-
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was caused by the massive inequalities in the Estates-General, with members of the Third Estate only receiving 1 vote, the same as the clergy and the nobility respectively, despite having 97% of the French population. Its immediate effect was the formation of the National Assembly and the creation of a French Constitution. -
Storming of the Bastille
Caused by Louis XVI's attempt to arrest members of the National Assembly. Its direct effect was a Parisian victory, and it symbolized the victory of the people over the tyrannical monarchy since the Bastille was a prison which symbolized the tyranny of the Bourbon Monarchy. It signaled the start of the French Revolution. -
Period: to
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was a document that was drafted by the French National Assembly due to them attaining Enlightenment ideas that advocated for inalienable rights for all men. Its result was the guarantee of the freedoms of speech, thought and religion, and due process of law. -
October March on Versailles
The October March on Versailles was caused by a Parisian mob of women being incited by Jean-Paul Marat to riot over the scarcity and expensive value of bread. Its result was that the king had to relocate to the Tuileries. -
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was established since the National Assembly attempted to modernize and align the Church with Revolutionary values. Its result was the complete control of the Catholic Church falling under the French government, the abolition of convents and monasteries, and the clergy being forced to not accept the supremacy of the Pope. -
Period: to
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was caused by Toussaint L'Overture adopting Revolutionary and Enlightenment ideals, resulting in him pushing to abolish slavery via a Revolution in Haiti. Its result was abolition of slavery in Haiti and the establishment of Haiti as the first ever Black Republic. -
Execution of Louis XVI
The execution of Louis XVI was caused by the heavy paranoia of the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror. Louis XVI had attempted to flee the country in the midst of the French Revolution, and some of his counterrevolutionary ideas were released, so him and his family were tried and found guilty of treason against the French Revolution. The effect of his death was that it showed that nobody was safe in the Reign of Terror; if the king himself could get killed, nobody was safe. -
Period: to
September Massacres
The September Massacres were caused by widespread paranoia about the unison of prisoners towards a counterrevolutionary plot. Its effect was that it showed the true horrors of Revolution, and it led to dissent among the National Convention, with moderate branches like the Girondins blaming radicals like Jean-Paul Marat and Maximillian de Robespierre for the sheer amount of death. -
Period: to
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was caused by the Jacobins being paranoid about any potential dissent to the Revolutionary government. So, this Reign of Terror resulted in over 40,000 deaths of supposed "enemies of the state". -
Concordat with Napoleon and Pope Pius VII
The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between napoleon and Pope Pius VII caused by Napoleon attempting to reconcile the Church with the French state while asserting his own dominance at the same time. It resulted in the papacy renouncing claims over Church property seized during the Revolution, Napoleon having the power to appoint bishops, in exchange for the Clergy who had resisted the Civil Constitution of the Clergy replacing those who had sworn loyalty to the state. -
The Napoleonic Code is passed across the French Empire
The Napoleonic Code was caused by Napoleon's ascension to the power, and his desire to revise a new constitution for France. He made these laws to unify French laws as a whole throughout their whole dominion, as before, every region in France had their own set of customs. Its effect was influencing the civil codes of most continental European and Latin American governments. -
The Napoleonic Code is Established
The Napoleonic Code was caused by Napoleon's ascension to the power, and his desire to revise a new constitution for France. He made these laws to unify French laws as a whole throughout their whole dominion, as before, every region in France had their own set of customs. Its effect was influencing the civil codes of most continental European and Latin American governments. -
Napoleon crowned Emperor
The coronation of Napoleon as emperor was caused by him attempting to symbolize the fact that he held absolute power in France. The result was absolute power for Napoleon, and with this power, he enacted many reforms and actions, such as the Napoleonic Code, lower taxation on farmers, and the Concordat of 1801. -
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval battle which was caused by the British seeking to destroy the Franco-Spanish naval fleet since it was a threat to their safety. It resulted in British naval supremacy for more than 100 years. -
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz was caused by the Third Coalition trying to put an end to Napoleon's expansionist dreams. The result of the Battle was a clear victory for Napoleon, in which Austria was forced to make peace with France, while making Prussia back out of the Anti-French league at the same time. -
Period: to
Peninsular War
The Peninsular wars, the wars of the Iberian Peninsula fought between the French and the British, Spanish, and Portuguese, were caused by Napoleon attempting to increase his own power over the region by replacing the Spanish king with one of his brothers. This resulted in the Spanish engaging in guerrilla warfare with Napoleon's forces, in which a defeat occurred for Napoleon. This contributed to his overall downfall as a monarch. -
French Invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia was caused by the Russians withdrawing from the Continental System (the Russians withdrew since it was causing them economic hardship since they couldn't trade with Britain). The direct result of this invasion was a catastrophic defeat for Napoleon, with over 500,000 of his men dying due to the Russian winter. This devastated his army and diminished his reputation as a general. -
Period: to
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was caused by the four main powers of Europe (Austria, Russia, Great Britain, Prussia) overthrowing Napoleon, and defeating him in battle. Now, they had to settle out all of territorial disputes and had to see what to do to France. The direct result of the Congress of Vienna was more diplomatic relations between all of Europe, which led to more than 50 years of peace under the "Age of Metternich". -
Period: to
Escape from Elba
Napoleon's escape from Elba was caused by his aspirations to return to power. The result was him marching into Paris with an honor guard of 100 men and getting public acclaim, which led him to raise an army, and using this army, he defeated a Prussian army in Belgium, however, immediately after, he lost to the British at Waterloo. -
Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction was caused by the extreme revolutionary fervor in the Reign of Terror caused by Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety. It resulted in the collapse of Robespierre and of the Terror as well.