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Louis XIV's Death and Debt
Louis's death was caused by gangrene. Since Louis XIV spent a lot of money on the war, France was in deep debt after he died. -
Meeting of the Estates General
The meeting of the Estates General was a meeting between representatives from all three estates. Louis XVI and his wife has spent too much money, and Louis kept putting off dealing with the money issues until he almost had no money left. Louis called for the meeting so he could impose taxes on the mobility. -
National Assembly and the Tennis Court Oath
The National Assembly was what the Third Estate named themselves so they can pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people. They did this so that they would be given an advantage so that they can have more power. When the Third Estate delegates found themselves locked out of their meeting room the next day, they brooke down a door to an indoor tennis court. They pledged that everyone would stay until they came up with a new constitution. This was known as the Tennis Court Oath. -
Storming of the Bastille
When rumors fled in Paris, people gathered weapons in order to attack the Bastille. The mob attacked the guards and gained control of the building. They killed several guards and the prisoner commander. In victory, they paraded the streets with dead men's heads on pikes. The rebellion was important because it was a symbolic act of revolution to the French people. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
The Declaration was a document reflecting the influence of the Declaration of Independence. It claimed that all men were born and remain free and equal in rights, and guaranteed liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. -
The Royal Family tries to Escape
When Louis and his family attempted to escape from France, they were apprehended and returned to Paris under guard. -
A New Governing Body
The National Assembly was replaced by the National Convention in 1791. They abolished the monarchy, and declared France a republic. -
France declares War
France declared war on Prussia when Austria and Prussia urged French to restore Louis to his position as an absolute monarch. 20,000 men and women invaded the Tuileries, where the royal family was staying. The mob attacked the royal guards, and they imprisoned Louis and his family. -
The September Massacres
Rumors fled that supporters of the king planned to break out and gain control of the city. During several days in September, citizens raided the prisons and murdered over 1,000 prisoners. The massacres continued for five days. -
Louis XVI's Execution
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by the use of the guillotine. -
Robespierre, the Committee of Public Safety, and the Reign of Terror
Robespierre was a Jacobin leader. He built a "public of virtue" by wiping out every trace of France's past. The Committee of Public Safety's chief task was to protect the revolution from its enemies. The Reign of Terror was a period when Robespierre governed France virtually as a dictator. Enemies of the revolution were quickly executed. Robespierre considered fellow radicals that challenged his leadership enemies of the Revolution. As a result, 40,000 people were executed, 85% were peasants. -
Robespierre's Execution
Members of the National Convention were fearing their own safety, and turned on Robespierre. Robespierre was sent to the guillotine. -
The Directory
After Robespierre's execution, the National Convention drafted a new plan of government. Power was placed in the hands of the upper middle class and called for the two house legislature and an executive body of five men, called the Directory.
