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May 5, 1789 Meeting with the Estates General
This meeting marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The meeting included three orders of the Estates-General, those being the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. This meeting contributed to the separation of the authority and national sovereignty. -
Tennis Court Oath
The tennis court oath was where members of the Third Estate (commoners) vowed to not disperse until a new constitution for France was established. It was important because it demonstrated the Third Estate's determination to enact political change and effectively launched the revolutionary process. -
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the bastille was a pivotal moment in the French Revolution where a crowd of Parisians stormed and took control of the Bastille, a fortress prison in Paris, seen as a symbol of the monarchy's oppressive power. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Men are born free and remain free and equal in rights. The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression. -
Womenś March on Versailles
Concerned over the high price and scarcity of bread, women from the marketplaces.This became one of the most significant events of the French Revolution, eventually forcing the royals to return to Paris. -
Execution of King Louis XVI
Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and condemned to death. He was guillotined. -
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Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, anticlerical sentiment, and accusations of treason by the Committee of Public Safety. -
Maximilien Robespierre Execution
On July 27, 1794, Robespierre and a number of his followers were arrested at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris. The next day Robespierre and 21 of his followers were taken to the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde), where they were executed by guillotine before a cheering crowd. -
Napoleonic Code is Established
Enacted on March 21, 1804, the resulting Civil Code of France marked the first major revision and reorganization of laws since the Roman era. The Civil Code (renamed the Code Napoleon in 1807) addressed mainly matters relating to property and families. -
Napoleon Crowns Himself Emperor
Napoleon crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I at Notre Dame de Paris. According to legend, during the coronation he snatched the crown from the hands of Pope Pius VII and crowned himself, thus displaying his rejection of the authority of the Pontiff. -
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Peninsular War
Between 1808 and 1814, the British Army fought a war in the Iberian Peninsula against the invading forces of Napoleon's France. Aided by their Spanish and Portuguese allies, the British held off superior French numbers before winning a series of victories and driving them out. -
Napoleon March on Russia with his Men
The invasion of Russia was one of the deadliest military operations in history. The French and allied troops who crossed the Niemen River in June 1812 suffered staggering losses, with fewer than 100,000 returning half a year later. The Russian losses were also significant, with around 150,000 soldiers likely dying and at least twice as many wounded. -
Napoleon is Exiled to Elba
The coalition invaded France and captured Paris, forcing Napoleon to abdicate in April 1814. They exiled him to the Mediterranean island of Elba and restored the Bourbons to power. -
Napoleon Dies
Napoleon was only 51 when he died on the island of St. Helena, where he was out of power and exiled from his beloved France. By May 5, 1821, he had been getting sicker for several months, suffering from recurrent abdominal pain, progressive weakness and unabating constipation.