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Louis XVI Orders the Estates-General to meet at Versailles In May of 1789 at Versailles Louis called a meeting with the Estates- General. Louis had called this meeting when the country was completly bankrupt, this was also because the finances controller
Louis was hoping that the Estate Generals could help raise money and stop the wide spreading riots. Louis realized though that the generals would want some say in the government, and he wasn't willing to give up his absolute power.So he thought he could just give them small responsibilities like having a say in fixing the tax system. But when the Estate Generals did meet they did not bow down to the king the way he planned for them to. -
The Third Estate Takes the Tennis Court Oath
After 6 weeks of little progress the 3rd Estate broke away which led to the 3rd Estate forming there own new government called the National Assembly, led by Colonel Mirabeau.The 3rd Estate had to meet at the Royal Tennis Court after the king tried to lock them out of their meeting ropoms. This is where they took the Tennis Court Oath vowing to continue meeting until France had a new government. After a little while Louis backed down and ordered the other 2 estates to join the National Assembly. -
The Bastille Falls
This prison and fortress in Paris was attacted and destroyed by a gret mob and with the help French soliders which were rebels. The reason for this was because the Bastille was suspected to be holding many political prisoners and also because of the high price of bread. After this happened the mob cut the govereners head off and paraded it through the streets of Paris, This event was significant because it was the first big event to happen that caused the French Revolution. -
First meeting of the National Assembly
The National Assembly first met in Verailles and the changes were extraoridnary and much had changed in a short period of time. They quickly got rid of all serfdom, feudal rights aswell as privileges. Every one now was equal before the law. Not before long people began to feel that the King was not on the same page as them and he should come to Paris rather than be isolated in Versailles. Now the food crisis was bigger than ever. -
The Declaration Of The Rights of Man And The Citizen
This is a law which was passed by the National Assembly in Paris later on in August. This document was very similar to The Declaration Of Independence and it was a law which sets out basic human rights that the governments many not overlook. The reason for this to be written was because many people were not treated properly. Some of the ideas were taken from John Locke. -
Women March to Versailles
There was no day mentioned but we were told that this event happened in October. This was when crowds of women meeting in Paris decided to march Versailles so that they could meet the King. The distance was tremendous and it was supposed to be approximately 50 kilometres. As they were walking they began to become covered in mud and along the way many other women joined them. They attacked the National Assembly and talked the King and Queen and they agreed to move back to Paris. -
The Royal Families Tries to Escape frome France
On June 21,1791 the king Louis XVI, his wife Marie Annioennette, and their kids were trying to escape the country. they were disguised, but the family was recognized at Varennes, where they were arrested and taken to jail. But Louis's intentions when he was trying to escape ws to try and obtain foreign aid in order to restore his monarch. But this didn't work as once he was captured he was forced to accept the new constitution. -
Legislative Assembly Convened
The Legislative Assembly convened for the very first time on October 1,1791.They had tried to have a proper working government but failed,as too many groups wanted power.They were divided into two wings the left and the right.They both wanted completly different things, The right wing(moderates) wanted a constitutional monarchy. And the left wing (Radicals) wanted a republic government. -
France Declared war on Austria
In the spring of 1792, France and Austria went to war as France was going to invade by force. Many people thought that France would lose faith in winning this was as france lost the first war. But the exact opposite happened as many made patriotic speaches. In the end at Valmy, France won the war. -
Citizen Louis Capet
After the war and other event the people of Paris were very suspicious of the royal family. A new body was elected and they were called the National Convention. They made a desicion that the King should be tried for all this crimes and was proven guilty. He had already been removed from the palace since it was burned and sacked by the mobs. He was guillontined on January 21 and Marie Antoinette was guillontined in October. -
Marat is Murdered
Marat was working with Danton and Robespierre as the leaders of the revolution. They opposed the Monarchy and were ready to bring the king to trial and execute him. They were set out to destroy anyone who had sympathy of the old system, that they were against. Marat was the most radical out of the group, was murdered in his bath by Charlotte Corday a girondist in 1793. -
Napoleon Overthrows the Government (The Directory) After the fall of Robespirre the system changed to The Directory where it was controlled by the middle class.This new government gave most of the power to people of property,
So it was mostly people with money. Only this group of people could vote and elect members of government. The days of equality they had were over,the poor were pushed down to the bottom again, after moving those few steps forward that they had. But soon The Directory, was swept away by a man named Napoleon Bonaparte.He created a new type of monarch by calling himself the Emperor of France. -
The Reign of Terror
From 1793-1794 thousands of people were executed because they were thought to be helping Frances enemies. Many people were killed because the government had extraorinary powers. Harsh laws were passed that were made to intimidate or eliminate anyone who diagreed with the radical Jacobins. -
Robespierre is Executed
Robespierre was executed shortly after he tried to shoot himself because he executed many people. He made huge changes in France and they started to fear him.