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Ascension of King Louis XVI
On the death of his grandfather, Louis succeeded to the French throne. At that time he was still immature, lacking in self-confidence, austere in manner and because of a physical defect (later fixed by an operation), unable to consummate his marriage. Louis XVI was inexperienced and capable of ruling. Under his rule, the french revolution started to stir. -
Meeting of Estates General in Paris
The Estates General was a representative assembly of the Ancien Régime, comprised of deputies from all Three Estates. Unlike modern assemblies the Estates General did not meet regularly; instead, it was summoned occasionally by the king, often in times of war or crisis. A protest with the parliament forced Louis XVI to convoke the Estates General in 1789. -
Oath of the Tennis Court
The members of the Estates-General for the Third Estate, who had begun to call themselves the National Assembly, took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing "not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established." It was a pivotal event in the early days of the French Revolution. -
Fall of the Bastille
Revolutionaries and mutinous troops stormed the Bastille (a fortress and prison) and signaled the beginning of the French Revolution. The capture of the Bastille symbolized the end of the ancien regime (3 estates) and provided the French revolutionary cause with an irresistible momentum. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen is one of the most important papers of the French Revolution. This paper explains a list of rights, such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and separation of powers. (Only refers to men with property over the age of 25) -
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March to Versailles
An angry mob of nearly 7,000 working women – armed with pitchforks, pikes and muskets – marched in the rain from Paris to Versailles in what was to be a pivotal event in the intensifying French Revolution. The crowd attacked the palace, and in a dramatic and violent confrontation, they successfully pressed their demands upon King Louis XVI, who compelled. The march on Versailles proved to be a defining moment of the Revolution. -
Royal Family's Flight and Capture at Varennes
The flight to Varennes was the royal family’s failed attempt to escape Paris in June 1791 because they were appalled by the growing radicalism of the revolution. Louis XVI agreed to flee the city and head to Austria. Unfortunately, they were caught during the process and humiliatingly brought back. People accused him of betrayal and were angered by his actions. -
Invasion of the Tuileries
The people of Paris stormed Tuileries Palace on August 10, 1792 where a huge crowd of several thousand people was massing outside Tuileries all carrying weapons. Rebellious soldiers and civilians breached the palace and surrounded King Louis XVI. The Legislative Assembly suspended the king and abolished the constitutional monarchy. -
Execution of Louis XVI
Louis XVI is being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers and sentenced to death by the French National Convention. On January 21, he walked steadfastly to the guillotine and was executed. By putting to death the king of France at the hands of commoners, the Revolutionary government declared the right of people to make decisions for themselves. -
Jean Paul Marat's Assassination
Many newspapers, such as L’ami du Peuple, were partisan-based, and took stabs at people in high authority. As a result, one of the main writers of L’ami du Peuple, Jean-Paul Marat, was eventually assassinated. Before Marat’s death, Charlotte Corday came to him with a petition to sign, and she stabbed him. Corday knew the impact Marat’s words had on the French people, and she wanted to kill Marat in hopes of saving the lives of many others. -
Execution of Charlotte Corday
Charlotte Corday was trialled and executed for murdering Jean-Paul Marat. She said: ‘Anything was justified for the security of the nation. I killed one man in order to save a thousand. I was a republican long before the Revolution and I have never lacked that resolution of people who can put aside personal interests and have no courage to sacrifice themselves for their country.‘ She was executed on July 17, 1793. -
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The Reign of Terror
This was a cruel period when France was killing its people by hundreds. People were arrested and executed without trial, if they were accused of being enemies of the revolution. Led by Robespierre, it is estimated that about 40,000 people died. (Robespierre encouraged the death of 17,000, including Danton). He was later executed by the guillotine, which symbolized the end of the Reign of Terror. -
Execution of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was put on trial for treason and theft, as well as a false and disturbing charge of sexual abuse against her own son. After a 2 day trial, all all-men jury deemed her guilty and sent her to the guillotine. Her death was a symbol of the downfall of European monarchies in the face of global revolution. -
Battle of the Nile
The French Revolutionary general Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798 made plans for an invasion of Egypt in order to constrict Britain’s trade routes and threaten its possession of India. The Battle of the Nile had several important effects. It isolated Napoleon’s army in Egypt, thus ensuring its ultimate disintegration, as well, heightening British prestige and securing British control of the Mediterranean. -
Emperor Napoleon
Napoleon, one of the greatest military strategists in history, rapidly rose in the ranks of the French Revolutionary Army. By 1799, France was at war with most of Europe. When Napoleon returned home from his Egyptian campaign, he took over the reigns of the French government to save his nation from collapse, and crowned himself emperor. At the time, he had the powers of a dictator: the police, the media, and the army. -
The Battle of the Three Emperors (Austerlitz)
This is the first engagement of the War of the Third Coalition and one of Napoleon’s greatest victories. The battle portrayed Napoleon's military skills and use of geography. His 68,000 troops defeated almost 90,000 Russians and Austrians, who were forced to sign a peace treaty with France. -
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Continental System
It was a system designed by Napoleon to paralyze Great Britain through the destruction of British commerce. However, without control of the sea, Napoleon could not enforce this system. British ships imply smuggled goods into Europe. In the end, Napoleon's blockade hurt his ow empire as much as it did for the British. -
Exile on Elba
On this day in 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of France and one of the greatest military leaders in history, abdicates the throne, and, in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, is banished to the Mediterranean island of Elba. He escapes his island exile, gains supporters, and reclaims his emperor title. -
Battle at Waterloo
Napoleon planned to defeat the armies of Britain and Prussia before they could combine forces, but he was too late. The Battle of Waterloo, in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated by the British and Prussians, signaled the end of his reign and the end of France’s domination in Europe.
