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National Constituent Assembly
At the beginning of the French Revolution, the population that did not belong to the nobility or the Church decided to meet in the National Constituent Assembly. This new body made numerous decisions that changed the political and social situation of France and its purpose was to create a constitution that would limit the power of the king and establish a system of government based on the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. It ended up being replaced by the Legislative Assembly. -
Formal opening of the Estates General
The opening of the Estates General was very important in the history of France, it took place in Versailles and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. They were meetings called by the king made up of three estates (the clergy, the nobility and the third estate) where they discussed issues of national interest, especially when they were in crisis. The bourgeoisie proposed not to vote by estate but by head, they achieved their objective and the king perceived this as a threat. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath took place six weeks after the Estates General began and was a symbolic act due to the king's conflicts with the other estates. Those from the Third Estate and some from the other estates met on a tennis court and there they swore not to separate until they had written a constitution for France, because they were marginalized in the Estates General and they wanted justice. The king was forced to accept a National Constituent Assembly and this would end the old regime. -
Storming of the Bastile
On July 14, 1789, the people of France took the Bastille fortress, marking the beginning of one of the most important revolutions in history. Not only for its political nature, but also for its legacy for the rights of liberty, security and property. It became a symbol of the fall of absolutist power and the power of the people against oppression. Since then, July 14 has been celebrated in France as Bastille Day, a national holiday that remembers this fight for freedom and justice. -
The August Decress
The August Decrees were nineteen decrees issued between 4 and 11 August 1789 by the National Constituent Assembly during the French Revolution. In what is known as the “Great fear” the peasants revolted, wanting to free themselves from the taxes that had them in a horrible situation, and the national assembly that night declared a series of decrees to eliminate the feudal system and also the privileges of the nobility and the clergy. And so ended the feudal system in France and the old regime. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The French National Constituent Assembly approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which became a fundamental legacy of the French Revolution. This document served to spread the first Constitution of France throughout the political community, and its historical significance is very great, since it became a pillar for the development of modern democracies. Its influence spread to other countries and served as inspiration for independence movements in Europe and America. -
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Legislative Assembly
It was the second revolutionary system of government in France after the National Constituent Assembly, elected in 1791. It faced a complex political and social situation and was composed mainly of young members: Girondins, Jacobins and Feuills. Its period was marked by important decisions that ended up destabilizing the monarchy such as the War against Austria and Prussia or the suspicions against Louis XVI. In 1792, it was dissolved to make way for the National Convention, a new system. -
The Flight to Varennes
It was a moment that occurred during the French Revolution when King Louis XVI, his wife Marie Antoinette and their children tried to escape from Paris because the political situation in France had become very dangerous for the monarchy.They managed to reach Varennes but their escape failed and they were returned to Paris.The National Assembly tried to make people believe that it had been an involuntary kidnapping but their escape was considered a betrayal and they later ended up being expelled. -
Storming of the Tuileries Palace
It was a decisive moment of the French Revolution, the Tuileries Palace was the official residence of the royal family in Paris, and the armed revolutionaries of Paris invaded it and massacred its Swiss guards. Because the wars were going badly for the revolutionaries and they distrusted Louis XVI, being sure that the king and queen were traitors to the revolution. This made the definitive collapse of the monarchy in France and the beginning of an even more radical stage of the Revolution. -
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1st French Republic
It was France's first attempt to become a republic after the fall of the monarchy. It was a period of great transformations and conflicts,and at the end of this period it gave way to the dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte.Important moments occurred such as the execution of King Louis XVI,the reign of terror or the fall of Robespierre.With Napoleon's coup, the Consulate was established,an authoritarian regime in which he assumed power as First Consul,initiating a series of reforms for his empire. -
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National Convention
A period where the first republic occurred.It was created as a Legislative Assembly(because it had lost power and legitimacy)with the objective of writing a new constitution with republican ideals,and which establishes a stable government.It is divided into three parts:the Girondine Convention,the Montagnard Convention and the Thermidorian Convention.It promoted several rights and social and economic reforms,formally anulled the monarchy,becoming a new constitution that established the Directory -
The Assembly declares war on Austria
This decision started the French Revolutionary Wars, a series of conflicts that would last for several years and transform Europe. The main reason for this declaration of war was the great tension between revolutionary France and the European monarchies.
The French Revolution and its ideas threatened the established monarchies of Europe, which worried the powers of Europe, especially Austria and Prussia, who did not want these revolutionary ideas to spread to their own territories. -
Execution of Louis XVI
His execution was in the Place de la Revolution because after the storming of the Tuileries Palace, Louis XVI was arrested and charged with treason. Evidence was found that the king maintained contacts with the powers that were at war with France and he was distrusted even more. He was brought to trial, to the new revolutionary legislative body, the National Convention, where they decided that it was best to execute him by guillotine, declaring him guilty of going against republican freedom. -
Execution of Robespierre
Robespierre's death marked the end of the Reign of Terror that lasted from 1793 to 1794, a time when all people who were suspected of being enemies of the revolution were killed by guillotine because Robespierre thought it was necessary to protect the ideals of liberty. But when the deaths increased his allies saw him as a threat and denounced Robespierre declaring him a criminal, he was arrested and the next day he and his followers were sentenced without a trial and taken to the guillotine. -
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Directory
It was the government of France in the last four years of the French Revolution,which was established as a reaction to the many deaths of the regime of terror,wanting to return stability to the country and calm political life.It established a complex government structure,it had a collegiate executive and two legislative cameras,wanting to stabilize the country,although economic and social problems and wars in Europe made it difficult.In 1799,Bonaparte began the consulate and ended the directory.