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Louis XVI becomes king of France
In 1770, he married Marie Antoinette, daughter of the emperor and empress of Austria, a match intended to consolidate an alliance between France and Austria. In 1774, Louis succeeded his grandfather Louis XV as king of France. -
Calling of the Estates General
the political and financial situation in France had grown rather bleak, forcing Louis XVI to summon the Estates General. -
Formation of the National Assembly
The third estate claimed that they represented all the people of France. The third estate then declared themselves to be the National Assembly and that they would create a new constitution. -
Great Fear
The peasants heard rumors about the nobles and government trying to take their land. So the peasants attacked by stealing grain from storehouses and setting fire to old manor houses. -
Attack on Bastille
Over 800 Parisians assembled outside of Bastille and demanded the weapons and gunpowder they believed was there. After their request was denied the parisians broke through the gates and released the prisoners but killed everyone else. They couldn't find the weapons or gunpowder. -
French Women force Louis XVI to leave Versailles
About 6,000 women marched 13 miles in the pouring rain from Paris to Versailles shouting for bread and demanding to see the king. The women refused to leave until the king agreed to come with them to Paris. -
National Convention is formed
It was more radical than the other assemblies. It voted to abolish the monarch and establish a republic- The French Republic. -
Louis XVI is executed
The convention put him on trial as a criminal to France because he attempted to escape France. As he tried to give a speech the soldier's drumroll drowned him out and then was beheaded. -
Period: to
Reign Of Terror
Those who resisted the revolution were beheaded. Of 300,000 arrested only 17,000 were executed. About 15% of the people sentenced to death were of nobility and clergy. -
The Directory is Formed
The constitution of 1795 set up the directory that was made up of middle class people and professionals. However the directory was weak but dictatorial -
Napoleon Takes Power
After amassing enough power he assumed the title Emperor of France. During his coronation he took the crown from the pope and placed it on his head showing that he owed his throne to no one but himself. -
Napoleon invades Russia
They 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. -
Napoleon's defeat at waterloo
Napoleon led his army of some 72,000 troops against the 68,000-man British army, which had taken up a position south of Brussels near the village of Waterloo. Although Napoleon’s troops mounted a strong attack against the British, the arrival of the Prussians turned the tide against the French. The French emperor’s outnumbered army retreated in chaos.