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King Louis moved the capital of France from Paris to Versailles
Upon its completion in 1682, Louis moved in, and changed the capital from Paris to Versailles to escape the turmoil Paris was subject to. He invited all of the aristocracy to live with him on the grounds, not because he liked them, but because he could control them. -
Palace of Versailles built
The building of the palace was an expression of power and authority. The place was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. -
King Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette
France hoped their marriage would strengthen its alliance with Austria, its longtime enemy. -
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French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of major social upheaval that began in 1787 and ended in 1799. It sought to completely change the relationship between the rulers and those they governed and to redefine the nature of political power. -
Tennis Court Oath
In the Tennis Court Oath, the National Assembly swore not to stop meeting until France had a constitution. This commitment to imposing a constitution on France was a threat to the power of the monarch. -
Bastille is Stormed
a mob approached the Bastille to demand the arms and ammunition stored there, and, when the forces guarding the structure resisted, the attackers stormed the prison and released the seven prisoners held there. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was written
The document was written by Marquis de Lafayette with the help of Thomas Jefferson. It outlined the natural and legal rights of French citizens and limited the power of King Louis XVI. -
Women’s March on Versailles
They complained over the high price and scant availability of bread, marching from Paris to Versailles. -
King Louis XVI is executed
Louis XVI was found guilty of treason and condemned to death. -
The Reign of Terror
A period of state-sanctioned violence and mass executions during the French Revolution. France's revolutionary government ordered the arrest and execution of thousands of people. -
Napoleon launches a Coup d’Etat on the weak & corrupt Directory
This overthrew the system of government under the Directory in France and substituted the Consulate. -
Creation of the Napoleonic Code
For the first time in history, a purely rational law should be created, free from all past prejudices and deriving its content from “sublimated common sense” -
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Napoleon as Emperor
Whilst working to stabilize France, Napoleon also sought to extend his authority throughout Europe. Napoleon's armies conquered the Iberian and Italian peninsulas, occupied lands, and he forced Austria, Prussia, and Russia to ally with him and respect French hegemony in Europe. -
Napoleon crowns himself emperor
According to legend, during the coronation he snatched the crown from the hands of Pope Pius VII and crowned himself, thus displaying his rejection of the authority of the Pontiff. -
Defeat in Russian Campaign
The only major battle of the campaign ended with a territorial gain for Napoleon but at a very high cost. Napoleon's army eventually reached a Moscow abandoned and destroyed by the Russian army based on the scorched-earth policy. -
Battle of Waterloo
It concluded a war that had raged for 23 years, ended French attempts to dominate Europe, and destroyed Napoleon's imperial power forever. -
Execution of Napoleon
Died from stomach ulcer.