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Tennis Court Oath
A group of men met on June 20, 1789, in a tennis court to establish the foundations of the French Republic. This action established the National Assembly. -
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French Revolution
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Fall of Bastile
on July 14, 1789, King Louis XVI received word at Versailles that the Bastille had fallen in Paris to a mob that included both citizens and soldiers. It was more than just symbol, the fall of the Bastille was the start of the French Revolution, a movement that would travel through every European capital and begin the process of getiing rid of absolutism. -
Great Fear
In July and August of 1789 the people decided to start the French Revolution. With this revolution rumors spread among the peasants that nobles had hired brigands to march through the villages and destroy the peasant’s new harvest and their homes. This fear added to the already existing fear because of the lack of good harvest in 1787. In response the peasants went wild and ransacking castles and destroying documents. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration of the Rights of Man was a document that established basic human rights and provided the outline of the French Revolution. It was written by the Marquis de Lafayette and adopted by the National Constituent Assembly on August 26, 1789. -
Women march on Versailles
When about 6 thousand woman marched from Paris to Versailles in the pouring rain demanding bread and to see the king. -
Civil Constitution of Clergy
The Civil Constitution of Clergy put the church under the control of the State. This established a national church system with elected clergy. The country was divided into eighty-three departments, each of which was governed by an elected official and represented by an elected bishop. The voting for these positions was open to anyone who met a certain criteria, such as property ownership. -
The Royal Escape
When the royal family tried to escape but were caught and were boo-ed back to Paris. The Kings' dash represented being a traitor to the revolution. -
Declaration of Pilnitz
In response to Louis XVI’s capture and forced return to Paris, Prussia and Austria issued the Declaration of Pillnitz on August 27, 1791, warning the French against harming the king and demanding that the monarchy be restored. The declaration also implied that Prussia and Austria would intervene militarily in France if any harm came to the king. -
Constitution of 1791
The new constitution declared France to be a constitutional monarchy. Within this new government, all legislative powers went to a single Legislative Assembly, which alone had the power to declare war and raise taxes. -
Creation of National Convention
The National Convention governed France during the period of the French Revolution known as the Reign of Terror. Led primarily by the Jacobins, it lasted until 1795. -
Execution of a monarch
The people of France voted for the beheading of KIng Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Marie Antoinette married Louis in 1770 when she was 14. She was executed at the guillotine on October 16, 1793. A few months after King Louis XVI, she was very queenlike about it and tried not to show fear, only bravery. -
Invasion of Russia
His third mistake: Napoleon led his men to try and take over Russia but because of the huge land, he failed. When trying to go to the capital and burn it, it had already been burnt so he gave up. This showed everyone that he wasn't as invicible as they thought. -
Constitution of 1795
This constitution was a governmental restructuring consisting of a 5 man directory. The new legislature would consist of two houses: an upper house, called the Council of Ancients, consisting of 250 members, and a lower house, called the Council of Five Hundred, consisting of 500 members. Fearing influence from the left, the convention said that two-thirds of the members of the new legislature had to have already served on the National Convention between 1792 and 1795. -
The Directory
Beginning: The Constitution of 1795 set up a five-man Directory and two-house legislature elected by male citizens of property.
End: As Napolean went from victorious general to political leader, the Directory ended. -
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a peace conference held after the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th Century. It redrew the boundaries of Germany and Prussia. -
Napoleon becomes Consulate
Napoleon holds a plebiscite, a vote of the people, and the French people vote strongly in favor of his strong leadership. Although the French did vote for this to happen, it was rigged because there was no other choice to pick from. The people who did not want this to happen did not vote and hence Napoleon becomes the leader and promises order and stability. -
Concordat of 1801
Napoleon decides to make peace with the catholic church saying that it can be the church, but the church can not be more powerful tHan the state. -
A Hundred Days
The Hundred Days was Napoleon's return from his first exile on the Italian island of Elba. On February 26, 1815, he secretly left Elba and returned to Paris. He reassembled an army and again tried to defeat the forces of Great Britain and Prussia, who had defeated him just a year earlier at the Battle of Montmartre. After some success, Napoleon eventually lost to the armies of the Seventh Coalition at Waterloo on June 15, 1815. He was then sent to the island of St. Helena, by the british. -
Coronation of an Emperor
In 1804 Napoleon decides to crown himself emperor of France and is clearly supported by the people. He takes the crown of the Pope at the Notre Dame Catherdral which shows how powerful he wants to be and that the country is now going back to being ruled by one leader. -
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition. The battle was the most decisive British naval victory of the war. -
Battle of Austerlitz
The battle oif Austerlitz was one of Napoleon's greatest victories effectively ended the War of the Third Coalition. Two days later, with their territory overrun and their armies destroyed, Austria made peace through the Treaty of Pressburg. -
Invasion of Spain
France invades Spain, gaining control of nearly the entire kingdom by 1796. Portugal remains independent at this time. Already in control of Spain, France invades Lisbon, beginning Peninsula War, which would drain France. Portuguese then move their government to Brazil. -
Reign of Terror
In the autumn of 1793, Robespierre and the Jacobins focused on addressing economic and political threats within France. What began as a beginningapproach to reclaiming the nation quickly turned violent as the government began its campaign against internal opposition known as the Reign of Terror. -
Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon was initially successful but then he was overmatch by gathering European armies. Because the French soldiers were exhausted, they could not hold. -
Exile to Elba
Napoleon officially abdicated as Emperor of France. The Allied forces decided to exile the former emperor to the small island of Elba off the coast of Tuscany.
