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Louis XVI orders the Estates-General to meet at Versailles
The Estates General only met as a result of when the king wanted. They had last met in 1614. The king ordered them to meet in Versailles in 1789. After six weeks of no progress, the third estate breaks away. Led my Colonel Mirabeau they declared to form a new government. -
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The French Revoulution
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Tennis Court Oath
The Delegates retreated to the royal tennis courts and that is when they took the tennis court oath, which was a pledge that would continue until France finds a new form of government. Louis XVI responded with democratic reforms but was rejected and was forced to back down and order the other two estates to join the National Assembly. -
The Bastille Falls
In Paris and in other cities, riots broke out over the high price of bread. Louis sent out foreign paid troops to Paris and Versailles. A great mob attacked the Bastille which was a royal fortress and prison, on July.14.1789. The troops that were sent by Louis ended up joining the mob, and took the Bastille.
There were seven prisoners in the Bastille who were released by the mob. The mob then went and cut off the governor's head and walked around with it in the streets. -
The Bastille falls... Continued.
Louis was scared and ended up sending the troops he had paid back to their home country. The citizens in Paris, formed a new army called the "National Guard," commanded by Marquis de Lafayette who turned out to be a hero of the American Revolution. -
First Meeting Of The National Assembly
The National Assembly met in Versailles and declared all people with equal rights before the law. Also the National Assembly abolished all of the fuedal rights which ended serfdom. Many thought that these changes were extraordinary and happened in a very short period of time. -
Women March to Versailles Cont.
They needed the government to come to Paris and not be isolated in Versailles. At this point they could not solve the food crisis which impacted mostly. So in October crowds of women from Paris decided to march to Versailles to meet the king. The distance they walked was approximately 15 km. They were also joined by other women. Covered in mud from the walk, the women attacked the National Assembly and stormed the palace. Eventually the queen and king showed up and agreed to go back to Paris. -
Women March to Versailles
In August the National Assembly met in Versailles. The meeting came to a result of abolishing all feudal rights, privilages, and ended serfdom. Now all people are equal before the law. Except for women who still could not vote.These changes were incredible. Lot's had been acompished but people felt that the king and Assembly might be out of touch with conditions in the cities. -
The Royal Family tries to Escape from France
In August of 1791 Marie Antionette (queen), Louis XIV (king), and their kids tried to escape from France in disguise. During this time Louis's motive was to obtain foreign aid to restore his monarchy. His move proved that the monarchy would not support the democratic changes and he couldn't be trusted. The royal family was eventually recognized at Varennes on June 21, 1791, arrested, placed under house arrest and Louis was forced to accept France's new constitution. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen passed Cont.
The declaration guaranteed freedom of speech, thought, religion, securitiy, property and also put limits on the power of the government. Everyone was given the title " citizen". The counrty was out of financial crisis. -
Legislative Assembly Convened
The Legislative Assembly tried to establish a working government, but it was meant to be a failure because too many groups were struggling for power. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen passed
The declaration of the rights of man and citizen was passed by the National Assembly, that now met in Paris. The main idea was taken from the Enlgish philosopher John Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu,and Rousseau. In late August the newly formed legislative Assembly convened for the first time on October 1st 1791..... -
France Decalres War on Austria cont.
by European emigres that wanted to restore the king's power. After the war and many other events people became suspicious of the royal family. -
France Declares War on Austria
In the spring of 1792 France declared war on Austria. The war didn't start off so good for France because they lost the first battles. Despite these losses the people never gave up faith in the revolution. But the opposite happened, Marat, Danton, Robespierre, and others made patriotic speeches, telling people that foreign troops would destroy the country and all their hard-earned rights. At Valmy the French finally won a battle. This war started because the country was about to be invaded... -
Citizen Louis Capet Guillotined
Louis XVI had been removed from the royal palace, which was sacked and burned by a Paris mob. Now The National Convention decided that Louis should be tried for all his crimes against the country and be executed. On January 21, 1793 he was tried for his crimes and found guilty and was guillotined in France. -
The Reign Of Terror (1793 - 1794 )
The revolutionary government, had alot of power, and made alot of harsh laws that were designed to eliminate anyone who diagreed with Radical Jacobins. The people who disagreed with the government was beheaded. -
Marat is Murdered
Jean-Paul Marat along with Danton and Robespierre was a basic leader of the revolution. He was murdered in his bath by Charlotte Corday, a girondist.
*girondist: a member of the political party of moderate republicans whose leaders were deputies from the department of Gironde. -
Robespierre is executed
Robespierre was executed because he ended up destroying all of the oppositions to the goverenment and also made changes to France. Robespierre wanted to make France more modernized, so he introduced the metric system and a Revolutionary Calendar. He made the army more efficient than before, changed the schools so that more of the population was educated. Robespierre was a very cruel person, he confiscated many properties of the emigres. -
Robespierre is executed... Continued.
Robespierre tried to condemn a lot of people and was then condemned himself, he was arrested and then guillotined. Robespierre was an opponent of the death penalty because he had tried to take the lives of many others. Another group wanted to bring peace so Radical Jacobins replaced Robespierre after he was executed. -
Napoleon Overthrows the Government (The Directory)
In 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte helped to overthrow the government. France was helping liberate other countries but its own government was inefficient and corrupt. After overthrowing the government Napolean adopted the title of the First Consul, set about improving French life in many ways, and started thinking of ways to make France stronger. One of his first tasks was to bring togther all the legal reforms of the French Revolution and add other French laws. He recognized all laws into a... -
Napoleon Overthrows the Gov't cont.
Civil Code (a.k.a. Napoleonic Code.) The code guaranteed right of equality under the law, right to hold property, freedom of religion, freedom to pursue work of one's choice. Although the code guaranteed many rights women lost rights under the code. Napoleon initiated a program that employed many people. He rebuilt, improved, and built many things for France (ex. rebuilt + improved roads for armies.) Napoleon filled museums with art and treasures and established new universities and schools.
