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Convening the Estates-General
In the wake of Louis XVI's extravagant spending, France was nearly broke while famine, disease, and drought plagued the nation. Prices of necessities rose to exorbitance, and France's people had enough of it. There was unrest within the nation's people and the government was doing nothing about it. So, Louis XVI's controller general suggested reform for taxes to help the economy. Louis XIV scheduled a meeting to discuss this, known as the Estates-General. -
Rise of the Third Estate
The third estate, which was comprised of mostly regular people, was tired of getting outvoted solely because others were of a higher social status. They began to rally in support of equal representation and were very disappointed with the way the assembly was set up, causing unrest within them. -
Tennis Court Oath
During the Estates-General, the three estates began to riot over the voting process, and resulted in the Third Assembly meeting alone three days later. They named themselves the National Assembly and took the "Tennis Court Oath" in the king's tennis court, vowing to stay in action until their goals of reform were reached. Louis XVI had no choice but to accept. -
Storming the Bastille
During the days of the National Assembly, the people of France were growing in fear and anger that climaxed in an event known as the Storming of the Bastille, an insurgency at the French capitol; a military coupe in attempt to obtain weapons. This was the start of the French Revolution. -
The Great Fear
Among the peasants, there was a "Great Fear" growing from rumors that the government was sending out mercenaries to attack the peasant villages across France, and it caused the peasants to riot and attack officials across the land. -
Night Session
The feudal regime in France was declared as abolished. All Frenchman were subject to the same laws and taxes. The feudal caste system is abolished. Anyone can become a noble now. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The new constitution of France is enacted. It promises liberty, rights to property, and resistance to oppression. This constitution diminished Louis XVI's power astronomically. The constitution was based on Enlightenment ideas. -
October Days
By the National Assembly's call, the King lost a lot of his power and was forced to sign off new laws against his will, while the Royal Family was forced to move to Tuileries Palace and be kept as prisoners. -
Royal Family Attempts to Flee to Austria
King Louis, Marie Antoinette, and their family try to flee to Paris and Austria to garner support and retake France. Unfortunately, along the way, a guard recognized them in the town of Varennes and they were captured. -
France Declares War
On 4/20, (Haha, what a date,) the National Assembly officially declared war on the country of Austria after fears that they were going to invade France to stop the revolution. This began the War of the First Coalition. -
Louis XVI is Executed
During the Revolution, suspicion was rising against King Louis after the National Assembly and many of France's people were suspecting him of conspiring against the National Convention. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. -
National Directory is Created
After the execution of Louis XVI, France was in need of a new government. The National Convention appointed the Directory, which was comprised of 5 high-class individuals who would represent the people to govern the country. Unfortunately, they were very inefficient and were eventually overtaken by the young ambitious general Napoleon Bonaparte. -
The Rise of Napoleon
Due to the weak Directory's utter reliance on the military to maintain their power and enforce it, Napoleon saw a good opportunity to instate a new and more powerful government headed by himself. He staged a swift coup and appointed himself the First Consul, marking the end of the French Revolution
