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King Louis XVI's Meeting With the Estates General
Following the extreme debt associated with the financial war contributions allocated towards the American Revolution, Louis XVI called the Estates General in order to solve the plummeting economy of France. This meeting ultimately led to failure as inflation continued to skyrocket, leading to the Women's March on Versailles after high bread prices. -
The Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath occurred after King Louis XVI ordered that the National Assembly representing the French Third Estate be locked out of their usual meeting place. In a fit of activism, representatives of the Third Estate pledged to avoid the act of disbanding until a new Constitution was established for France. This served as a symbol of defiance for the French Revolution and later inspired peasants to revolt in response to The Great Fear. -
The Storming of the Bastille
This event occurred after French members of the Third Estate formed an insurgence of the political prison of Bastille. The main objective of this invasion was for French revolutionists to obtain control over a critical symbol of royal power and gain greater supply of arms. This event weakened the absolute authority of King Louis XVI and his royal court, ultimately serving as a major starting point towards establishing a constitutional monarchy. -
The Great Fear
The Great Fear consisted of peasant uprisings against the nobility in order to repel the threat of counterattack from elites. In addition, The Great Fear aimed to completely abolish the remodeled Feudal System in France. These revolts were prompted by the events surrounding The Tennis Court Oath, as the National Assembly swore to continue increasing their efforts for social, economic, and political reform. -
The Women's March on Versailles
Directly resulting from skyrocketing bread and food prices, thousands of women marched to the Palace of Versailles in order to incite action by King Louis XVI. After the Estates General failed to stabilize the French economy, inflation of goods soared, leading to this demonstration of public outrage. -
Ratification of the Constitution of 1791
The ratification of the first French Constitution on December 15th, 1791 established a constitutional monarchy and successfully concluded the absolute authority of King Louis XVI. After over two years of fierce advocacy for a constitution recognizing the rights of all French citizens, events like the Storming of the Bastille resulted in greater political progress for the Third Estate. -
Louis XVI Is Executed
On January 21st, 1793 King Louis XVI was executed by the National Convention of France on charges of treason. After the ratification of the Constitution of 1791, Louis XVI conspired to restore his absolute monarchy with representatives of Austria. Once this information was leaked to the newly-formed French National Convention, this was seen as treasonous behavior towards the wellbeing of the nation and he was executed by guillotine. -
The Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror began in September of 1793 following Maximilien Robespierre's rise to power. Organized by the Committee of Public Safety, tens of thousands of French citizens were executed in response to conspiracy and opposition against Robespierre. In July of 1794, Robespierre was executed, leading to the French Directory being established in order to restore the stability of the nation. -
The Installation of the French Directory
In response to the horrendous rule of Maximilien Robespierre and his Reign of Terror, the French Directory was formed in order to institute the Enlightenment philosophies presented in the Revolution. This administration ultimately collapsed after Napoleon seized control over the French government. -
Napoleon Is Declared Emperor of France
5 years after his successful coup of the Directory, Napoleon crowned himself as the Emperor of France following his massive consolidation of power. After his declaration of power, Napoleon aimed to establish French supremacy over Europe beginning with his implementation of the Continental System, which eliminated the British as a threat to his expansion. -
The Implementation of the Continental System
Napoleon's implementation of the Continental System directed a blockade surrounding Britain in order to prevent the nation from trading and receiving aid from foreign countries. This was seen as one of the first strategic advances enforced by Napoleon in order to harness any opposition to the expansion of his new empire. -
Napoleon's Defeat in Russia
As Napoleon ambitiously attempted to invade Russia with his Grand Army of 600,000 soldiers, he ultimately faced a crushing defeat as he returned with 30,000 men alive. This marked the beginning of the end of his Empire's territorial expansion after the devastation of his Grand Army. 10 months later, with his military still weakened from their intended invasion of Russia, his defeat in the Battle of the Nations spurred the counter-invasion that would lead to his demise. -
Battle of the Nations
Also known as the Battle of Leipzig, Napoleon's Army was defeated by the Coalition, leading to a massive counter-invasion into the Eastern Border of France. As Napoleon and his military were severely weakened from their failed attempt to invade Russia, his dwindled forces lacked any ability to repel the opposing combatants. -
Spanish Nationalist's Overthrow of French Rule
After six years of fighting, Spanish Nationalists, British Troops, and Portuguese troops defeated Napoleon and his army in the Peninsular War to effectively grant Spain independence from the French Empire. This, along with other notable victories for the Coalition, led to Napoleon being exiled to Elba. -
Napoleon's Exile to Elba
After losing Paris to the Allied Coalition in March of 1814, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba. Directly resulting from his failure to maintain sovereignty over Spain in the Peninsular Wars, his Southern Army was crushed and allowed for a Spanish counter-invasion to progress towards the capital.