-
Louis calls together the three estates.
Facing crippling debt, the monarch of France, King Louis XVI assembles the Three Estates. Louis wishes to raise the taxes on the citizens of France, but law states that he can only do so with the approval of the Three Estates. However, what Louis did not predict was that the First Estate and the Second Estate would vote to only raise taxes on the Third Estate. This angers members of the Third Estate, who represent over 95 percent of the French population. -
Establishment of the National Asembly
To fix his finacial troubles, Louis decided to call the Estates together in hopes of them finding a solution to together. He thought they would agree to raise the taxes but the First and Second Estates wanted to make the Third Estate pay all the taxes. The Third Estate didn't likee this and argued back. They were locked out of the meeting. Since they were being consulted on the new tax laws, they decided to form the National Assembly. -
The Storming of the Bastille
Many people in Paris supported the National Assembly. Debates would be published many to read. One day a debate got too heated and they decided to break into the Batille to realease political prisoners. The building was seen as a symbol of the royal tyranny. Perviously to July 07, approximately 250 barrels of gunpowder was tranfer to the Bastille for safer keeping. They fought for the realease of the cannons and other weapons and the guards had no problem returning brutality. -
March on Versailles
This was a significant event during the French Revolution. It began earlier in morning when the women were protesting the high prices and scarcity of bread in the marketplace. But this got mixed up with the other revolutary activites. Angered, the women marched to Versailles where the royals lived. Many joined the crowd and fought against the royal guards. The protesters did manage to enter the palace but the royal had escaped to Paris. They were cornered there and eventually beheaded. -
Beheading of Louis XVI
After the guards cleared the palace, Louis and his famiy tried to make it over the border where they would be safer but that was a fail . When he came into powerr, he change all the currency to having a image of his face on it which led to someone recognising him and turning him in. After his trial, he was executed by the guillotine. -
Bginning of the Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a period of terrible violence in France. It happens during the French Revolution. The conflict was caused by rival political groups, the Girondins and the Jacobins. This was a tme of mass executions. Majority of the tension was around the creation of the Committee of Public Safety and the country was under the leadership of Robespierre. He and the committee want to remove anything that reminded people of the monarchy and if you went against, you were beheaed. -
The Fall of Robespierre
Robespierre believed in deism and some didn't like this hence Robespierre lost a lot of supporters. Then there was a victory over Austria and the people didn't believe that he was needed anymore so he was overthrown. After he left , there was a lot of conflicts for power of the Committee of Public Safety. Robespierre tried to shoot himself before his execution but failed, he was then executed on July 28 and new members were appointed.This also marks the end of the Reign of Terror. -
The Directory
After issues with Robespierre, he was beheaded and a new government was created. The Directory was a five member committee that governed France from November 1795 to November 1799 but their plans to fix the economies were a fail. They relied heavily on the army and the use of violence. -
Napoleon's rise to Power and the End of the Directory
The Directory relied on the Army which Napoleon some power. When he returns to France, there was a lot of problem under the current government. So he and 3 other men, plotters came together and overthrew the 5 Man Directory. They planned on giving Napoloen a minor role but due to his fame, that didn't heppen. Napoleon ended up becoming First Consul which was a position he held for 10 years. -
Concordat of 1801
During the French Revolution, the Church had become part of the government and somewhat controlled by the royals, this made the pope lose power. Now Napoloen was in poower and he wanted to repair his relations with the Church. He created the Concordat of 1801 which solified the Roman Catholic Church as the major church of France. -
The Napoleonic Code
The end of Feudalism in France was brought by the Napoleonic Code. It was a list of laws and rights and it was rapidly adapted by mnay European countries. Napoloen helped in the creation of these codes, they were completed in 1801 and published in 1804. -
Napoleon, Emperor of the French
Napoloen was crowned by himself. When the pope was going to crown him, he took the crown and place it on his head as a sign that no one is more powerful than him. The caused tension between Napoloen and Pope Pius VII. After crowning himself, he crown his wife Josephine as Empress of the French. -
Invasion of Russia
Napoloen was trying to weaken Britian and he had stop many counrties from trading with them by taking over those countries. He attempted to do the same with Russia. He and his men invaded Russia which in the end was a big mistake. Russia is very big and very cold which made it diffcult. Many men had surrendered and left to go back to Frsnce while many died on the way. They do eventually make it Paris but Napoloeon's orginal plans didn't make it. -
Invasion of Paris
Due to Napoloen invading and defeating countries, like Prussia and Austria, led to these countries allying against him and invading France. Napoleon failed to stop prvent this invasion and was defeated numerous times. Leader of Russia and Prussia realising that Napoleon had weaken decided to march to Paris to the city was surrendered to them. -
Napoleon's Exile
After losing many wars and becoming too weak, many realized that Napoleon was no longer fit to rule. On April 2 Napoleon was deposed. On April 11, he was exiled to the Isle of Elba. He was stripped of his power and no one else in his family were allowed to attain power. Now Louis XVIII was put into power. -
Napoleon Returns to Power
Napoloeon escaped from the Isle of Elba and returned to France. He was welcomed by the military and Napoloen's arrival even maaged to scare away Louis XVIII to Belgium. He arrived to Paris and governed for a period called the Hundred Days. -
Napoleon, Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was the final battle of the French Revolution, it was the last battle Napoleon Boneparte ever fought in. This battle was fought in present day Belgium. Napoleon’s French forces were outnumbered by the armies of the English and the Prussians, led by British officer the Duke of Wellington. Napoleon was defeated, the throne was given back to King Louis XVIII. Napoleon was exiled to an island, Saint Helena, where he died from natural causes a few years later.