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King Louis XVI calls the Estates General
The King originally tried to assert his authority by establishing a new tax decree that would tax all properties no matter the class. However, the Parliament of Paris said that he needs to call upon the Estates-General to discuss this issue. Louis called on the Estates-General in order to discuss the implementation of new taxes in order to fix the national debt. The gathering of the estates caused many problems and was immediately met with gridlock over the decision of how they would vote. -
The Great Fear in the countryside
This was a period of panic and riot caused by peasants in the countryside caused by the conspiracy that the King and aristocratic classes’ goal was to overthrow the 3rd estate. Many troops were sent to deal with this issue however this only led to more intersection. Many peasants rioted and burned their lord’s manors and destroyed feudal documents. The Great Fear coupled with the rising economic issues is what led the peasants to seize and capture Bastille on July 14th. -
Tennis Court Oath
The tennis court oath was signed by the 3rd estate; in their oath, they said they would never disband until a new constitution was born that gave them equality, equal taxation, greater individual freedoms, and more political power. This was seen as a challenge to the King’s authority and he ordered all 3 estates to rejoin. -
The storming of the Bastille
The common people were dealing with soaring bread prices, economic depression, and a collapse in demand for manufactured goods. In order to express their anger, they attacked and conquered Bastille because they felt it was the role of the government to ensure that people could have steady work and fair bread prices. The victory was seen as a symbolic win over the old order. -
The National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was the constitution that the National Assembly created after their Tennis Court Oath. The Declaration built off of many Enlightenment ideals and also drew inspiration from the Declaration of independence created by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration however only applied to white male citizens. It included ideals of equality at birth, free speech, and the rights to liberty and property. -
The Women’s March on Versailles
The Women’s March was one of the earliest events in the French Revolution. It showed the anger of the people towards the monarchy’s inability to supply security for the common people. In the Women’s March, many Parisian women marched to Versaille to demand bread from the King and Marie Antoinette. The march turned violent when women killed royal bodyguards in search of Marie Antionette. This event shows that the Declaration of the Rights of Man did very little to help the health of the economy. -
The Constitution of 1791 sets up a constitutional monarchy in France
The constitution was drafted and written by the National Constitution Assembly. This was France's first attempt at a written Constitution. In the constitution, they declared that they would be a constitutional monarchy with one house of the legislature. They also limited voting power to males which mimicked some of the same ideas that were expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. In addition to this, they seized church property in an attempt to limit the power of the church. -
The Legislative Assembly declares war on Austria
In June 1791 Louis XVI attempted to escape France. He was arrested and returned to Paris. After the Austrian and Prussian monarchies heard they issued the Declaration of Pillnitz which said that the rulers would intervene and restore Louis to power. They thought that this would subdue the revolution. However, the Legislative Assembly declared war on Francis II. The Assembly declared that the country was in trouble and many volunteers rallied. This showed the revolutionary spirit of the French. -
Louis XVI is executed at the guillotine
After the King and Queen attempted to flee the country, many people became angry at the King because he was seen as a trader. The palace was attacked on August 10, 1792, and the King and his family sought refuge with the nearby Assembly. Louis was later convicted of treason and sentenced to death by guillotine by the National Convention. -
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Robespierre's Reign of Terror
Robespierre was put in charge of the Committee of Public Safety. In order to protect the country from its “enemies from within”, he set up a military campaign in order to protect republic ideals from those who were seen to be against the new government. The Reign of Terror effectively erased opposing ideals and struck down old guard ideas. Over time the people grew tired of this campaign and executed Robespierre and overthrew the committee. The fall of Robespierre gave rise to the Directory. -
The Directory is installed
In 1795 a new constitution was written in order to reorganize the legislative assembly and create the Directory. The Directory was made up of 5 men who held executive power in France. The directory ended up being a weak political system that suffered from a lot of corruption. The Directory frequently used the army to nullify the election of conservatives and monarch deputies. Dislike of the Directory grew among the people which made way for Napoleon's coup d'etat. -
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Napoleon's coup d'etat, overthrowing the Directory
The directory was a weak power source in France. In the Coup of 18–19 Brumaire, the directory was replaced with a consult. Napoleon Bonaparte took over as the first consulate of France. Napoleon’s coup marked the end of a weak political system to a powerful dictatorship that would increase France’s international prestige. -
Napoleon is defeated Battle of Trafalgar
The battle of Trafalgar comes after Napoleon's attempt to blockade and halt all British trade. The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval battle that was fought off the coast of Spain. The French and Spanish forces were defeated by Lord Nelson’s British forces. This defeat by the Royal Navy ensured that Napoleon would never be able to invade Britain or hurt their trade around the world. -
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Napoleon is defeated at Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig was a devastating defeat for Napoleon and the French army. In this battle, French troops fought against the Austrians, Prussians, Swedes, and Russians. This defeat marked the end of the French Empire east of the Rhine and marked the decline of Napoleans’ power across Europe as many other European countries started to ally together to defeat the French dictator. -
Napoleon is exiled to Elba Napoleon is declared First Consul
After a great period of imperial expansion, Napoleon and his army were finally defeated. Napoleon offered to step down and give way to his son as the new leader of France, however, this was refused. So he abdicated the throne and in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, he was banished to the island of Elba. -
Napoleon is exiled to St. Helena Napoleon is defeated at Waterloo
Napoleon managed to escape the island of Elba. He heard of the political unrest in France as well as the diplomatic tensions. When he returned to France and tried to continue his imperial expansion, he had many French officers fight with him, however, he was overpowered by the allies united against him. The Allied forces crushed the French army at the Battle of Waterloo. Then Napoleon was imprisoned off the coast of Africa on the island of Saint Helena.
