-
May 5, 1789 meeting with the Estates-General
WHERE: Menus-Plaisirs building in Versailles
WHY: The political and financial situation in France had grown rather gloomy, forcing Louis XVI to summon the Estates General
WHO: Louis XVI
WHAT:third Estate, along with some members of the other Estates, formed the National Assembly and, against the wishes of the King, invited the other two estates to join. This signaled the outbreak of the French Revolution. -
Tennis Court Oath
WHERE: Royal Tennis Court in Versailles, France
WHO: Jacques-Louis David, which is now part of the Palace of Versailles collections
WHY:The oath was taken in defiance of King Louis XVI's order to disperse the deputies. The Third Estate, which represented the commoners and lower clergy, declared itself the National Assembly and took the oath to force a new constitution on the king
WHAT: the Third Estate deputies swore an oath to not separate until a written constitution was established for France -
Storming of the Bastille
WHO: a crowd of Parisians
WHAT: stormed and took control of the Bastille prison WHERE: in Paris
WHY: It demonstrated that a force of people could challenge a monarchy and overpower it. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
WHERE: The Declaration was passed by the National Constituent Assembly of France.
WHY: The Declaration was a core statement of the values of the French Revolution, which aimed to end the monarchy and establish a democracy
WHO: Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson
WHAT: The Declaration was inspired by Enlightenment philosophers and the doctrine of natural right. It guaranteed and protected specific rights, and became a basis for a nation of free individuals protected equally by law. -
Women's March on Versailles
WHO: made up of thousands of Parisian women and men, including many from the Faubourg Saint-Antoine
WHAT: The marchers demanded better provisioning, the return of the royal family to Paris, and the resolution of constitutional debates.
WHY: The march was sparked by high bread prices and conspiracy theories about the king and his ministers causing the shortage
WHERE: The march began in the marketplaces of Paris and ended at the Palace of Versailles -
Execution of King Louis XVI
WHO: Charles-Henri Sanson
WHERE: Place de la Révolution, formerly known as Place Louis XV
WHY: Found guilty of high treason and counterrevolution -
reign of terror
to July 27, 1794Who: Led by French lawyer and statesman Maximilien Robespierre
What: The Revolutionary government ordered the arrest and execution of thousands of people, including nobles, priests, and hoarders
Why: The government believed that terror was necessary to root out counter-revolutionary spies and conspirators
Where: In Paris and in the provinces, where local terrors were instituted -
Maximillian Robespierre's execution
WHO: Other people executed: 21 of Robespierre's closest supporters were also executed by guillotine. In the following days, another 82 of Robespierre's followers were executed.
WHY: : Robespierre was a prominent figure in the French Revolution and was considered to have near dictatorial power. His execution was part of a reaction against the terror of the Reign of Terror, which he led
WHERE: Place de la Révolution -
Napoleon Crowns himself emperor
Where: Notre-Dame de Paris in Paris
Who: Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Joséphine
Why: To establish the legitimacy of his imperial reign and new dynasty -
Napoleonic Code is established
What: The code was a unified set of laws that applied to all French citizens
Why: Napoleon wanted to unify France into a strong modern nation with a clear, logical, and easily understood legal system
Where: The code was applied to all territories under Napoleon's control, including Belgium, Luxembourg, parts of western Germany, northwestern Italy, Geneva, and Monaco -
Peninsular War
a conflict fought between the combined forces of Spain, Portugal, and Britain against the invading French army of Napoleon Bonaparte in the Iberian Peninsula between 1808 and 1814, where the French attempted to conquer and occupy the region, leading to widespread resistance from local Spanish and Portuguese forces, including guerilla warfare, ultimately contributing to Napoleon's downfall; the war is considered a key part of the Napoleonic Wars -
Napoleon is exiled to Elba
WHY: Napoleon was exiled after his defeat in Russia and the subsequent unification of much of Europe against him
where: Napoleon was exiled to the small island of Elba, which was ruled by Austria at the time. -
Napoleon dies
An autopsy was carried out on 6 May; a preliminary cast for a death mask was taken on 7 May; and on 9 May the Emperor was buried, in the presence of French and English witnesses