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Louis XVI calls for the Estates General to meet
The political and financial situation in France had grown rather bleak, forcing Louis XVI to summon the Estates General. -
Representatives from the three Estates meet at Versailles
Louis XVI opened the session with a speech in which he reviewed the circumstances that had led to the convocation, and what he expected from the Estates General. As a peaceful king, he declared himself “the people’s greatest friend”. Necker claimed that new taxes would be enough to make up for the deficit, but the Commoners, who were only too aware of the country’s expectations, were dissatisfied with such a mediocre discourse, and decided to take things into their own hands. -
Louis XVI has the Third Estate locked out of the Estates General meeting
King Louis locked the third estate out of the meeting because they were demanding more power in the government because they made up 97% of the population in France. -
Third Estate takes the Tennis Court Oath
the members of the French Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath in the tennis court which had been built in 1686 for the use of the Versailles palace. -
Louis XVI calls for the National Assembly to meet to create a constitution
He ordered the three estates to meet together as the National Assembly and vote, by population, on a constitution for France. -
The people of Paris storm the Bastille
a state prison on the east side of Paris, known as the Bastille, was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. The prison had become a symbol of the monarchy's dictatorial rule, and the event became one of the defining moments in the Revolution that followed. -
The women of Paris arrest Louis XVI and take him back to Paris
Following the Women’s March on Versailles, the royal family was forced to return to Paris. They remained virtual prisoners in the Tuileries, the official residence of the king. Louis XVI became emotionally paralyzed, leaving most important decisions to the queen. At her insistence, Louis committed himself and his family to a disastrous attempt of escape from the capital to the eastern frontier