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Convocation of Estates General for May 1789
King and his minister,Brienne,convoke Estates General for May 1789. -
Preparation of Cahiers de Doléances (lists of grievances) and elections to the Estates General.
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The end of the Old Regime
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Estates General assemble at Versailles
The Estated-General was an assembly of all three estates in May 1789 at Versailles.
People from all three estates presented their problems to the assambly in "Lists of Grievances" (Cahiers de Doléances in french).
The Third Estate, which had a much smaller number of components than the others, proposed that the votes be made individually, that is, each deputy one vote and not by estates, to which both the nobility and the clergy refused. -
Formation of the National Assembly.
On 17th June 1789,the representatives of the Third Estate formed a National Assembly because they considered that they were the only legitimate representatives of the French people.
They met in a indoor tennis court and took the Tennis Court Oath to stay togetheruntil France had a constitution.
After that, they became know as the National Constituent Assembly. -
National Assembly declares itself a Constituent Assembly
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National and Constituent Assembly
The National Constituent Assembly was formed from the National Assembly on 9th July 1789 during the first stages of French Revolution. It disolved on 30th September 1791 and was succeeded by the Legislative Assembly. -
The Storming of the Bastille
On 14th July 1789, the people of Paris succesfully attacked the Bastille, a fortress and a prison that was a symbol of royal power. -
Abolition of Feudalism
On 4th August 1789, the National Constituent Assembly abolished feudal rights such as the privileges of the nobility and the taxes (or tithe) paid to the Church. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
National Assembly aproves the text of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. -
The Women's March on Versailles
On October 4th 1789, a crowd of women demanding bread for their families gathered other discontented Parisians, including some men, and marched toward Versailles, arriving soaking wet from the rain.Return of the King to Paris. -
The Jacobin Club is formed.
Its members become some of the most radical leaders of the French Revolution. -
Flight to Varennes
The "Flight to Varennes" occurs when the royal family, including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, attempt to flee France. They are captured and returned to France. -
Supreme Court legalizes abortion
In a historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in Roe v. Wade that women, as part of their constitutional right to privacy, can terminate a pregnancy during its first two trimesters. Only during the last trimester, when the fetus can survive outside the womb, would states be permitted to regulate abortion of a healthy pregnancy. -
Constitution
In September 1791, France's first written Constitution ended royal absolutism,establishing a constitutional monarchy.
Under the separation of powers,legislative power was held by the Assembly,executive power by the king and judicial power by independient court.
Only adult males over the age of 25,and with a certain level of income,could vote in elections (census suffrage). -
King Louis XVI formally signs the new constitution.
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Constituent Assembly disolved.
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First meeting of Legislative Assembly.
A Legislative Assembly was formed in October 1791, and France now had a constitutional monarchy. However, this assembly lasted for less than a year, and failed to attract much support. -
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Legislative Assembly and the fall of Monarchy.
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The birth of the French Republic
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The guillotine becomes the official method of execution.
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Proclamation of the Republic.
The proclamation of the abolition of the monarchy was a proclamation by the National Convention of France announcing that it had abolished the French monarchy on 21 September 1792. -
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Girondin Convention
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Execution of Louis XVI.
One day after being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers and sentenced to death by the French National Convention, King Louis XVI is executed by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris. -
French Constitution of 1793.
The Constitution of 1793 also known as the Constitution of the Year I , was the second constitution ratified for use during the French Revolution under the First Republic.
However, the Constitution's radical provisions were never implemented. -
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The Reign of Terror
Not everyone in France agreed with the way the revolution was being carried out. Fearing opposition within the country, revolutionary leaders began a crackdown that became known as the Reign of Terror. This period lasted for 11 months in 1793 and 1794. The constitution was suspended and anyone who critized the revolution was targeted. About 17,000 people were sentenced to death. -
The Law of Suspects is decreed.
Anyone suspected of opposing the revolutionary government is arrested. Thousands of people will be executed over the next year. -
Queen Marie Antoinette is executed by guillotine.
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Fall of Robespierre.
Robespierre gradually lost support. In 1794, moderate revolutionaires arrested Robespierre and his followers, who were then executed by guillotine. -
"La Marseillaise" is adopted as the national anthem of France.
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The Constitution of the Year III.
The Constitution of the Year III is the constitution that founded the Directory. Adopted by the Convention on 5 Fructidor Year III (22 August 1795) and approved by plebiscite on September 6.
It was more conservative than the abortive democratic French Constitution of 1793. -
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The Directory
The Directory or Directorate was a five-member committee which governed France from 1795, when it replaced the Committee of Public Safety. -
Babeuf arrested
The French political revolutionist and writer François Noel Babeuf (1760-1797) was active during the French Revolution. He was among the first to advocate socialism as a political institution for solving the problems of society.
On 10th May Babeuf, who had taken the pseudonym Tissot, was arrested. -
Battle of the Pyramids
The Battle of the Pyramids took place on 21th July 1798 between the French army in Egypt under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Mamluk local forces. -
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Consulate
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Napoleon's coup.
In November 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte carried out a coup d'état.
A Consulate was created but in fact Napoleon was not the real ruler of France. -
Napoleon became First Consul.
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Peace with Austria and Britain
Napoleon makes peace with Austria and Britain, Concordat with the pope. -
Napoleon became Consul for Life.
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Napoleonic Code promulgated.
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Napoleon proclaimed himself Emperor of the French.
In 1804 Napoleon decide to make himself emperor with the help of French people. -
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Empire
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Battle of Trafalgar
One of the most decisive naval battles in history, a British fleet defeats a combined French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, fought off the coast of Spain. -
Napoleon abdicated.
Napoleon abdicated in April 1814 and went into exile. -
Battle of Waterloo.
Napoleon returned to power for a hundred days but he was defeated at Waterloo. -
Napoleon death.
After Waterloo he deported to the remote Island of Saint Helena where he died in 1821.
