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The Estates-General meets at Versailles
The Estates General, consisting of representatives of the First, Second, and Third Estate, met in Versailles. They immediately disagree on whether to count per capita or give each estate the same vote. -
National Assembly
King Louis XVI relented and urged the other two estates to join the assembly, which took the official title of National Constituent Assembly. The king, however, begins to gather troops to disperse the body. -
Storming of Bastille
Revolutionary fervor spread throughout Paris, leading to rumors of a military takeover. In response, the rebels attack the prison forts of the Bastille, and Paris falls from the hands of the King. -
New constitution.
King Louis XVI formally signs the new constitution. -
French Republic established
After much debate about the new constitution, the French Revolution took a turn when the revolutionaries arrested the king. The following mont, the National Convention was established. It declared the abolition of the monarchy and established the French Republic. -
Reign of Terror begins
After the execution of the king, France went to war with various European powers. It marks the most violent stages of the French Revolution. This begins the bloody Reign of Terror, a long-term period during which thousands of enemies of the revolution are killed. -
Traitor King
The king was convicted and executed as a traitor. -
Antoine Lavoisier
Famous chemist Antoine Lavoisier, the "father of modern chemistry," is executed for being a traitor. -
The Directory takes power
In 1795, a new regime - the Directorate - took power in France. The political situation remains volatile, but the army, now led by the young general Napoleon Bonaparte, brings it to life. A successful war period followed: Belgium was annexed, the Dutch Republic surrendered, and peace was concluded between the Prussians and the Spanish. -
Napoleonic era begins
The Directory's four years in power failed because they ceded a lot of power to the military to maintain order. In 1799, as disillusionment with their leadership reached a fever pitch, Bonaparte staged a coup, abolished the Directory, and named himself First Consul of France. It marks the end of the French Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic era.