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Louis XVI calls the Easters General
The Estates-General of 1789 was the first meeting since 1614 of the French Estates-General, a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm. Summoned by King Louis XVI to propose solutions to his government’s financial problems, the Estates-General convened for several weeks in May and June 1789. -
Tennis Court Oath
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. -
Writing of the Declaration of the Rights of Men
One of the basic charters of human liberties, containing the principles that inspired the French Revolution. Its 17 articles, adopted between August 20 and August 26, 1789, by France’s National Assembly, served as the preamble to the Constitution of 1791. -
Parisians storming the Bastille
On July 14, 1789, fears that King Louis XVI was about to arrest France’s newly constituted National Assembly led a crowd of Parisians to successfully besiege the Bastille, an old fortress that had been used since 1659 as a state prison. -
March On Versailles
Outraged by high bread prices and the anti-revolutionary conduct of royal soldiers, a crowd of 7,000 women descended on the Palace of Versailles. The king accompanied them back to Paris the next day. This work is from an unknown artist, c. 1789. -
Establishment of the New French Constitution
The French Constitution of 1791 created a new structure for the Government of France. Specifically, it limited the powers of the monarchy of France, delegated legislative powers to an elected National Assembly, and created an elected judiciary. -
Execution of the King and Queen
The next January, Louis was convicted and condemned to death by a narrow majority. On January 21, he walked steadfastly to the guillotine and was executed. Nine months later, Marie Antoinette was convicted of treason by a tribunal, and on October 16 she followed her husband to the guillotine. -
Reign of Terror
Civil war spreading from the Vendée and hostile armies surrounding France on all sides, the Revolutionary government decided to make “Terror” the order of the day (September 5 decree) and to take harsh measures against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution (nobles, priests, and hoarders) -
Napoleon Overthrows the Directory
Coup d’état overthrew the system of government under the Directory in France and substituted the Consulate, making way for the despotism of Napoleon Bonaparte. The event is often viewed as the effective end of the French Revolution. -
Napoleon Builds an Empire
Almost a month later, a new constitution was created: the First Empire was proclaimed by the senatus-consulte (vote of the Senate by law) of 28 Floreal, Year XII (18 May 1804). This senatus-consulte was approved on 6 November later the same year. -
Napoleon Invades Russia
Napoleon Bonaparte, crossed the Neman River, invading Russia from present-day Poland. The result was a disaster for the French. The Russian army refused to engage with Napoleon’s Grande Armée of more than 500,000 European troops. They simply retreated into the Russian interior. -
The Congress of Vienna Meets
Reorganized Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. It began in September 1814, five months after Napoleon I’s first abdication, and completed its “Final Act” in June 1815, shortly before the Waterloo campaign and the final defeat of Napoleon. -
6th Coalition Occupies Paris
A war fought from March 1813 to May 1814 in which a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, and a number of German states finally defeated France. The French surrendered and ended the War of the Sixth Coalition. -
King Louis XVIII Begins His Reign
The grandson of Louis XV and brother of Louis XVI, Louis Stanislas Xavier declared himself King of France in 1795, before officially becoming King Louis XVIII in 1814 at the fall of the Empire. -
Napoleon Defeated at Waterloo
The French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile in March 1815 and returned to power. He decided to go on the offensive, hoping to win a quick victory that would tear apart the coalition of European armies formed against him.