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Period: to
French Revolution
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Palace of Versailles built
The Palace of Versailles was built in stages between 1623 and 1715. It was originally a small hunting lodge for King Louis XIII, but was expanded into a grand palace by his successor, Louis XIV. -
When King Louis moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles
King Louis XIV moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles in 1682. The move made Versailles the de facto capital of France until the French Revolution in 1789. -
When King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette
King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette on May 16, 1770 in the Royal Chapel at Versailles. The couple had been married by proxy in Vienna on April 19, 1770. -
Napoleon launches a Coup d’Etat on the weak & corrupt Directory.
Coup of 18–19 Brumaire, (November 9–10, 1799), coup d'état that overthrew the system of government under the Directory in France and substituted the Consulate, making way for the despotism of Napoleon Bonaparte. The event is often viewed as the effective end of the French Revolution. -
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 was written in August 1789 during the French Revolution. It was adopted by the National Constituent Assembly on August 26, 1789. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was a pivotal event in the French Revolution, where on June 20, 1789, members of the Third Estate. They were locked out of their meeting room, gathered in a tennis court at Versailles and swore not to disband until a new constitution for France was established. -
Bastille is Stormed
The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 was a pivotal moment in the French Revolution. The Storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, when revolutionary insurgents attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armory, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. -
Women’s March on Versailles
Concerned over the high price and scarcity of bread, women from the marketplaces of Paris led the March on Versailles on October 5, 1789. This became one of the most significant events of the French Revolution, eventually forcing the royals to return to Paris. -
King Louis XVI is executed
King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793 in Paris, France. The execution took place in the Place de la Révolution, which was previously known as Place Louis XV. -
The Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a brutal period during the French Revolution, marked by mass executions and widespread state-sanctioned violence against those deemed enemies of the revolution. It primarily orchestrated by the Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximilien Robespierre, between September 1793 and July 1794. -
Period: to
Napoleon as Emperor
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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, thus displaying his rejection of the authority of the Pontiff. -
Defeat in Russian Campaign
Napoleon's disastrous defeat in the Russian Campaign of 1812 was primarily caused by a combination of factors. Some of these factors were the Russian's scorched earth tactics, the vastness of Russian Territory, inatequate French supply lines, etc.. -
Napoleon is exiled
When he arrived at the port of Plymouth he learned on 31 July that he was to be exiled to St Helena, a small island under British rule in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. On 7 August, Napoleon embarked onto a new ship, Northumberland, and left British waters on 9 August, having never set foot on British soil. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815 between Napoleon's French Army and a coalition led by the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Blücher. The decisive battle of its age, it concluded a war that had raged for 23 years, ended French attempts to dominate Europe, and destroyed Napoleon's imperial power forever.