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Estates General convene at Versailles
The Estates General met for the first time in almost two centuries (174 years, to be exact) to vote on tax changes that would allocate funds for the French treasury. The twelve hundred delegates of -
Third Estate declares itself the National Assembly
After each of the three estates convened at Versailles for the first time in over one hundred years, the Third Estate banded together and refused to accept the terms of a new decree that held the First and Second Estate in a more favorable position. Instead, they demanded that, in order for the Third Estate to transact any business, the clergy, nobility, and everyone else should stand together as one single body before declaring themselves the National Assembly. -
Oath of the Tennis Court is Sworn
The Third Estate, frustrated after being forced into a tennis court after they were locked out of their usual meeting hall at Versailles, swear an oath that they were "not to separate and to reassemble wherever the circumstances require until the constitution of the kingdom is established." -
National Church is Established
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy regulated the Catholic Church's connection with France and its government. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy included the confiscation of church lands, causing the Revolution to fall out of favor with dedicated Catholics. -
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The Great Fear
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National Assembly issues Declaration of the Rights of Man
The National Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which describes mankind's natural rights to be "liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression", which is an obvious reference to the American Declaration of Independence and other Enlightenment ideals. -
Women's March on Versailles
Due to the steadily increasing price of bread in France, feeding their families became a difficult task for women during the Revolution. After rumors that the nobles of Versailles were hoarding grain began to circulate, the frustrated women marched to Versailles and demanded to meet with the King and Queen. -
Royal family is arrested while attempting to flee France
King Louis XVI and the rest of the royal family made an attempt to flee to Varennes, where King Louis could regroup and launch counter-revolutionary measures, but were stopped and arrested before being returned to France. The Flight to Varennes shifted the public's opinions on the royal family greatly and many French citizens began to view them as untrustworthy. -
Austria and Prussia issue the Declaration of Pillnitz
The Declaration of Pillnitz was issued by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and King Frederick William II of Prussia. The intention of the declaration was to express their support for the French monarchy and prevent war but it ironically became known as a very bad decision and a great misjudgment. -
France declares war on Austria
Because of the threats of invasion from monarchs of Austria and Prussia, King Louis XVI believed that waging war would put himself back in a favorable light. -
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September Massacres
The September Massacres was a mass killing of French prisoners as a result of an influx of French citizens being imprisoned over small offenses that were taken as treasonous. During the span of the September Massacres, the sans-culottes executed over 1,000 prisoners. -
Abolition of the monarchy
On September 21, 1792, the National Convention issued the proclamation of the abolition of the monarchy, which announced that the French monarchy was now abolished. -
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Reign of Terror
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Execution of Louis XVI
After King Louis XVI was found guilty of treason by the National Convention, he was sentenced to death executed via guillotine in the Place de la Revolution. In his final moments, he claimed his innocence to the crowd, saying, "I die innocent. I pardon my enemies and I hope that my blood will be useful to the French, that it will appease God’s anger..." His body was quickly disposed of and his execution was viewed as a great turning point for the French citizens and the French Revolution. -
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Committee of Public Safety is established
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Robespierre is executed
Maximillien Robespierre, a major leader of the French Revolution, was executed due to his excessive and violent radicalist actions such -
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Thermidorian Reaction
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Directory rules
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Napoleon defeats armies in Italy
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Napoleon defeats Austrian armies in Italy
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Austria, Great Britain, and Russia form the Second Coalition against France
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Formation of the Second Coalition
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Napoleon overthrows the Directory and seizes power
