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The end of the Old Regimen
The people of Paris attacked the Bastille.
In rural areas, the peasants attacked the castles of the nobles and burned the property titles of the lords. -
Cancellation of feudal rights
The National Constituent Assembly abolished the privileges of the nobility and the tithe paid to the church. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
This was a statement of principles which consisted of personal liberty, equality before the law and the right of property. -
First written constitution
This ended royal absolutism, establishing a constitutional monarchy. This led to the separation of powers; legislative power was held by the Assembly; executive power by the king; and judicial power by independent courts. -
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Opposition to the constitutional monarchy
A legislative assembly was formed in October 1791, and France now had a consitutional monarchy. -
The war between Austria and Prussia and France
Internally, the nobility and the clergy did not want to give up their privileges. Many members of the privileged states emigrated, and conspired against the Revolution from abroad.
And externally, Austria and Prussia declared war on France because they felt threatened by the ideas of the French Revolution. -
Insurrection
The Tuileries Palace was attacked, and the royal family was taken prisoner. -
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The birth of the French Revolution
Following the insurrection of August 1792, a National Convention governed France from September 1792. This assembly was elected by all adults males. -
France become a republic
The Convention inmediatly abolished the monarchy, and France became a republic. Initially, the Girondins, or, moderate republicans, controlled the assembly. -
Death of Louis XVI
The Convention judged and condemned Louis XVI for treason, and he was executed by guillotine in January 1793. -
The First Coalition
The death of Louis XVI led a horrified reaction abroad and led to the formation of the First Coalition, in which the Dutch Republic joined the other countries that were already fighting France. -
Coup d'état of the sans-culottes
Believing that the revolution was in danger, the radical revolutionaries (or Jacobins) used the support of the sans-culottes to give a coup d'état in June 1793. The mountaineers, led by Robespierre, seized power. -
Democratic Constitution
The Montagnards approved a Democratic Constitution in 1793 that recognized popular sovereignty and universal male suffrage. Robespierre assumed all the powers and implanted a dictatorship. -
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The Reign of Terror
The danger of foreign invasion and the internal threat from French opponents of the revolution led to the Reign of Terror, which was a ten-month period of violent repression. A revolutionary tribunal called the Committee og Public Safety was established. This tribunal tried people who were suspected of opposing the Republic. They were sentenced to death by the guillotine. (Around 50000 people were executed). -
Death of Robespierre
Robespierre gradually lost support. In 1794, moderate revolutionaries arrested Robespierre and his followers, who were then executed by guillotine. -
The Constitution of 1795
Following the execution of the most radical revolutionaries, a new Constitution established limited suffrage based on property ownership. -
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The Directory
A moderate government was led by a five-member Directory while legislative power was held by two chambers.
The new regime never had very much support, and it faced challenges on all sides.
Radicals conspired against the government. The Conspirancy of the Equals was a plot to overthrow the governmwnt and establish an englitarian society.
The royalists also led revolts and counter-revolutionary activities with the aim of restoring the Bourbon dinasty. -
Second Coalition
In 1799 France's enemies, led by Britain, formed a Second Coalition that reconquered many of the regions that France has occupied. -
The coup d'état of Napoleon Bonaparte
In november 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte carried out a coup d'état. A consulate was created, but in fact Napoleon was now the real ruler of France
