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Palace of Versailles was built
King Louis XIV, who loved the outdoors and open spaces, saw much to benefit from in carrying out construction work here and made his palace an expression of power and authority. Knowing that glory was conveyed not only by war but also by buildings. -
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 and to distance himself from the population of Paris. He invited all of the aristocracy to live with him on the grounds, not because he liked them, but because he could control them. -
When King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette
Their common desire to destroy the ambitions of Prussia and Great Britain and help secure a definitive peace between them led them to seal their alliance with a marriage. In 1770, Louis XV formally asked the hand of Maria Antonia for his eldest surviving grandson, future Louis XVI. -
When The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen came into existence in the summer of 1789, born of an idea of the Constituent Assembly, which was formed by the assembly of the Estates General. To draft a new Constitution, and precede it with a declaration of principles. -
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French Revolution
The French Revolution took place between 1789 and 1799, leading to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. The French Revolution was not a single event but a series of developments that unfolded between 1789 and 1799. -
Tennis Court Oath
Finding themselves locked out of their usual meeting hall at Versailles on June 20 and thinking that the king was forcing them to disband, they moved to a nearby indoor tennis court. There they took an oath never to separate until a written constitution had been established for France. -
Bastille is Stormed
storming of the Bastille, iconic conflict of the French Revolution. On July 14, 1789, fears that King Louis XVI was about to arrest France's newly constituted National Assembly led a crowd of Parisians to successfully besiege the Bastille, an old fortress that had been used since 1659 as a state prison. -
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. It was spontaneously organized by women in the marketplaces of Paris, on the morning of October 5, 1789. -
King Louis XVI is executed
Ultimately unwilling to cede his royal power to the Revolutionary government, Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and condemned to death. He was guillotined on January 21, 1793. -
The Reign of Terror
With civil war spreading from the Vendée and hostile armies surrounding France on all sides, the Revolutionary government decided to make “Terror” the order of the day. Also to take harsh measures against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution -
Napoleon launches a Coup d’Etat on the weak & corrupt Directory.
Two main reasons. Firstly, the French Republic at the time Napoleon took power was a Republic that no one wanted, not really. The Republic of the Radicals had been overthrown in 1794, replaced by the Directory, a corrupt cabal of bourgeoisie who believed in nothing but their own advancement. -
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Napoleon as Emperor
Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most successful generals of the French revolutionary armies. He was emperor of France from 1804-14, and in 1815. Napoleon Bonaparte (1768-1821) is regarded as one of history's greatest military leaders. Born on 15 August 1769, Napoleon was educated at military school in France. -
Creation of the Napoleonic Code
Determined to unify France into a strong modern nation, Napoleon pushed for a single set of written laws that applied to everyone. He appointed a commission to prepare a code of laws. -
Napoleon crowns himself emperor.
Napoleon was symbolizing that he was becoming emperor based on his own merits and the will of the people, and not in the name of a religious consecration. Napoleon could not pretend to succeed to Louis XVI since the Revolutionaries had called that monarch the “last” king. -
Defeat in Russian Campaign
Napoleon failed to conquer Russia in 1812 for several reasons: faulty logistics, poor discipline, disease, and not the least, the weather. Napoleon's method of warfare was based on rapid concentration of his forces at a key place to destroy his enemy. -
When he was exiled
The coalition invaded France and captured Paris, forcing Napoleon to abdicate in April 1814. He was exiled to the island of Elba, between Corsica and Italy. In France, the Bourbons were restored to power. Napoleon escaped in February 1815 and took control of France. -
Battle of Waterloo
The French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had escaped from exile in March 1815 and returned to power. He decided to go on the offensive, hoping to win a quick victory that would tear apart the coalition of European armies formed against him.