-
Royal Treasury Declared Empty
France joined the 7 Years' War hoping to expand its colonial possessions but lost against Britain and was kicked out of North America. France also financed the American colonies without the investment getting returned. In addition, the royals and the nobility continued to live luxurious lifestyles. Due to the reasons above, France was dragged into severe financial debt, and the royal treasury was declared empty. -
The Meeting of The Estates-General
Due to the heavy taxation and the natural disaster that left the harvest in ruin, the peasants were starving and angry. The anger soon escalated into riots across the country. Because of the server crisis, King Louis XVI summoned the Estates General which was made up of three estates representing each social class (Clergy, Nobility, & Peasantry) -
Tennis Court Oath
The third estate, forming 98% of the French population, continued to get outvoted in the Estates-General Meeting. Therefore, they decided to establish a government - the National Assembly. The building used for the meeting was locked by the King, so the National Assembly occupied an indoor tennis court and took the Tennis Court Oath, pledging to continue the meeting until the king fulfilled their demands. -
The Dismissal of Jacques Necker
Necker was called to office in August 1788 to deal with France's financial crisis. Necker continuously suggested a compromise when facing the anger from the Third Estate during the Estate General meeting, yet his suggestions were rejected. Swayed by the conservative nobility, the King dismissed Necker when he later intended to employ force against the National Assembly. The dismissal of Necker provoked the people and caused radical responses. -
The Storming of the Bastille
The angry people of Paris decided to start a violent revolution across France. The National Assembly formed the Bourgeois Militia and was able to secure a large number of rifles, yet few gunpowders through the raid of the Hôtel Les Invalides. Therefore, the crowd stormed the Bastille, a prison fortress symbolizing tyranny, to obtain gunpowders. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The French Revolution was spreading virally with the people's fear. Meanwhile, with the help of Thomas Jefferson, the National Assembly drafted a Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen that guaranteed liberty and equal rights to all men. The document is highly influential on the development of human rights, and it goes on to inspire liberty and equality for centuries. -
Women's March on Versailles
The majority of people are still suffering from starvation due to the high price of bread, even with the ongoing revolution. They believe King Louis XVI could not see the problem by living in Versailles, 20 km from Paris. Therefore a group of women marched toward Versailles and demanded Louis XVI return to Paris with them. The king was forced to agree under the threat of death. -
Declares War on Austria.
Due to the Revolutionary movements, nobles fled away from France. Other European countries feared the revolutionary ideas would eventually spread and affect their power. On the other hand, the Legislative Assembly feared that these countries would launch attacks on them. As a result, the Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria. -
Storming of the Tuileries
The conflict between the revolutionaries and King Louis XVI was getting more intense. The letter by the Prussian Duke of Brunswick that threatened vengeance if the French Monarch was harmed pushed the people over the edge. In response, the revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace and engaged in gun fights against the King's guard. Louis XVI fled to the chamber of the Legislative Assembly for shelter and was later stripped away from the title of King, putting an end to the French Monarchy. -
The Reign of Terror
The Radicals took control of the government and were fear of not only the enemies from the outside but also those from the inside. The Committee of Public Safety was established, and Robespierre became the leading voice. They adopted the Law of Suspects, allowing everyone suspected of opposing the Revolution to be arrested and promptly trialed. The Reign of Terror began. -
The Rise of Napolean
Napoleon took control of an insurrection and was promoted to General. Later in the war, he won battle after battle with his innovative strategies. Napoleon successfully pushed Austria out of Italy and forced Austria out of the war. He became a hero among the French people, and when he returned to France, Napoleon staged a coup d'etat and became a dictator.
