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Palace of Versailles built
Construction work began immediately. The Hall of Mirrors within the palace has a total of 357 mirrors. -
When King Louis moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles
Louis XIV hoped to extract more control of the government from the nobility. He also tried to distance himself from the population of Paris. -
When King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette left Versailles for Paris. Both died by the guillotine in 1793. -
When The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written
Born of an idea of the Constituent Assembly. Formed by the assembly of the Estates General to draft a new Constitution, and precede it with a declaration of principles. -
Tennis Court Oath
They took an oath never to separate until a written constitution had been established for France. The Tennis Court Oath was an important part of the French Revolution because it represented the power of the people. -
Bastille is Stormed
The people beheaded Governor de Launay, put his head on a spike, and paraded it around the city of Paris. Over the next five months, the Bastille was destroyed and turned into a pile of ruins. -
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French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789, and ended with the coup of 18 Brumaire in November 1799 and the formation of the French Consulate -
Women’s March on Versailles
The Women's March on Versailles was a riot that took place during this first stage of the French Revolution. They complained over the high price and scant availability of bread, marching from Paris to Versailles. -
King Louis XVI is executed
Louis XVI was found guilty of treason. Louis XVI died at age 38. -
The Reign of Terror
16,594 of these 'suspects' were formally executed after a trial. Around 10,000 died in prison. Thousands more were killed in various massacres staged across France. -
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Napoleon as Emperor
Napoleon successfully waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his empire. However, after a disastrous French invasion of Russia in 1812, Napoleon abdicated the throne two years later and was exiled to the island of Elba. -
Creation of the Napoleonic Code
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. But these areas of law greatly affected people's lives. -
Napoleon crowns himself emperor.
On the 2nd of December 1804 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. -
Defeat in Russian Campaign
The campaign effectively ended in December 1812, with the last French troops leaving Russian soil. The campaign was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. -
When he was exiled
He got banished to the Mediterranean island of Elba. The future emperor was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, on August 15, 1769. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon was defeated, and he was exiled for the final time.