Swati Bhageria French Revolution Timeline

  • Meeting of the Estates General

    Meeting of the Estates General
    The estates general was an assembly, composed of the three estates: First estate - clergy, second estate - nobility, third estate - everyone else.
  • Storming of the Bastille

    Storming of the Bastille
    This was when a crowd of people stormed into the Bastille, which was the government prison - it represented the royal authority.
  • Declaration of the Rights of Man

    Declaration of the Rights of Man
    This was passed by the National Constituent Assembly. It was the first step towards the writing of a constitution for France, and was heavily influenced by Thomas Jefferson.
  • Women March on Versailles

    Women March on Versailles
    Thousands of women stormed Versailles on this day. They had no bread to eat; this is when Marie Antoinette supposedly said "Let them eat cake". This is also when Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were taken to Paris.
  • Civil Constitution of the Clergy

    Civil Constitution of the Clergy
    The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law that subordinated the Roman Catholic Church in France to the French government. It was an attempt to reorganize the church.
  • Attempted Escape to Austria by Royal Family

    This was when Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI attempted to escape Paris and go back to Austria. However, they failed, and were labeled as traitors.
  • King Louis XVI executed

    King Louis XVI executed
    Louis XVI was executed with the guillotine, accused of high treason
  • Beginning of the Reign of Terror

    Beginning of the Reign of Terror
    This was started by Robespierre of the Jacobins. It was a time when thousands and thousands of people were executed using the guillotine, aka the national razor.
  • Maximilien Robespierre executed

    Maximilien Robespierre executed
    Robespierre wase executed using the guillotine. This ended the Reign of Terror.
  • France Sells the United States the Louisiana Territory

    France Sells the United States the Louisiana Territory
    France was low on money and had lots of land, so the Louisiana Purchanse occured. This nearly doubled the US territory.
  • Napoleon Crowns Himself Emperor

    Napoleon Crowns Himself Emperor
    Napoleon had proved himself as a great war strateigist and general in the French Revolution. He declared himself as the emperor of France at the end of the Reign of Terror.
  • Congress of Vienna

    Congress of Vienna
    The Congress of Vienna was an assembly that reorganized Europe after Napoleon was exiled. It was chaired by the Austrian Klemens Wenzel von Metternich
  • Battle of Waterloo / Napoleon’s 2nd Abdication and Exile

    Battle of Waterloo / Napoleon’s 2nd Abdication and Exile
    In the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon’s forces were defeated by the British and Prussians. This signaled the end of his reign and the end of France’s domination in Europe. After this, Napoleon was abdicated and later died in exile.