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Meeting of the Estates General
The Estates General is an assembly of representatives from all social classes. King Louis XVI had no money left and his solution was to press taxes on the nobility. So, the Second Estate obligated him to call a meeting of the Estates General to approve this new tax. This was the first meeting in 175 years which was held on May 5, 1789, at Versailles. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Third Estate delegates found themselves locked out of their usual meeting hall at the Versailles. So, they moved to a near indoor tennis court were they took an oath to never separate until a written constitution had been established for France. This meeting was later known as the "Tennis Court Oath". Then nobles and clergymen favored the reforms and joined the Third Estate delegates. -
Storming of the Bastille
An angry mob of people searching for gunpowder and arms attacked the Bastille which was a state prison on the east side of Paris.This made a statement against the monarchy and also attained weapons and gunpowder that were kept in prison. The storming of the Bastille became a symbolic act of revolution to the French people and became a French national holiday. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
The National Assembly announces the creation of the document "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen". The document guaranteed citizens equal justice, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. -
March on Versailles
Many people in Paris were hungry and unemployed. A large crowd of Parisian market women lead a march on Versailles to protest about scarcity and high price of bread. Convinced that the royal family and nobility there lived in luxury, unconcerned to the poverty of the French people. -
Royal Family attempts to flee
The National Assembly reconstructed the relationship between state and church. King Louis XVI was told by his advisers that his family was in danger so he and his family tried to flee from France to go to the Austrian Netherlands. But they were caught at and got sent back to Paris under guard where the King was forced to go on trial. -
France at War
Prussian commander threatened to destroy Paris if the revolutionaries harmed any member of the royal family. This got the Parisians furious and angry. Women and men invaded the Tuileries were the mob massacred the royal guards and kept Louis, Mary Antoinette and their children captive. Austria and Prussia urged the French to reinstate the monarchy. The legislative Assembly declared war on them. -
Reign of Terror
Maximilien Robespierre, Jacobin leader slowly started gaining power which later on became leader of the Committee of Public Safety. He governed France as a dictator. The period of his ruling was called the Reign of Terror. Thousands of people were sentenced to death by execution that was caused by conflict between two political parties the Jacobins, and the Girondins. -
Execution of King Louis XVI
After being put on trial and becoming a common citizen, King Louis XVI got executed by the guillotine. -
Execution of Robespierre (End of Terror)
Some members of the National Convention turned on Maximilien Robespierre, leader of the Jacobins. He gets executed on the guillotine and the reign of terror ended on July 28, 1794. The Girondins gain more power as a result and French public opinion shifted dramatically.
