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Excessive spending and poor harvests lead to a financial crisis in France
France's financial troubles were exacerbated by the cost of wars, extravagant royal spending, and a regressive tax system that burdened the common people. This economic turmoil contributed to revolutionary unrest. -
The Tennis Court Oath
When locked out of their meeting place, members of the National Assembly gathered at a nearby tennis court and took the Tennis Court Oath. They pledged not to disband until they had drafted a new constitution for France, asserting their determination to bring about political change. -
King Louis XVI calls the Estates General
King Louis XVI convened the Estates General in Versailles to address France's severe financial crisis and growing unrest among the population. The Estates General consisted of three separate estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. The commoners, feeling underrepresented and marginalized, would later form the National Assembly. -
The First and Second Estates join the Third Estate in the newly formed National Assembly
The Third Estate, representing commoners and the majority of the population, felt excluded from decision-making in the Estates General. Frustrated, they broke away and formed the National Assembly. Members of the First and Second Estates began joining the National Assembly in solidarity with the commoners, signaling a significant shift in power. -
The storming of the Bastille
A symbol of royal tyranny, the Bastille was a prison in Paris. On July 14, a mob of revolutionaries stormed the Bastille, seeking weapons and gunpowder. The event escalated into violence, leading to the fall of the prison and marking the first major outbreak of violence in the French Revolution. -
The National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
This revolutionary document proclaimed the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity for all citizens. It emphasized individual rights and became a cornerstone of the French Revolution's ideals. -
The Constitution of 1791 sets up a constitutional monarchy in France
This constitution established a limited constitutional monarchy with a legislative assembly, marking a shift away from absolute monarchy. -
The Legislative Assembly declares war on Austria
The declaration of war on Austria led to the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, with France facing external threats from European monarchies. -
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Robespierre's Reign of Terror
During this radical phase of the revolution, Maximilien Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety ruled with dictatorial powers. The Reign of Terror was marked by mass executions, with perceived enemies of the revolution facing the guillotine. It aimed to suppress opposition and enforce revolutionary ideals. -
Louis XVI is executed at the guillotine
King Louis XVI was put on trial by the National Convention, found guilty of treason, and executed by guillotine. His execution symbolized the end of the monarchy and the radicalization of the revolution. -
The Directory is installed
The Directory was established as the executive branch of the French government under the Constitution of 1795. It aimed to bring stability to France after the tumultuous years of the Revolution but faced challenges and corruption. -
Napoleon is defeated by Horatio Nelson at the Battle of the Nile
In this naval battle during the French Revolutionary Wars, British Admiral Horatio Nelson decisively defeated Napoleon's fleet in Egypt. This victory hindered Napoleon's expansionist ambitions in the region. -
Napoleon is declared Emperor of the French
Napoleon Bonaparte, a military general, declared himself Emperor Napoleon I, effectively ending the French Revolution and establishing a new era of French governance known as the Napoleonic Empire. -
The Continental System is implemented by Napoleon
Napoleon's Continental System was an economic blockade against Britain, aiming to isolate it from European trade. It had significant economic and political implications across Europe. -
Napoleon is defeated at Leipzig in the Battle of the Nations
The Battle of Leipzig was a decisive defeat for Napoleon and marked a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars, leading to his eventual exile. -
Napoleon is exiled to St. Helena
Following his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon was exiled to the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, where he would spend the rest of his life.