and executed by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris on January 21 1993
  • Reign of Terror

    The period during the french revolution where anyone who in anyway was against the new ideas of the revolution was executed by guillotine. Began September 5th, 1793 and ended July 28th 1994 with the death of Robespierre.
  • the Place de la Revolution in Paris.

    On October 14th 1793 Marie Antoinette was convicted by the Revolutionary Tribunal of committing high treason and sentenced to death by guillotine. She was executed in Place de la Révolution on October 16th 1793, two days after she was convicted.
  • Execution of Robespierre

    After Robespierre had two of his friends put to death, the convention watched him with suspicion and saw him as a tyrant. He was later arrested and executed on July 27th 1794 along with a number of his followers.
  • Period: to

    The Directory is in Power

    The french Directory was the French Revolutionary government set up by the Constitution. It lasted four years before it was overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte and replaced with the French Consulate. The directors in the directory would chose government ministers, ambassadors, army generals and, tax collectors.
  • Napoleon comes to power

    Napoleon comes to power after he overthrows the french directory in 1799. He replaces it with the french consulate on November 9th, 1799 and comes to power as First Consul of France. This also marks the end of the French revolution.
  • Napoleon confirmed as "first consul for life"

    After the fall of Directory in the coup of Brumaire in 1799, Napoleon replaced it with The Consulate and he becomes the first consul and establishes himself as the head of the ner government.
  • Napoleonic Code Enacted

    In March 21st 1804 Napoleon establishes the Napoleonic code which was a civil code that did not allow privileges based on birth/class. It started to get rid of the old feudal laws.
  • Napoleon has his brother, Joseph, crowned king of Spain

    Napoleon makes his brother king of Naples and Sicily, and then later on he makes him the King of Spain.
  • Holy Roman Empire abolished; "Confederation of the Rhine" created in its place with Napoleon as its leader

    Confederation of Rhine was formed by Napoleon when 16 smaller German states decided to leave the holy roman empire and join Napoleon and ally with France. A further 19 then joined later on ending the holy roman empire.
  • Continental System Begins.

    The Continental system, or continental blockade was the foreign policy of napoleon during the Napoleonic wars that was put in place on November 21st of 1806. The blockade was ment to paralyze Great Britain through throughout the deconstruction of the British commerce.
  • Napoleon abdicates and agrees to exile on Elba

    In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia thinking that they were planning an alliance with England. It ended with his troops retreating from Moscow and most of Europe against him. In 1814 Napoleon offered to step down and let his son take over, however the offer was rejected. He then abdicated and sent to Ebla.
  • Period: to

    Napoleon's "Hundred Days"

    The Hundred Days marked the period of time from Napoleons escape and return from Ebla to the Second restoration of King Louis XVIII.
  • (Second) restoration of King Louis XVIII

    King Louis XVIII is restored for a second time on July 8th 1815.
  • National convention in power

    Assembly that governed France from September 20th 1792 to October 26th 1795. The National Convention was elected to make a new constitution for the country after the overthrow of the monarchy which recently happened. They formally got rid of the monarchy and established the republic.