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The Meeting of the Estates General
Louis XVI tried not to use the Estates General at all, because they could have then made changes that negatively affected him, but eventually he had to - France was having financial problems. At this meeting, as a result of a conflict around each Estate getting one vote per topic, the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly (which was separate) and met in a tennis court because their previous location was shut down and said they wouldn't leave until they were recognized. -
The Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille was a prison owned and run by the state in Paris, and was used to store political enemies of the King or certain people in power, and also held many military supplies and other goods, particularly ammunition (which was what the rebels needed). To the common people of France, the Bastille was a symbol of the King's power, so after they managed to gather enough people, they all stormed the gates, took the building, killed the governor, and paraded through the streets with his head. -
The Women's March on Versailles
The Third Estate had been getting more and more upset by the king's actions and his wife, Marie Antoinette, in addition to their increasing hunger and poverty. So when people could no longer stand it, a large crowd of them, most of which were women (hence the name) swarmed Versailles and broke into the rooms of Louis XVI and his wife, and took them back to Paris with them. Once there, Louis and his wife "felt like prisoners" and fled to Austria, also denouncing the Revolution beforehand. -
The Replacement of the National Assembly
Once the National Assembly finished writing France's new Constitution, France technically became a constitutional monarchy, but this new constitution also replaced the National Assembly with a new set of people called the Legislative Assembly. Unfortunately, because it was agreed upon and written in the constitution that this new Assembly couldn't have any members from the old one, the new one didn't really have people that had any sort of experience, which lead to future corruption/problems. -
The Replacement of the National Assembly (Part 2)
Because of the new rules regarding the members of the new and old assemblies caused the new Legislative Assembly to have inexperienced people running it, France's conflicts with other countries worsened. The problem was that (1) they declared war on Austria and (2) the common people supported this war and most of France's other conflicts. In addition to this, many revolutionary leaders viewed these conflicts as good things and supported them, thinking that they were showing France's independence -
The Tuileries Palace Invasion
The general public, which had become increasingly restless with the radical ideas of the revolution and anger towards the king and his wife, decided to gather a massive amount of people and attack the Tuileries Palace. King Louis XVI and his wife Mary Antoinette barely escaped, and were then being protected by the Legislative Assembly, which eventually arrested them (a huge victory for the common people and members of the Revolution) and put Louis XVI on trial. -
The Trial and Execution of Louis XVI
After King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were attacked at the Tuileries Palace, and the Legislative Assembly smuggled them out, they were then arrested by their own Legislative Assembly, and Louis XVI was put on trial for conspiring with foreign countries, and was forced to accept and recognize the new Constitution that had been written by the previous National Assembly. This constitution, however, took away almost all of his power, and when his trial found him guilty, he was executed. -
The Reign of Terror
Almost immediately after the execution of Louis XVI, the Reign of Terror started, which was a period of time in which the new revolutionary government decided to make their sole priority hunting down and executing anyone who was suspected of opposing the Revolution and its ideas. Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI's wife, was one of the first people executed, but people also focused on almost anyone they suspected, sometimes without reason, mainly accusing the rich (ex. nobles, priests, etc.). -
Maximilien de Robespierre & His Execution
Maximilien de Robespierre was one of the main leaders and supporters of the Revolution, and played on people's support for it for his own benefit, but was generally disliked by the people as he ruled like a dictator with almost complete government control. He also started the Reign of Terror throughout the country, and is famous for saying that "Terror would be the order of the day" and ordering the gathering and execution of thousands. But eventually, he was arrested, put on trial and executed.
