-
Estates General meets in Versailles
For the first time in over a century, the Estates General, the legislative body in France, was called by King Louis XVI. His grandfather's debt was taking a heavy toll on the French economy. Angered by Louis XVI's inability to create a fair way for the three estates, or social classes, to vote, the third estate declared themselves the National Assembly. Despite Louis's attempts to disband them, the members of the National Assembly swore an oath to continue meeting and making their own laws. -
Storming of the Bastille
Tired of the heavy taxes they were forced to pay because of King Louis XVI's massive debts, left behind by his grandfather, a large group of Parisians marched their way into the Hôtel des Invalides and stole firearms and cannons. In order to use their newfound weapons, they required gunpowder, stored in the Bastille prison. The mob freed the prisoners and captured the governor, who would later be beheaded. Almost 100 citizens and 8 prison guards were killed in this fight. -
Royal Family is Arrested
After being convicted of various crimes, Louis XVI and his wife, who was extremely unpopular with the French people, Queen Marie Antoinette, decided to try and flee Paris. The couple attempted to try and escape to Austria, the country that King Louis was convicted of working with in the first place, but were caught and arrested, later leading to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's executions. After this, Louis's credibility as monarch was undermined, and no one could trust him as a king. -
France Declares War on Austria
After Louis XVI was overthrown and arrested, other European monarchs began to distrust France. They were worried that their own people would be inspired by the French Revolution and that they, too, would be overthrown. Both the monarchy and the revolutionaries called for war- the monarchy thought that they would be defeated by foreign powers and Louis would be reinstated as king, while revolutionaries thought that war would spread the ideas of the revolution. -
Louis XVI is executed
King Louis XVI was arrested for conspiring with foreign powers. He and his wife, Marie Antoinette, attempted to flee to Austria, only to be caught and arrested. The French monarchy was abolished. Louis was convicted after evidence of his crimes came forth, and nine months later, Marie Antoinette was also executed. Louis XVI died at the guillotine, the same way his wife would later be executed. -
France Declares War on Britain, Holland, and Spain
Following the execution of Louis XVI, Spanish, British, and Dutch governments were provoked to join Austria and Prussia in the war against France. France declared war on them in turn, but things quickly began to go downhill. France was losing more and more battles. The combined powers of five countries made it difficult for France to come out victorious. By the end of the year, however, the allies had been driven out of France. -
Committee of Public Safety is Formed
12 members, elected by the National Convention for one-month long terms, while France was close to losing the war. It was created to defend the national against its enemies, including those both foreign and domestic, and oversee sections of the executive government. One notable figure responsible for the Committee is Maximilien Robespierre. The committee was responsible for punishing enemies of the Revolution and adjusting the economy during the war against Austria and Prussia. -
Reign of Terror Begins
The government, unsettled by the current conditions in France (including civil war and the country's many enemies), decided to take drastic measures. They decreed that anyone even suspected to be an enemy of the Revolution would be punished accordingly, usually execution. 300,000 suspects were arrested during this reign, and while only 17,000 were officially executed, many more, up to 10,000 died after being arrested. The Committee of Public Safety took control over the French government. -
The Thermidorian Reaction/Robespierre's Execution
This refers to the period in between Robespierre and Napoleon. After France won the war, Robespierre, the notorious figure from the Committee of Public Safety, was executed. Following this, a liberal-conservative counter-revolution began. They wanted to completely reform the government. Within a month of Robespierre's death, the Reign of Terror's legislation was destroyed and the Committee dismantled. The National Convention was dissolved and a new Directory took its place. -
Napoleon Seizes Power
After successfully defeating the Austrian powers in Italy, Napoleon returned to Paris. 2 years later, he overthrew the Directory established just a few years prior and seized power in France. This marked the end of the French Revolution and the beginning of a new phase of the French government
