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Louis XVI Becomes King
As Louis' grandfather, Louis XV, died; he was the next one to take the throne as King of France. When Louis came to power he was merely 15 years old. At the age 15 he wasn't much interested in being in charge of a nation, that's part of the reason why he didn't do a sufficient job at being a leader, he was just disinterested. -
Calling of the Estates General
King Louis called upon the Estates General for the first time in over 100 years. They were called together because of the financial crisis in France and because the King's power was weakening. The Third Estate felt like they were being controlled so they formed the National Assembly. -
Forming of the National Assembly
The National Assembly was a revolutionary group that was created by the Third Estate. The Third Estate also created the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizens. The documents were made to influence the actions of the French Revolution. -
Attack on Bastille
The attack on Bastille was when a French prison was attacked and torn apart by an angry/aggressive mob. The mob attacked Bastille because it was a symbol of France's dictatorial type rule. A dictatorial type rule is basically the characteristics of an absolute ruler. This was the beginning of the French Revolution -
The Great Fear
The Great Fear was a riot which was lead by the peasants. The peasants were in a panic because they thought that the King and the 'richer' were going to overthrow the Third Estate, which the peasants were in. The peasants attacked their lord and destroyed important documents and files. -
Women's March on Versailles
In the Women's March, there were 7,000 working women who raided the Palace of Versailles. The reason for raiding was that they were upset with the Queen, (who they called Madam Deficit) not helping and just spending money. The King and Queen put no effort into helping those living in poverty. From this event, they made both King and Queen agree to the August Decrees and the Declaration of the Rights of Men and of Citizens. -
Napoleon takes Power
Napoleon's reign marked the end of the French Revolution. Napoleon started to grow which lead to his using the army to take control of the government. Other nations started to fear Napoleon and he soon became Emperor. -
National Convention is Formed
The National Convention was elected to provide a new constitution for France after they overthrew King Louis and his wife. One of the first acts was to get rid of monarchy. This National Convention was the third time that the French citizens tried to get a national legislature. -
Execution of King Louis XVI
King Louis was being charged with conspiracy with foreign powers because when he tried to flee the country, he was found on the boarders of Austria. For this, he was sentenced to death. Louis got his head cut off by the guillotine. -
The Directory is Formed
The French Directory was the form of French Revolutionary Government. This was set up by the constitution of year III. -
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a time in France after King Louis where anyone who was thought to be a traitor got sent to the guillotine. It is said that at least 300,000 people were arrested, 17,000 were executed and 10,000 died in prison without a trial -
Napoleon Invades Russia
Napoleon planned to invade Russia in 1812, this is where he planned to bring together the largest European army. Napoleon's army had 450,000 Grande Armee soldiers. When they got to Moscow, they were ambushed by Russian soldiers. This was one of Napoleon's biggest mistakes, this eventually lead to his downfall. -
Napoleon's Defeat at Waterloo
In Waterloo, Napoleon's remaining army faced off against the the Duke of Washington. After being defeated, this marked the end of Napoleon Era, everything fell apart for Napoleon. Napoleon surrendered to British protection and was soon put on the islanf of St. Helena's for six years; this is wear he died.
