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Louis XV becomes King of France
Louis XV became king after Louis XIV, his great grandfather died. He kept the enlightenment ideas in check. he joined the 7 years war and lost in America leaving France close to bankruptcy. -
Meeting of the Estates General
The French economy was in chaos by the late 1780s. The decades of war had drained the treasury, and the country was nearly bankrupt. To raise maoney, Louis XVI decided that the people, including the French aristocrats, should pay more taxes. But the aristocrats blocked Louis XVI's plan. In desperation, Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General to address the economic crisis. In fact, when Louis called the meeting, the Estates General had not gathered in more than 170 years. -
Tennis Court Oath
the tennis court oath was a dramatic act of defiance by representatives of the nonprivileged classes of the French nation (the Third Estate) during the meeting of the Estates-General (traditional assembly) at the beginning of the French Revolution.they took an oath never to separate until a written constitution had been established for France. -
Storming of the Bastille
About 600 angry Parisians successfully attacked the Bastille and took control of this symbol of tyranny. This event inspired other French people to take up arms against the king and the nobility. Storming of Bastille became a nationlist symbol, because they helped share a sense of belonging to a nation. It became a central part of their national myth because it said, "We are a nation. We can govern ourselves." It showed how the actions of ordinary citizens can lead to great change. -
Abolition of Feudalism
A small group of deputies prepared a suprise move in the assembly with the abolishment of feudalism. A few liberal noblemen, by prearrangement, arose and surrendered their hunting rights, manors, properties, feudal and seigneurial privileges. All personal tax privileges were given up. What was left of serfdom and all personal servitudes was declared ended. With legal privilege replaced by legal equality, it proceeded to map the principles of the new order of France. -
Guillotine was invented
It was originally developed as a more humane method of execution. the French guillotine was invented in 1789, when Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin proposed that the French government adopt a gentler method of execution. It could kill all classes of people the same. Robespierre took the guillotine for granted and killed everyone he saw as a "traitor." -
Louis XVI attempts to flee to Varennes
During the night of 20–21 June 1791, King Louis XVI of France, his queen Marie Antoinette, and their immediate family attempted unsuccessfully to escape from Paris to Varennes. They were recognized, arrested, and brought back to Paris. -
Louis XVI accepts the Constitution formally
It was Lafayette's dream to join the constitution and the monarchy, creating a Constitutional monarchy. The oath to the Constitution speech by Lafayette was significant as it brought the citizens of France together, feeling happy for themselves and others around them. Louis XVI accepting the Constitution shows the beginning of the constitutional monarchy. The National Assembly abolished many “institutions which were injurious to liberty and equality of rights” in the Constitution. -
Formation of Legislative Assembly
Followed by the Constituent Assembly, it provided the focus of political debate and revolutionary law-making between the periods of the Constituent Assembly and of the National Convention. It consisted of 745 members. The members were generally young, and, since none had sat in the previous Assembly, they largely lacked national political experience. The Left, had the dominant 330 members in Jacobins and Girondins. The right, 250 deputies belonged to no definite party. Other 165 were Feuillants -
Tricolor cockade made compulsory for men to wear
Revolutionaries started wearing red, white, and blue cockades, or badges, to identify themselves as revolutionaries. The red and blue represented Paris, and the white represented the House of Bourbon. This cockade became a powerful symbol that its colours were later chosen for the French flag. La Marseillaise sung by volunteers from Marseilles on their arrival in Paris. Both the tricolor cockade and the song become a nationalist symbol as brings people closer to the idea of a French nation. -
First session of National Convention
The National Convention decreed assistance to "all peoples wishing to recover their liberty." It also ordered that French generals, in the occupied areas, should dissolve the old governments, confiscate government and church property, abolish tithes, hunting rights, and seigneurial dues, and set up provisional administrations. Thus revolution spread in the wake of the successful French armies.Prominent members included Robespierre of the Jacobin Club, Marat, Danton of the Cordeliers. -
Louis XVI is executed
Louis XVI was executed by the Guillotine for treason. He was convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers. The monarchy was dead in France. The first French Republic was born. -
Marat is assassinated
Marat was assassinated in his bath by Charlotte Corday, a Girondin conservative. Charlotte killed Marat because she did not believe in what Marat was pushing. he killed people with the guilatine during the revolution. After Marat's assassination Charlotte was hailed as a hero to those who were against Robespierre. Robespierre had Marat worshipped like a God after he was killed. -
Robespierre is executed
Robespierre created a new list of "traitors" to be executed and he was arrested because they were fed up with him. Robespierre attempted to kill himself in jail but missed and shot his jaw off. He was executed on the guillotine. -
Directory established
The first formally constituted French Republic, known as the Directory, lasted only four years. Its weakness was that it rested on an extremely narrow social base, and that it presupposed certain military conquests. Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate. With the establishment of the Directory, the Revolution might seem closed. The nation only desired rest and the healing of its many wounds. -
Passing of the Napoleonic Code
A Civil Code enacted to ensure property, colonial affairs, the family, and individual rights. This was needed in France after the Revolution and its effects it had on the country. The effects of this code positively effected men and negatively effected women and children. -
The Coronation
The crowning of Napoleon occurred December 2, 1804 in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. The Directory asked Napoleon to save Paris from Civil War and invasion. Napoleon showed the people of France that he was what they needed to stabilize their country after the travails of the Revolution and Civil War. Napoleon conquered much land and brought France back on its feet. -
Napoleons Exile to Elba
Napoleon launched an invasion on Russia that resulted in his troops retreating from Moscow and uniting Europe against him. Napoleon gave up his title as Emporer in honor of his son but that was denied and he was sent for exile in Elba. This resulted in him escaping in 1815 and returning to power. -
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna is an assembly that recognized Europe after the Napoleonic wars. The goal was to establish a new balance of power in Europe which would prevent imperialism within Europe, such as the Napoleonic empire, and maintain the peace between the great powers. The impact was the stabilization of European borders and politics. -
100 Days
Napoleon escaped from exile in Elba to come back into power in Europe. Next he would be defeated at the battle of Waterloo and would be re-exiled to Saint Helena. This defeat signaled the end of Frances domination in Europe and he was once again turned on by his supporters.
