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Meeting of the Estates General
King Louis XVI called all three estates together for the first time in 175 years, because of their poor harvest and financial problems. The clergy, noble, and peasants were all a part of this meeting, as well as the king himself. The three estates argued for many weeks about what to do, and, after six weeks, the third estate was locked out of the meeting. -
Tennis Court Oath
When the third estate discovered they were locked out of the meeting after six weeks, they held a meeting on the tennis court near the chambers of the General Estates Meeting. On the tennis court, they formed the National Assembly of France and vowed to not rest until a new constitution was made. -
The Storming of the Bastille
The newly formed National Assembly raided the Bastille Prison in Paris and stole many guns, along with ammunition. The Bastille was a sign of power for the royal family, so when it was under the control of the National Assembly it was a large sign of defeat and weakness for the royals. -
French Revolution Started
The day the French revolution officially started. -
Declaration of Rights
The National Assembly, formed mostly of third estate members, created a document. The idea behind the document was that there should be a representative government to protect everyone wherein sovreignity belongs to the people. -
March on Versailles
Thousands of women stormed the twelve miles from Paris to the Palace of Versailles because of high bread prices. When they reached the palace, there were 20,000 people. They broke into the palace, killed the guards, and forced the royal family to go to Paris as prisoners. -
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Reign of Terror
The Jacobins regime held mass executions of anyone even suspected of being against the revolution. Most of the people killed are poor, and not nobles or aristocrats. Maximilien Robespierre lead the Jacobins and was seen as the most powerful man in France at the time. -
French Revolution Ended
The day the revolution ended. -
Rise of Napoleon and Creation of an Empire
Napoleon was a part of the group that overthrew the French Directory in an event called the Coup of 18 Brumaire. He worked to restore order in post-revolutionary France by institution reforms in banking and education, supported science and the arts, and tried to help the pope and the people get along. -
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Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was an assembly that re-organized Europe after Napoleon's wars. -
Napoleon's Empire Collapses
Napoleon's desire for power was what caused the destruction of his empire. He tried to place blockades to prevent Great Britain from trading with countries, but they stopped trading with France. Napoleon used Spain as a route for military troops, even though it angered the Spanish people. So he killed the king. All the people of Spain disliked the new king and formed guerillas which attacked French troops. Napoleon also decided to try and invade Russia, losing about 400,000 soldiers.
