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Period: to
French Revolution
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Louis XVI is crowned king of France
Louis XVI took the throne with large debt. He married Marie Antoinette, who spent lots of money and was called madam deficit. Louis put off the economy for a while, then had to call the Estates-General for more taxes. -
First Meeting of the Estates General
The Estates-General was called in Versailles for more taxes to help pay the debt. There were three groups in the Estates-General. The first estate was the clergy, the second was the nobles and the third was the bourgeoisie, workers, and peasants. -
Tennis court oath
The Third Estate was locked out of their meeting room. They broke in and wouldn't leave until a new constitution was made. It was called the Tennis Court Oath because they broke into an indoor tennis court. -
Storming of the Bastille
Louis XVI sensed trouble and hired Swiss guards in Paris. The French people heard rumors that the soldiers were going to massacre them. They defeated the soldiers at Bastille, a prison, for gunpowder. -
Creation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration of the Rights of Man was a statement of revolutionary ideals. The citizens wanted rights like liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression. They also wanted free speech, free religion and equal justice. -
Parisian Women March on the Palace of Versailles
Many women rioted over the rising price of bread. They broke into the palce of Versailles and forced Louis XVI, his family and his servants to move to Paris. -
Louis and his family try to escape to Austria
Louis XVI was scared that he was going to be executed. He and his family dressed as bourgeoisie and tried to escape to the Austrian Netherlands. A postmaster noticed him near the French border and Louis XVI was taken back to Paris. -
Creation of the Legislative Assembly
Although it was already created, the Legislative Assembly was first in session on October 1, 1791. They created laws and approved or prevented any war the king declared. It was created with a new constitution made by the National Assembly. -
Louis XVI is executed
Louis XVI slowly lost his power during his reign. He was tried for treason and sentenced to death. They killed him with a guillotine in public. -
Jean Paul Marat is murdered
He was a radical journalist that wanted France's enemies to be beheaded. He had a skin condition and worked in his bath tub a lot. He was stabbed to death by Charlotte Corday in his bath tub. -
Reign of Terror
A time period during the French Revolution during Maximilien Robespierre's rule. He sent many people to the guillotine as the leader of the Commitee of Public Safety. Sent some people to the guillotine for crazy reasons. He sent others because they were a threat to his power. -
Robespierre is executed
The members of the National Convention felt threatened by Robiespierre. They turned on him and sent him to the guillotine. This marked the end of the Reign of Terror. -
End of the Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror ended when Maximilien Robiespierre was executed. There were less executions from then on out. -
Napoleon leads a coup d'etat
Napoleon assumed dictorial powers over the other two consuls. His quick seizure of power is known as coup d'etat. -
Napoleon is crowned emporer of France
Napoleon named himself emperor and voters agreed. He placed his crown on his own head, showing that he was above the church. -
Battle of Trafalgar
A naval battle versus the British off the coast of Spain. He was outmaneuvered by Horatio Nelson who later died in battle. This defeat was more important than all of his land victories. -
Peninsular War
On the way to fight the Portuguese, Napoleon outraged the Spaniards and was attacked by spanish peasant fighters. They would ambush the French, then hide. The British sent aid to the spanish. -
Napoleon's Invasion of Russia
Napoleon was angry at the Russian czar for selling grain to the British, and both leaders wanted Poland. In the war, the Russians fled from the French, and burned their path, so the French had no resources. The French had a small victory at the Battle of Borodino for the burnt city of Moscow. Napoleon had to go back to France because it was getting cold and they were starving. -
End of invasion of Russia
Many died on the way back because of starvation and Russian attacks. He returned with 10,000 of his 422,000 soldiers. This severly weakened France and other countries looked to destroy them. -
Napoleon is exiled to Elba
Napoleon lost to the fourth coalition in Leipzig. His inexperienced army was destroyed. He was exiled to the island of Elba, off the Italian coast. -
End of Peninsular War
The French lost 300,000 men in this war and was weakened even more. Other countries learned that nationalism could help defeat Napoleon. -
Napoleon escapes Elba island
The French people disliked the new leader and Napoleon still wanted power. He escaped Elba island and raised an army. -
Napoleon is defeated at Waterloo by Duke of Wellington
After hearing about Napoleon's escape, other European countries brought armies to Waterloo. The Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon in his last stand. -
Napoleon is exiled to St. Helena
Taking no chances, the British shipped Napoleon to the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. He would later die of a stomach ailment.
