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National Constituent Assembly
The National Constituent Assembly was France's first constituent assembly. The Assembly took countless measures that profoundly changed the political and social situation of the country. Among them, the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, the suppression of feudalism, the appropriation of Church property and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and the drafting of the French Constitution of 1791. -
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SOURCES
Britannica, Wikipedia, Alpha History, Elysee.fr, Avalon Project, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution, Justice.gc.ca. -
Formal opening of the Estates General (May 5th 1789)
The formal opening of the Estates General was due to a general assembly convened by the king to seek a solution to the country's current financial crisis. The assembly included representatives of the three estates of French society: the clergy, the nobility and the common people. The Estates General of 1789 were held at Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris. It was attended by 1139 deputies, among them the American Gouverneur Morris, who recorded all his observations in a diary. -
Tennis Court Oath
The Tennis Court Oath was a key moment that triggered the French Revolution, because it represented the power of the people. On June 20, finding themselves locked in their usual meeting room at Versailles and thinking that the king was forcing them to dissolve, they moved to a nearby tennis court. There, the men of the National Assembly vowed not to stop meeting until a constitution had been established. The tennis court symbolized revolution, democracy and defiance. -
Storming of the Bastille
The Bastille, a fortress and political prison, had become the preferred destination of aristocratic prisoners, since it was possible to obtain privileges that made the torment of imprisonment more bearable. The citizens of Paris attacked this fortress, a symbol of royal oppression. The attack on the prison represented the liberation of the people and the beginning of the struggle against the regime. This event is celebrated every year as France's National Day, known as Bastille Day. -
The August Decrees
The August Decrees were a set of 19 articles passed by the National Constituent Assembly during the French Revolution, which abolished feudalism in France and ended the tax exemption privileges of the upper classes. This decision took place in the context of the Great Fear, a rural peasant revolt fueled by rumors of a “famine plot” by aristocrats to starve or burn the population. The famous opening sentence of the August Decrees is: “The National Assembly completely destroys the feudal regime”. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is a human civil rights document from the French Revolution. The Declaration was initially drafted by Marquis de Lafayette with Thomas Jefferson, but the majority of the final draft came from Abbé Sieyès. The concepts in the Declaration come from the tenets of the Enlightenment, including individualism, the social contract as theorized by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and the separation of powers espoused by Montesquieu. -
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Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly was the legislative body of the Kingdom of France, during the years of the French Revolution. The Legislative Assembly had 745 members, and entrenched the perception of the left-right political spectrum that is still commonly used today and also set in motion new reforms to help create a society of independent individuals with equal rights. These reforms included new legislation on divorce, government control over registration and inheritance rights for children. -
The Flight to Varennes
The Flight to Varennes was a pivotal moment of the French Revolution, in which King Louis XVI of France, his wife Queen Marie Antoinette, and their children attempted to escape from Paris on the night of 20-21 June 1791. They made it to the small town of Varennes-en-Argonne, where they were arrested and returned to Paris. The king was kidnapped rather than escaped, the flight proved that Louis XVI could no longer be trusted, and increased the public's distrust of the monarchy. -
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1st French Republic
The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First Empire on 18 May 1804 under Napoleon, although the form of government changed several times. This period was marked by the fall of the monarchy, the establishment of the National Convention and the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorian Reaction and the founding of the Directory, and finally the creation of the Consulate and Napoleon's rise to power. -
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National Convention
The National Convention was a unicameral assembly in France during the French Revolution. The National Convention was elected to provide the country with a new constitution after the overthrow of the monarchy. The Convention had 749 deputies, including businessmen, merchants and many professionals. The struggles between two opposing revolutionary factions, the Montagnards and the Girondins, dominated the first phase of the Convention. -
The Assembly declares war on Austria
The Assembly declares war on Austria to divert attention from internal conflicts and to quell emigrant unrest. The Jacobins oppose it. Supported by the Feuillants and the Girondins, the war is approved by the Court, which sees an opportunity to return to power. Deliberating on the King's formal proposal and having decreed the matter of urgent importance, the Assembly decreed war against the King of Hungary and Bohemia. -
Storming of the Tuileries Palace
The storming of the Tuileries Palace leads to the formation of the popular insurrectionary commune in Paris. The Assembly deposes the king and convenes a National Convention elected by universal suffrage. Armed revolutionaries in Paris invade the residence of King Louis XVI of France and massacre his Swiss guards. This event marks the abolition of the French monarchy and the beginning of a new phase of the Revolution. -
Execution of Louis XVI
The Execution of Louis XVI, which makes all understanding between the Revolution and monarchical Europe impossible. His execution was one of the most important events of the French Revolution, which was carried out in the Place de la Revolution, formerly known as the Place de Louis XV. The National Convention had sentenced him to death on 17 January in a voice vote, in which the unconditional death penalty won by 361 votes to 290 votes for life imprisonment or banishment. -
Execution of Robespierre
Robespierre was executed for his key role in the Reign of Terror, the most violent phase of the French Revolution. Robespierre used extreme measures, to eliminate anyone who was seen as a threat. Even his own allies began to feel in danger, believing that Robespierre might turn on them too. In a desperate move to protect themselves, they conspired to arrest and execute him. His death marked the end of this intense and radical chapter of the Revolution. -
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Directory
Fearing the influence of the people, the Convention moved towards a government of notables and a new constitution with a weak executive, composed of a five-member Directory (Legislative composed of two Chambers: a 250-member Council of Elders and a Council of Five Hundred, indirect census suffrage). The Directory eliminates popular intervention in political decisions, while oligarchy achieves its socio-economic objectives.