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Accession of Louis XVI
Louis XVI succeeded his grandfather, Louis XV, after his death. The country had a large debt, and people began to begrudge the monarchy. -
American Declaration of Independence
The American colonies declared their independence again Great Britain. This put France in even more debt (France was an ally to the colonies), and inspired the French to revolt against their monarchy. -
Meeting of the Estates General
First meeting called since 1614 in the Estates General. He called the Estates General because the French government (and France itself) was having financial problems. -
National Assembly
An assembly formed by the Third Estate to replace the Legislative Assembly. It helped to represent the poor people of France, and made demands to the king (like more food, less taxes). -
Tennis Court Oath
Members of the Third Estate took the Tennis Court oath. They vowed not to separate, and to reassemble when necessary, until the "constitution of the kingdom" is established. -
Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress/armory built in the 14th century that was a representative of royal authority. Members of the Third Estate stormed the Bastille as a form of attacking the government, and this "movement" was a starter to the French Revolution. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is adopted
The Declaration was set by the National Assembly of France. It served as France's civil rights document, and written during the French Revolution. -
Women's March on Versailles
Started with women in the market rioting over the high prices of bread. This rioting attracted the attention of revolutionaries, and people began to form a mob. The mob marched to the Palace of Versailles to riot. -
Declaration of Pillnitz
The Declaration of Pillnitz was a statement issued by Leopold II (the Holy Roman Emperor) and Frederick William II (leader of Prussia). Both leaders attempted to uphold the French monarchy and keep tensions low; they were afraid of a European war, and afraid of revolution in their own countries. They decided that if the French citizens didn't let King Louis XVI come back to being the monarch of France, Prussia and HRE would go into France and squash the revolution themselves. -
Jacobins vs. Girondists
Two political parties that had different ideas of ruling. Jacobins wanted a federal system and to execute the king, and Girondists wanted the monarchy to stay and to not be executed. Jacobins eventually got their way, and King Louis was executed on January 21, 1793. -
A Vindication of the Rights of Women
A piece of writing written by Mary Wollstonecraft that promotes feminist ideas. She argues that the education system of the time encouraged women to be fine with not have a serious purpose, and to accept that they're "incapable", or less capable than men. -
Sans Culottes
A political group formed during the French Revolution that represented the common people. Many were military partisans, and served as a pushing, popular force of the Revolution. -
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Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was the government of Paris during the French Revolution. It provided tax collection, public works/services, and served as a democratic assembly where the normal citizens of Paris could be represented. -
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September Massacres
A major event of the "Reign of Terror" of the French Revolution. Over 1,000 prisoners were killed in under a full day. It lasted from 09/02 - 09/06/1792 -
Creation of the Republic
The French First Republic was characterized as the fall of the monarchy. It helped to create the Consulate and Napoleon's rise to power. -
Execution of Louis XVI
The execution of Louis XVI was January 21, 1793, as part of the French Revolution. He was executed by guillotine, and was a very important aspect of the revolution. It (obviously) ended King Louis XVI's reign, and made way for different governments. -
Committee of Public Safety
A political body during the French Revolution that eventually gained dictatorial control. People who didn't support the revolution got their heads chopped off with a guillotine by the Committee of Public Safety. -
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Reign of Terror/Robespierre
The Reign of Terror was a small period of time in the French Revolution where people that disagreed with ideas of the Revolution were executed by guillotine. Robespierre was one of the leaders of this Terror. He started with representing the Third Estate (he even originally disagreed with the death penalty...), and was an advocate for equal rights. Eventually, he began to execute people who didn't agree with the Revolution. Ironically, Robespierre was executed by guillotine, ending the Terror. -
Marie Antoinette executed
Marie Antoinette was married to King Louis XVI, and was convicted of high treason by the Revolutionary Tribunal. She was executed by guillotine. -
Thermidorian Reaction
The counter-revolution following the overthrowing of Robespierre that was liberal-conservative. This put an end to the Reign of Terror. -
Robespierre executed
Robespierre was executed after revolutionary leaders began to grow tired of the Reign of Terror. He was arrested and executed by guillotine, putting an end to the Terror. -
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War of the Second Coalition
Second war on revolutionary France, this time against Napoleon. The countries fighting France (Britain, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Ottoman Empire, and Portugal) attempted to contain the French Republic and bring back the French Monarchy. They failed to overthrow the revolutionary regime, and France ended up with more territory. -
Coup d'etat
Brought Napoleon Bonaparte to power in 1799 as the First Consul. Most historians see this as the ending of the French Revolution. -
Concordat of 1801
Agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and the clergy/papacy of Rome and Paris over the status of the Roman Catholic Church in France. It set the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church, yet Napoleon also set religious tolerance in the Napoleonic Code. -
Napoleonic Code
First clear codification of French law that also provided legal unity. It included many Enlightenment ideas, and resulted in a strong central government. -
Continental System
The Continental System was an attempt to destroy Great Britain's economy made by Napoleon. French allies and neutral states were not allowed to trade with Great Britain. This system, however, backfired because smuggling of British goods began to occur. -
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Confederation of the Rhine
Alliance of many German states that was a major military alliance to the French Empire. It also served as a "buffer state" to prevent hostility or aggression from Prussia, Austria, and Russia against France. -
Treaty of Tilsit
An agreement made between Napoleon, the leader of Russia (July 7th), and the leader of Prussia (July 9th). Russia and Prussia were to join the Continental System, and the Russian Empire and French empire formed an alliance, which left the rest of Europe near powerless. -
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Russian Campaign
Napoleon took his Grande Armée to invade Russia in 1812, because the czar eventually refused to comply to the Continental System. This invasion failed, because of the harsh winters of Russia, disease, and the Russians refused to negotiate. -
Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon was defeated by a couple of the armies from the Seventh Coalation, and his reign of the French Empire ended.
