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King Louis XVI faces serious problems
He has a serious amount of debt that he inherited from previous rulers as well as his own. He borrowed a lot of money to help colonists in the American Revolution and now bankers refuse to lend him more money. -
Meeting of the Estates-General
They met at Versailles with the purpose of approving a new tax on the nobility. -
Vote to establish National Assembly
This proclaims the end of absolute monarchy and the beggining of representative democracy. This event leads to the Tennis Court Oath. -
Storming of the Bastille
An armed mob siezes control of the building killing about 100 people. -
End of Feudalism
Noblemen and memebers of the clergy join the National Assembly ending feudalism and the privileges of the First and Second Estates marking equality. The Old Regime is dead. -
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The National Assembly adopts this declaration stating the rights of the citizens as it says clearly in the name. -
Bread Riot
Thousands of armed Parisian women invade Versailles angry about the rising prices of bread. They kill some guards and demans throyal family to return to Paris. -
National Assembly reforms France
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Royal Family returns to Paris
The royal family tries to escape from France into the Austrian Netherlands. When they near the border, they are arrested and return to Paris under guard. -
New constitution is created by the National Assembly
This constitution decalres a limited monarchy. It also created a Legislative Assembly which had the power to create laws and approve or reject declarations of war. -
War is declared on Austria and Prussia
The Legislative assembly decalres war on Austria and Prussia for urging the French to restore King Louis' position as an absolute monarch. -
Prussian forces advance on Paris
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Storming of the Tuileries Palace
King Louis XVI is arrested by the people. -
September Massacre
Citizens fearing that prisoners in Paris were going to break out and take control of the city, they raided prisons and killed over 1,000 prisoners. Many nobles and priests were also killed by the angry mobs. -
The National Convention takes office
It put an end to the monarchy and officially decalred France a republic. Adult male citizens were given the right to vote. -
King Louis XVI is killed
He is beheaded by a machine called the guillotine under the Jacobins sentenced him to death. -
French army gains numbers
The National Convention orders a draft of 300,000 French citizens both men and women from ages 18-40. Now the French army consists of more than 800,000 people. -
Robespierre works his way up
He becomes leader of the Committee of Public Safety. Its prime task was to protect the Revolution from its enemies. -
Reign of Terror ends
Members of the National Convention turn on Robespierre demanding his arrest and execution. -
National Convention drafts new plan for government
Moderate leaders decide to put the power in the hands of the upper middle class and it has a two-house Legislature and an executive body of five men (Directory). They create order and find Napoleon Bonaparte to conduct France's army.
