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French Revolution
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National Assembly
After being denied greater representation in the Estates General meeting, the Third State met in the Tennis Court and proclaimed themselves the National Assembly, with the aim of writing a constitution for all frenchmen. -
Storm of the Bastille
The Assembly was supported by the people of Paris and they decided to storm the Bastille, which was a symbol of absolute monarchy. This encouraged the Great Fear in which properties of the nobility were destroyed. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration of Rights of Man, which recognised all men as free and equal, was accepted. -
Constitutional Monarchy
Louis XVI accepted the National Assembly and changed France into a constitutional monarchy. This entailed the end of the Ancien Regime. A new constitution was established in 1791, which abolished feudal rights and ensured limited male suffrage, popular sovereignty and the separation of the church and the state. -
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Constitutional Monarchy
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The Wives’ March
The poor French economy caused a scarcity of bread and high prices. Women from the marketplaces of Paris led the March on Versailles, eventually forcing the royals to return to Paris and bringing an end to the great monarchy or Versailles. -
Royal Flight to Varennes
Worried about the actions of the National Assembly, the monarchs decided to leave France and seek refuge in Austria. After being recognised in Varennes, they were arrested and taken back to Paris. This event had a huge impact on the people of France, who now regarded the King as a traitor. -
Girondist Convention
The sans-culottes attacked the Tuileries Palace and imprisoned the royal family. A republic was established and universal male suffrage and new social laws were ensured. The Girondists, who wanted to preserve the constitutional monarchy and were against violence in the assembly, contorled the republic, elected by universal male suffrage. -
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Social Republic
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Execution of Louis XVI
The king was accused and found guilty of treason, therefore he was executed in the guillotine. The queen Marie-Antoinette was also found guilty of several crimes, and executed the same year as her husband. -
Jacobin Convention
The Jacobins, who were the most radical bourgeois sector, seized power of the republic with the leadership of Maximiliane Robespierre. This led to the most extremist period of the Republic and marked the beginning of The Terror. -
The Terror
Under the Jacobins control, the government imposed a dictatorship to finish with conspiracies. The Law of Suspects was established, by which those who protested or criticised the government were imprisoned or executed. An estimated number of 500,000 people were arrested and 40,000 of those were executed. The Law of Maximum was also created, by which they tried to control prices and salaries. -
Coup d’etat of Thermidor
Rumours of plots and conspirations against Robespierre spread through Paris, and eventually came true. Robespierre and some other jacobins were arrested and executed in the guillotine, putting an end to the jacobins control. -
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Conservative Republic
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The Directory
A new constitution was established and that supposed a return to the moderate ideas of the first moments of the revolution. The Directory was created, with the opposition of the aristocracy, who wanted to re-establish monarchy, and the common people, who wanted the jacobins regain control. -
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The Consulate
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Coup d’etat of Brumaire
When the Directory proved ineffective, Napoleon was part of a group who successfully overthrew the Directory, substituting it with a Consulate. -
The Consulate
Napoleon was named First Consul. He wanted to put an end to the political instability of the revolution and implement more moderate ideologies. He promoted economic recovery through a government that represented the bourgeoisies interests. The Constitution of 1800 was established, but it had no separation of powers and no declaration of rights. Liberties were extremely limited and public opinion was censored. -
Expansion of territories
Territory expansions took place thanks to the military victories all over Europe, where he spread enlightened and revolutionary ideas. “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité”. -
Coronation of Napoleon
He declared himself Emperor of France with general approval of the people. The ceremony was held in the cathedral of Notre Damme in the presence of the Pope. -
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Napoleonic Empire
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Victory of Austerlitz
Its considered the greatest victory of Napoleon. The Grand Armée defeated Austria and Russia near the town of Austerlitz in the Austrian Empire. -
The French invade Spain
In 1808, the french army invaded Spain, and Napoleon assigned his brother Joseph Bonaparte as king of Spain. -
Fall of the Napoleonic Empire
After failing to invade Russia, where only 10,000 soldiers remained, and the revolts in Spain against his brothers reign, the Napoleonic Empire began to fall. -
Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon was finally defeated in the battle of Waterloo by the British, Prussian and Dutch army. This battle marked the final defeat of Napoleon and put an end to its Empire. -
Napoleon’s Exile
Napoleon abdicated and was exiled to the island of Saint Helena, where he’d die years later, in 1821. The fall of his empire caused multiple reactions, such as abolishment of absolute monarchies and feudal rights and a strong anti-French feeling due to the violence used by the invaders.