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The Estates General meets
Louis XVI summons Estates-General for its first meeting since 1614. Louis XVI brought back Swiss banker Jacques Necker, who insisted that Louis XVI call together the Estates-Generals. Third Estate breaks away from Estates-General, establishes itself as National Assembly. -
National Assembly
The third-estate declares themselves the national assembly. The representatives of the third estate began to meet on their own calling themselves communes and proceeding with their "verification of powers" independently of the other bodies. -
The Tennis Court Oath
Estates-General for the Third Estate, who had begun to call themselves the National Assembly, took the Tennis Court Oath -
Storming of Bastille
Occurred in Paris, France, on the afternoon of 14 July 1789. The people have been suffering food shortages and the weight of taxes used to pay King Louis XVI fast debts. King Louis XVI was incharge at the time. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
The National Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. This defined individuals and collective rights at the time of the French Revolution. This is one of the most important papers of the French Revolution. -
Women’s March
This was the Women’s March to the Palace of Versailles. This was an angry mob of nearly 7,000 working women armed with pitchforks, pikes, and muskets. The demanded bread for their families. It was the last time the King saw Versailles. -
Creation of Legislative Assembly
This was until September 1792. The type of Government was a constitutional monarchy. This replaced the national constituent assembly. Louis XVI was the head of the state. It retained the monarchy but sovereignty effectively resided in the legislative assembly which was elected by a system of indirect voting. -
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempt to flee France
This was unsuccessful. They escaped only as far as the town of Varennes where they were arrested after having been recognized at their previous stop. The Kings attempted flight, provoked charges of treason that ultimately led to his execution. -
Creation of National Convention
This was until October of 1795. It was a Republic government. It was created after the great insurrection of 10 August 1792. It was the first French Government organized as a republic, abandoning the monarchy altogether. It was also the first French Assembly elected by a sufferage without distinctions of class. -
Reign of Terror/Committee of Public Safety
This lasted over a year. IT was tarted in 1793 and ended in 1794. It was created by the National Convention which was in April and was restructured in July. This was a period of violence that occured after the onset of the French Revolution, insited by conflict between two rival political factions and marked by mass executions. 1,400 people were executed contributed to the fall of Robespierre. -
Louis XVI is executed
He was executed by Guillotine in the Place De La Revolution in Paris. From the start, he was unsuited to deal with the severe financial problems that he had inherited from his grandfather. Louis was convicted and condemed to death by a narrow majority. On January 21, he walked to the Guillotine and was executed. -
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette Executed
Louis walked to the Guillotine on January 21. 9 months later, Marie Antoinette was convicted of treason by a tribunal, and on october 16, she followed her husband to the Guillotine. -
Maximilien Robespierre is executed
He was guillotined without trial in the Place de La Revolution. He was overthrown and arrested by the National Convention. As the leading member of the committee of public safety, Robespierre encouraged the exectution, most by guillotine, of more than 17,000 enemies by the Revolution -
France is ruled by the Directory
This was a five-member community which governed France. On November 9th, it was overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte and replaced the French Consulate. It gave its name to the final four years of the French Revolution.
