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Bourbon Marriage
Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette from Austia to form an alliance between the Bourbon and Habsburg families. -
Death of Louis XV
King Louis XV dies of smallpox in the Palace of Versailles, making Louis XVI the new King of France. -
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France Helps America
France helped America in the American Revolutionary War against Britain by sending supplies and helping them fight for their independence. This caused them to spiral into debt as they could not necessarily afford to give us this favor. -
Fall of the Bastille
The French people saw the Bastille as a sign of monarchy and holding them down. The common people stormed the prison and tore the whole building down, brick for brick. -
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Writing the Rights of Man
The newly formed National Assembly gathered at a Tennis Court in Versailles after they were locked out of an Estates meeting. They took an oath called the Tennis Court Oath to not leave until they created a new constitution for their country. The result was the writing of the Declaration of the Right of Man. -
Storming Versailles
The women of the fishing markets grew tired witht the prices of the bread and took matters into their own hands by holding a march to the Palace of Versailles. They stormed the Palace with means to murder Marie Antoinette but her and Louis escaped to Paris. -
Overnight Escape to Paris
On the night of June 20, 1791, Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette took their kids to escape to Paris. They knew they had lost their power. -
Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly was formed to replace the National Assembly. It had a focus on the law making of the country for it was now a Constitutional Monarchy. -
War on Austria
France had drawn away from the Legislative Assembly to create the first French Republic but they ended up declaring war on Austria. Prussia joined forces with Austria to tilt the odds farther out of the French's hands. -
Destruction of Tuileries
The people of Paris destroyed the palace of Tuileries, which was where King Louis XVI and his family had been in hiding. The King surrendered to save his life. -
Robespierre in Power
Things were falling apart in France with the abolishment of the Monarchy causing them to have no leader. In 1792, Robespierre began to notice that the people were in need of a leader. So, he took matters into his own hands and decided that he would lead the people of France. -
Death of Louis XVI
King Louis was found by a French man as he and his family was again trying to escape. The people looked at this as a betrayal of the country and had Louis put on trial. He was found guilty and sent to the Guillotine, France's bew form of the death penalty. -
Death of Marat
Jean-Paul Marat was a Revolutionist during the Reign of Terror. He was a journalist that would publish newspapers filled with propaganda and false news. He was killed in his bathtub (that he stayed in due to his skin condition) by Charlotte Corday. She came into his home, as he welcomed visitors to give him a new story, and she stabbed him in the chest. -
Death of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was put on trial for wanting her son to become king as he was the rightful heir. Because of this, she is charged with Incest. She is found guilty and sent to the Guillotine for death, the same as her husband, Louis XVI. -
Death of Robespierre
Maximilien Robespierre had constructed the Reign of Terror and had killed thousands of people by sending them to the Guillotine. He tried to rid France of Religion and made people lose their rights. On July 28, 1794, Robespierre was sentenced to death by the Guillotine. -
Signing of the Civil Code
Also called the Napoleonic Code, the Civil Code was signed on March 21, 1804. It established a civil legal system that would influence other countries outside of Europe. -
Crowning of Napoleon
A coronation ceremony designed by Napoleon himself to become the new royalty of France. Instead of bringing back kings, he became the first Emperor of France. -
Napoleon's Exile to Elba
Napoleon thought that Russia was planning an attack against France so he set to fight against them. They lost bitterly causing Napoleon to think it to be a smart move to resign and let his son take the throne. He was not allowed, so he abdicated and he was exiled to Elba. -
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Congress of Vienna
France had lost all of its conquests but still needed to remain relevant. Napoleon created the Congress of Vienna that would help define and level the power in France, getting rid of republican and revolution. -
Battle of Waterloo and exile to St. Helena
Napoleon led France with the Battle of Waterloo but lost tremendously. The French exiled him for good to St. Helena, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, where he would die on May 5. 1821.
