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Louis XVI
King Louis XVI, was well-meaning but weak and indecisive. He did wisely choose Jacques Necker, a financial expert, as an advisor. -
Bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie included prosperous bankers merchants, and manufacturers, as well as lawers, doctors, journalists, and professors. -
Jacques Necker
Necker urged the king to reduce extravagant court spending, reform government, and abolish burdensome tariffs on internal trade. -
Estates-General
The wealthy and powerful classes demanded, however, that the king summon the Estates-General, the legislative body consisting of representatives of the three estates, before making any changes. -
Cahiers
In preparation, Lois had all three estates prepare notebooks, listening to their grievances. -
Louis calls the Estate General
Hard times and lack of food inflames these people. In towns, people rioted, demanding bread. In the countryside, peasants began to attack the manor houses of nobles. In preparation, Louis had all three estates prepare cahiers, or notebooks, listing their grievances. Many cahiers call for reforms such as fair taxes freedom of the press, or regular meeting of the Estate-General. -
Marquis de Lafayette
Moderates looked to the Marquis de Lafayette, the aristocratic "hero of the two worlds" who had fought alongside George Wasing tone American Revolution. -
Parisians Storm the Bastille
The starts buzzed with rumors that royal troops were going to occupy the capital. More than 800 Parisians assembled outside the Bastille, a grim medieval fortress used as a prison for political and other prisoners. The crowd demanded weapons and gunpowder believed to be stored there. -
Writing of the Declaration of the Rights of Men
In late August, as a first step towards writing a constitution, the Assembly issued the Declaration. The document was modeled in part on the American Declaration of Independence, written 13 years earlier. All men, the French declaration announced, were "born and remain free and equal in rights." -
Establishment of the New Constitution
The Constitution of 1791 set up a limited monarchy in place of the absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries. A new Legislative Assembly had the power to make laws, collect taxes, and decide on issues of war and peace. -
Olympe de Gouges
Olympe de Gouges demanded equal rights in her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen.
1791 -
Jacobin
A revolutionary political clubs, the Jacobins were mostly middle-class lawyers or intellectuals. -
Sans-Culottes
In Paris and other cities, working-class men and women called sans-culottes, pushed the revolution into more radical actions. -
Maire Antoimette
Marie Antoinette was the daughter of Maria Teresa of Austria. Ever since she had married Louis, she had come under attack for being frivolous and extravagant. She eventually grew more serious and even advised the king. -
Maximillen Roespierre
Robespierre a shrewd lawyer and politician quickly rose to the leadership of the Committee of Public Safty. -
Period: to
Execution of the King and Queen/ Beginning of the Reign of Terror
Louis was beheaded in January 1793, he said that he would die as an innocent man. In October, Marie Antoinette, however, showed great dignity as she went to her death. By early 1793, danger threatened France on all sides. The country was at war with much of Europe, including Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, and Prussia. In the Vendee region of France, royalists and priests led peasants in rebellion against the government. -
Napoleon Banaparte
A popular military hero who had wone a series od brilliant victoried against the Austrians in Italy. -
Plebiscite
Each time, the French strongly supported him, even after Nupolian had assumed absolute power as emperor, he called a plebiscite. -
Napoleon overthrows the Directory
In 1800, he forced Spain to return Louisiana Territory to France. In 1802, Napoleon had himself named consul for life. -
Napoleon Invades Russia
In 1812, Napoleon continued his pursuit of European domination and invaded Russia. This campaign began a chain of events that eventually led to his downfall. -
Napoleon Builds an Empire
He annexed, or incorporated, into his empire the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Italy and Germany. He also abolished the tottering Holy Roman Empire and created a 38 member Confederation of the Rhine under French protection. -
Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna, assembly in 1814 that reorganized Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon I’s first abdication and completed its “Final Act” in June 1815, shortly before the Waterloo campaign and the final defeat of Napoleon. The settlement was the most-comprehensive treaty that Europe had ever seen. -
The Congress of Vienna
It was a brilliant gathering of European Leaders. Diplomates and royalty dined and danced, attended concert and ballets, and enjoyed parties arranged by their host Emperor Francis I of Austria. -
Napoleon Defeated at Waterloo
The opposing armies met near the town of Waterloo in Belgium. British forces under the Duck od Ellington and a Prussian army commanded by GeniralBlucher crushed the French in an agonizing day-long battle.
