French Revolution

By baby.milena

  • Estates General called to session

    Estates General was the legislative assembly in France at the time. It was called into session by Louis XVI for the first time in 1789 since 1614.

  • Tennis Court Oath

    Passed by the National Assembly after being locked out of Estates-General, This vow promised the National Assembly would not disband until a new constitution was passed for France.

  • Storming the Bastille

    Parisians, afraid Louis XVI would renege on his promise to allow the National Assembly to exist, did this by surrounding an armory/prison in Paris. Almost 100 people died and 75 were injured.

  • Women's March on Versailles

    Parisian women, angered by the high prices of bread, marched from Paris to Versailles, and joined by the Paris Guards, to retrieve Louis XVI from his palace. Showed that the mob would rule the French Revolution.

  • National Assembly in power

    the National Assembly began to develop factions over how to run the country. The National Assembly was dissolved and a Legislative Assembly was elected. This did not solve the problem.

  • Escape Attempt by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

    A postmaster recognized the King's face from his portrait on paper money and he was returned to Paris under guard. He increased the influence of his radical enemies and "sealed his own doom".

  • Legislative Assembly in power

    Held power to create laws and approve or prevent any war the king declared on other nations.

  • National Convention in power

    established in September 1792, and elected by universal manhood suffrage, was more radical than its predecessors and included more men below 45 than above 45 years of age. This body put Louis XVI on trial for treason.

  • Overthrow of the Monarchy

    The storming of the Tuileries Palace by the National Guard of the insurrectional Paris Commune and revolutionary fédérés from Marseille and Brittany resulted in the fall of the French monarchy.

  • Execution of Louis XVI

    The National Assembly reduced him to a common citizen and prisoner, then tried him for treason and found him guilty, sentencing him to death by guillotine.

  • Reign of Terror

    (Sept. 5, 1793 - July 28, 1794) a period where any suspected of being an enemy of the revolution were sentenced by tribunals instituted by the Committee of Public Safety.

  • Execution of Marie Antoinette

    The most famous victim of the reign of terror, who's last words were "Monsieur, I beg your pardon. I did not do it on purpose."

  • Execution of Robespierre

    As part of his attempts to use extreme measures to control political activity in France, Robespierre later moved against the more moderate Danton, who was accused of corruption and executed.

  • The Directory is in power

    A five man board, military dictatorship that replaced the Committee of Public Safety/National Convention, and was completely dependent on the military to maintain stability.

  • Napoleon comes to power

    The coup of 18 Brumaire brought General Napoleon Bonaparte to power as First Consul of France, and, in the view of most historians, ended the French Revolution. This bloodless coup d'état overthrew the Directory, replacing it with the French Consulate.

  • Napoleon confirmed as "first consul for life"

    Established himself as the head of a more authoritarian, autocratic, and centralized republican government in France while not declaring himself sole ruler.

  • Napoleonic Code enacted

    The French civil code established under Napoléon I in 1804. It was drafted by a commission of four eminent jurists and entered into force on 21 March 1804.

  • Holy Roman Empire abolished; "Confederation of the Rhine" created in its place with Napoleon as leader

    The last Holy Roman Emperor Francis II (from 1804, Emperor Francis I of Austria) abdicated, following a military defeat by the French under Napoleon at Austerlitz (see Treaty of Pressburg). The Battle of Austerlitz (or Battle of the Three Emperors), 2 December 1805, was regarded by many (including the Emperor himself) as the most brilliant victory of Napoleon.

  • Continental System begins

    In the Napoleonic wars, the blockade designed by Napoleon to paralyze Great Britain through the destruction of British commerce. The decrees of Berlin (November 21, 1806) and Milan (December 17, 1807) proclaimed a blockade: neutrals and French allies were not to trade with the British.

  • Napoleon has his brother, Joseph, crowned king of Spain

    He was a French diplomat and nobleman, the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily (1806–1808), and later King of Spain (1808–1813, as José I).

  • Napoleon abdicates and agrees to exile on Elba

    Napoleon’s broken forces gave up and Napoleon offered to step down in favor of his son. When this offer was rejected, he abdicated and was sent to Elba.

  • Napoleon's "Hundred Days"

    On March 1, leading 1,500 men, and marched at once upon Paris. Louis XVIII fled to Ghent on March 13, and Napoleon entered Paris one week later. To broaden his support, Napoleon made liberal changes to the Imperial Constitution, which led a number of former opponents and even the battle of Waterloo.

  • (Second) restoration of King Louis XVIII

    Louis XVIII fled and a Seventh Coalition declared war on the French Empire, defeated Napoleon, and restored Louis XVIII to the French throne. Louis XVIII ruled as king for slightly less than a decade. The Bourbon Restoration regime was a constitutional monarchy (unlike the ancien régime, which was absolutist).