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Louis XVI summons the Estates General
The Estates-General of 1789 was a national meeting that Louis XV conveyed to talk about France's financial issues. The meeting represented the three estates of the realm which were; the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the common people (Third Estate). The common people were most of the population. They were getting upset because they were feeling ignored so they wanted to have more of a say in the decision-making process. -
Louis dismisses Necker, a popular minister
Necker was dismissed on July 11, 1789, just three days before the storming of the Bastille. The king brought him back on July 19, and Necker stayed in office until 1790. However, his attempts to stabilize the financial situation didn't improve. His popularity faded, and he ultimately resigned, his reputation was torn apart. -
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille, a defining event of the French Revolution, took place on July 14, 1789. scared that King Louis XVI intended to arrest members of the newly formed National Assembly, a crowd of Parisians attacked the Bastille, an ancient fortress and state prison. The successful siege symbolized the people's resistance against royal authority and showed a turning point in the Revolution. -
Abolition of feudal (noble, clerical) rights
On the night of August 4, 1789, the National Constituent Assembly declared the abolition of the feudal system. This decision ended the seigneurial rights held by the Second Estate (the nobility) and the tithes collected by the First Estate (the Catholic clergy). The move marked a major step in taking apart the old social and economic structures of France. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man
The purpose of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was to establish the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals, emphasizing equality, liberty, and fraternity. It aimed to create a framework for a fair and just government by ensuring that all citizens had absolute rights to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. The Declaration pursue to guide the French Revolution by promoting democratic truth and ending the oppressive monarchic and feudal systems. -
The Wives’ March; Louis “kidnapped” back to Paris
A rumor had gotten around that the king and queen were hoarding flour during the food shortage. Because of this, many women from Paris marched to Versailles and stormed the queen's apartment. There, they raided her quarters in hopes of finding her stockpile. -
National Assembly abolishes the nobility
On the night of August 4, 1789, the National Constituent Assembly declared the absolute abolition of the feudal system. This choice ended the seigneurial privileges of the Second Estate (the nobility) and the church taxes collected by the First Estate (the Catholic clergy). The move marked an important shift in taking apart the old hierarchical structures in France. -
Civil Constitution of the French Clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on July 12, 1790, during the French Revolution. It focused on bringing the Catholic Church in France under the control of the government. The law required clergy members to swear loyalty to the state. -
Clergy instructed to swear allegiance to France
On November 27, 1790, the National Constituent Assembly required clergy to take an oath of loyalty to the nation's constitution. This oath also meant helping the restructuring of the church. The clergy’s turned down the oath, this had made important political consequences. -
New Constitution ratified (with support of Louis)
After long discussions, King Louis XVI hesitantly accepted a new constitution in September 1791. The constitution redefined the structure of the French government, citizenship, and the limits on governmental power. The National Assembly focused on representing the interests of the people through these changes. -
Pope Pius VI condemns the Civil Constitution of the Clergy
In this official statement, the Pope sentenced the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and said that Louis XVI had signed it under pressure. He also announced that bishops and priests who took the constitutional oath would be removed from office. To avoid this, they would have to renounce their allegiance to the oath. -
Louis & Marie Antoinette flee; captured at Varennes
The Flight to Varennes refers to the royal family's failed attempt to escape Paris in June 1791. Unhappy with the revolution's progress, especially its attacks on the Catholic Church, King Louis XVI agreed to the idea of running away from the capital. The escape ended up not working out when the royal family was taken captive. -
France declares war on Austria
In April 1792, France declared war on Austria, mainly due to central sections—the King, the Fayettists, and the Girondins—who saw it as a way to political power. These groups believed that war would help strengthen their position. The declaration was caused by their wanting to set control focused on the ongoing revolution. -
First use of guillotine
The first killing by guillotine was on April 25, 1792, when highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier was being put to death. The execution happened in front of what is now the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, the Paris city hall. This marked the beginning of the guillotine as a form of capital punishment during the French Revolution. -
Prussia declares war on France
On October 9, 1806, Prussia declared war on France and joined a new union, being worried about the French growing power following Austria's defeat and the making of the French-backed alliance of the Rhine. Prussia was also scared by France's plans to surrender Hanover, which Prussia wanted, to Britain in return for peace. All of These factors led to Prussia wanting to take action against France. -
Parisians storm Tuileries palace; end of Louis XVI’s power
The insurrection of August 10, 1792, was a huge turning point in the French Revolution. Armed revolutionaries in Paris, growing more against the French monarchy, attacked the Tuileries Palace. This event eventually led to the ending of the monarchy and the founding of the French Republic. -
French cannons drive back Prussians at Valmy
The Battle of Valmy, was the first major victory for the French army during the Revolutionary Wars. It happened on September 20, 1792, as Prussian forces under the Duke of Brunswick tried to move forward towards Paris. The French's big win at Valmy marked a huge turning point in the conflict. -
French Republic proclaimed
On September 4, 1870, the French Republic was announced, this signaled its reestablishment and the start of the Third Republic. This declaration made a downfall of Emperor Napoleon III and the falling of the Second Empire. This event ended up marking a big shift in France's political structure. -
The “Tennis Court Oath”
On June 20th of 1789, the Tennis Court Oath was sworn by the members of the National Assembly. They promised to go forward with their meetings until a constitution was created. The reason it is called "The Tennis Court Oath" is because they were locked out of their usual meeting place, and because they did not know where else to go they decided to go to a nearby tennis court to continue their work -
Declaration of Pillnitz: Austria & Prussia express support for Louis
The Declaration of Pillnitz, issued on August 27, 1791, was a shared statement by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and King Frederick William II of Prussia. It called on European powers to come together in restoring the monarchy in France. At the time, French King Louis XVI had been reduced to a constitutional monarch during the French Revolution.