French Revolution

  • Palace of Versailles built

    Palace of Versailles built
    Is a former royal residence located in Versailles, about 12 miles west of Paris, France. Louis XIV wanted to show that France could produce mirrors just as fine as those produced in Italy, and all the mirrors of that hall were made on French soil.
  • King Louis moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles

    King Louis moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles
    In 1661, he began expanding it into his personal palace. Upon its completion in 1682, Louis moved in, and changed the capital from Paris to Versailles to escape the turmoil Paris was subject to.
  • King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette

    King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette
    It took seven years for the future king and queen to consummate their marriage. Married on May 16, 1770 - January 21, 1793
  • Tennis Court Oath

    Tennis Court Oath
    Was a commitment to a national constitution and representative government, taken by delegates at the Estates-General at Versailles. It has become one of the most iconic scenes of the French Revolution.
  • The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written

    The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written
    The Declaration was intended to serve as a preamble to the French Constitution of 1791, which established a constitutional monarchy. Which defined individual and collective rights at the time of the French Revolution.
  • Women’s March on Versailles

    Women’s March on Versailles
    Concerned over the high price and scarcity of bread, women from the marketplaces of Paris led the March on Versailles on October 5. This became one of the most significant events of the French Revolution.
  • Bastille is Stormed

    Bastille is Stormed
    July 14th, the Bastille Prison was attacked because they wanted its gunpowder and weapons. The commander of the prison was killed and the seven prisoners inside were all released.
  • French Revolution

    French Revolution
    The French Revolution was a period of major social upheaval that began in 1787 and ended in 1799. It sought to completely change the relationship between the rulers and those they governed and to redefine the nature of political power
  • The Reign of Terror

    The Reign of Terror
    Was a period of state-sanctioned violence and mass executions during the French Revolution. A series of massacres and numerous public executions took place.
  • King Louis is executed XVI

    King Louis is executed XVI
    Ultimately unwilling to cede his royal power to the Revolutionary government, Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and condemned to death. Then executed on the day of January 21st.
  • Napoleon launches a Coup d’Etat on the weak & corrupt Directory

    Napoleon launches a Coup d’Etat on the weak & corrupt Directory
    Coup d'état that overthrew the system of government under the Directory in France and substituted the Consulate. The event is often viewed as the effective end of the French Revolution.
  • Napoleon crowns himself emperor.

    Napoleon crowns himself emperor.
    Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor, and made Josephine Empress. His coronation ceremony took place on December 2, 1804, in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.
  • Creation of the Napoleonic Code

    Creation of the Napoleonic Code
    Enacted on March 21, 1804, the resulting Civil Code of France marked the first major revision and reorganization of laws since the Roman era. Napoleon set out to reform the French legal system in accordance with the ideas of the French Revolution.
  • Napoleon as Emperor

    Napoleon as Emperor
    He was the de facto leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804. After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d'état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804.
  • Defeat in Russian Campaign

    Defeat in Russian Campaign
    Napoleon apparently emerged as the victor of the encounter, as he lost only 1/5 of his engaged troops. On June 24, 1812, ignoring the advice of his closest advisors, Napoleon invaded Russia.
  • Battle of Waterloo

    Battle of Waterloo
    June 18, 1815, during the Hundred Days, the period from Napoleon's escape from exile to the return of Louis XVIII. Napoleon Bonaparte suffers defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history.
  • Napoleon was exiled

    Napoleon was exiled
    April 11, Napoleon was exiled to St Helens. The disgraced general was dropped off here for his second forced exile in less than two years by the British warship H.M.S. Northumberland.