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The National Assembly
The National Assembly was composed of the members of the Third Estate. The Assembly had the power to pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people. Although Louie was not in support of the Nation Assembly many nobles and clergy members supported the views of the Third Estate. -
Storming of Bastille
The storming of Bastille was by the threat of Prince Louie using military force to disband The National Assembly and massacre French citizens. Citizens began to gather weapons to defend the city. On the day of the attack on the prison a mob was scouring the area for arms and gunpowder when they attacked the prison. They overtook the guard and seized the building then proceeded to kill several other guards and paraded around the streets of Paris with their heads on pikes. -
Death of the Old Regime
Throughout this night many nobleman made speeches declaring their worship to the ideas the National Assembly embodied. Although they were motivated more out of fear than actual admiration for liberty and equalit they joined the National Assembly deserting the first and second estates. -
The Rights of Man
The Rights of Man and of the Citizen is France's Declaration of Independence, it was signed 3 weeks after the Old Regime ended and integrated some of the ideas seen in the Declaration. The Rights of Man states that “men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” The rights include liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. As well as equal justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. -
Limited Monarchy
After debating over the new constitution for France the National Assembly finally gave to an agreement which which Louis reluctantly agreed to. The new contitution limited the authority a monarch has over the country, hence the name limited monarchy. It also created a new political body, the Legislative Assembly. The new assembly had the pwoer to create laws, and approve or deny declarations of war. The king however had the power to enforce the laws –made by the Legislative Assembly -
Invasion of the Tuileries
European countries were taken a back by the revolution occuring in France and feared it may spark revolts in their own countries. To counter this Prussia sent forces to try and restore Louis to his orginial power. With the pressure on foreign forces on the borders the citizens cracked and invaded the Tuileries where the royal family was staying. This mob of 20,000 men and women massacred the palace, killing the royal guards and imprisoning Louis, Marie Antoinette and their family. -
The National Convention
The National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Male citizens were given the righ to vote, although the right was denied to women even after there support in the revolution. -
Reign of Terror
A radical group of politicians called Jacobins had extreme ideas that swept all through France, but not without making many enemies, including those horrified by the execution of the King and the members of the church. One Jacobin leader named Maximilien Robespierre gained a substantial amount of power. Later on in 1973 Robespierre was appointed leader of the Comittee of Public Safety. For the next year Robespierre ruled France as a dictator, hence the name "Reign of Terror" -
Execution of Louis XVI
Louis was tried and convicted and sent to be executed by the Guillotine which was the most popular form of execution. -
End of the Terror
After the National Convention turned on Robespierre and executed him in 1794 the French citizens demanded change. Tired of the ecer rising prices for bread, salt, and other necessities of life they wanted the change quickly. The National Convention then drew up another constitution in 1975. The new plan handed most of the power to the upper middle class, it was composed of a two house legislature and an executive body of five men, known as the Directory.
