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King Louis XVI calls the Estates General
In 1789, King Louis XVI had to call the Estates General to approve of new taxation due to the financial crisis that France was facing. This displayed the discontent in France at the time due to the crisis in the state. This led the Estates General to declare themselves as representatives and write a Constitution. This event led to King Louis XVI ordering the Estates General to be locked, and in response, they took the Tennis Court Oath. -
The Great Fear
The Great Fear was a wave that swept through the French countryside where peasants rioted and panicked. This led the National Assembly to abolish feudalism as well as contributed to the French Revolution. This led to general unrest which would further contribute to pressures to topple absolutism as well as worsened the grasp of power of King Louis XIV. -
The Tennis Court Oath
King Louis XIV's negative response to the National Assembly wanting to write a constitution led them to take an oath that they would not leave until they had created one. This was essentially their commitment to a representative government, and an act of unity and trust within the Assembly. This significant because it was essentially the National Assembly challenging royal authority and promising not to disband. -
The Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of Bastille was a defining moment where q mob stormed a prison in Paris to protest King Louis XVI's abuse of power. This was made possible by the rising discontent from high bread prices and foreign soldier presence that led to widespread dissatisfaction. This was able to lead to the creation of the constitutional system by showing the ordinary people's rejection of absolutism. -
The National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
One effect of the Tennis Court Oath was the drafting of the Declaration of Rights which proclaimed an end to feudalism and restricted the monarchy. This protected man's individual rights as well as promoted equality. This was in part caused by the American Revolution as it was heavily inspired by the Bill of Rights, which also caused France's excessive debt. This declaration was imperative due to the discontent evident from the Great Fear and Bastille. -
The Women’s March on Versailles
Similar to Bastille, one cause of the Women's March on Versailles was the high price of bread. Women marched on Versailles, forcing King Louis XVI to go to Paris. This, along with other events such as the Great Fear all showed the growing discontent with King Louis XVI and eventually lead to his trial and execution. This was one of the last events that destroyed France's absolute monarchy and ultimately a decisive event in the success of the French Revolution. -
The Constitution of 1791 sets up a constitutional monarchy in France
The events prior such as the Women's March on Versailles, Great Fear, and storming of Bastille were all causes of the beginning of the constitutional monarchy. Furthermore, the Tennis Court Oath led to this by having the National Assembly agree to the importance of a Constitution in running France. This Constitution was made possible through that event and the Declaration of Rights of Man was also connected as it served as its preamble. -
The Legislative Assembly declares war on Austria
The Legislative Assembly declaration of war on Austria launched the French Revolutionary Wars. This was because Austria wanted France to restore the absolute monarchy in France and the assembly believed it was necessary to save the revolution from external threats. This was also undertaken to hopefully spread the effects of the French Revolution on neighboring European countries and end the trend of absolutism. -
Execution of Louis XVI
The execution of Louis XVI was an effect of the widespread hatred of King Louis XVI's absolutist rule. He was sentenced to death by the French National Convention due to conspiracy with foreign powers. Although it was a narrow majority for his sentence, it showed the discontent with him as well as his failure to deal with problems that had led to the Women's March and Storming of Bastille. -
Start of Robespierre's Reign of Terror
One cause behind Robespierre's Reign of Terror was the execution of Louis XVI. During this period, France was ruled by the Committee of Public Safety. Robespierre was made popular since he attacked Louis XVI and advocated for democracy, allowing him to be elected to the National Convention. During this period, violence and mass executions occurred, and Robespierre very much abused the power he had, violating the Constitution and inflicting harm. -
The Directory is Installed
The installment of the directory was an effect of the Reign of Terror, specifically the widespread reaction to the burtal dictatorship. Adopted by the National Convention, the Constitution made the directory possible. The Directory was a governing five-member committee that governed till 1799 until Napoleon overthrew it. In the long term, the directory proved the problem with weak executive powers, and the issues that arose made possible Napoleon's dictatorship. -
Napoleon's coup d'etat
The weaknesses of the directory led to Napoleon's coup d'etat which overthrew the Directory and substituted it with a dictatorship. This is viewed as the end of the French Revolution and began Napoleon's reign with total power. This was made possible by the instability of the Director. However, Napoleon's visions led him to conquer neighboring countries and wage wars. This overambition would eventually lead to his downfall. -
Napoleon is defeated by Horatio Nelson
Napoleon's coup and rise of power led him to pursue expansion of French influence in Europe. His lofty goals and ambition led to the Napoleonic Wars, and ultimately this event. At the Battle of Trafalgar, a naval engagement within the war, Horatio Nelson, an admiral of the British Navy, was able to defeat Napoleon. This event established the British naval superiority as well as contributed to Napoleon's downfall. -
Napoleon is defeated at Leipzig (Battle of the Nations)
The Battle of Leipzig was a decisive defeat for the French and essentially toppled French influence in Germany and Poland. This forced Napoleon to retreat to France and led to his exile in 1814. This defeat was due to Napoleon's involvement in a variety of wars during the period that had led him to lose most of his Grand Army in Russia and lose allies through a decade of warfare. This destructed Napoleon's ambitions and was detrimental to France. -
Spanish Nationalists Overthrow
The Spanish coup of 1936 was led by Francisco Franco and would lead to him becoming the dictator of Spain. This coup was similar to Napoleon- as both leaders utilized a period of instability and weakness to establish dictatorships. Although it may not be linked directly by cause and effect to events in the French Revolution, it does reveal a continuity within history and show the constant changing in leadership as well as absolutism.
