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The Estates-General Meeting
The king called a meeting of the estates. The king did this because he was looking for more money. (debates on how to fund the government.) Giving the thrid estate more taxes than they already had. -
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The French Revolution
The revolution was caused by a combination of factors, including economic hardship, the corruption of royal officials, and the inequalities of French society. The French aristocracy and the economic policies of King Louis XVI were also widely disliked. -
The Tennis Court Oath
When the 3rd estate swore to not depart until France had written a new constitution. This took place in Versailles on a royal tennis court. -
The Storming of the Bastille
Tons of people stormed the state prison stealing gunpowder. This changed many social and political things in Europe and embarrassed the higher estate of being weak because that was their most guarded place. -
The Great Fear
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The Great Fear
During the French Revolution, a period of panic and unrest arose. Rumors spread that the king and the top estates were plotting to overthrow the third estate. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The ideals of the Enlightenment inspired the Declaration. All people have natural rights; for example, men are born free and remain free and equal in rights. These rights include liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. Citizens also have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equal justice. -
The execution of King Louis XVI
Louis XVI, the former King of France, was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793, during the French Revolution. It was the first time in a thousand years that the French people were not ruled by a monarch -
The Reign of Terror
Led by Maximilien Robespierre mass executions and public trials were to eliminate perceived enemies of the revolution, often through the guillotine, creating widespread of fear and paranoia across France this period is considered one of the most brutal phases of the revolution, with thousands of people executed for counterrevolutionary activities. -
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The Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a period of mass executions and violence during the French Revolution. The Revolutionary government ordered "Terror" to be the order of the day in response to civil war and hostile armies. The Committee of Public Safety in Paris responded with ruthless efficiency against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution. -
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Coup d’etat
He overthrew the Directory and replaced it with the French Consulate. He then appointed himself as France's First Consul. -
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The First Empire (Napoleon)
Napoleon gained power due to his respected reputation as a military officer during the French Revolution. In 1799, Napoleon and his allies overthrew the French Directory government and established the French Consulate. Napoleon was elected, in a rigged election, the First Consulate. -
Congress of Vienna
European powers aimed to reorganize the continent after the Napoleonic Wars, primarily by restoring old borders, establishing a balance of power, and preventing future French aggression by strengthening surrounding nations. -
Battle of Waterloo
The battle marked the end of Napoleon's imperial power and French attempts to dominate Europe. Napoleon abdicated as emperor four days after the battle and was exiled to St. Helena.