Events of the French Revolution
The Moderate Stage 1789-1792
Riots had broken out in Paris over economic failures, the escalating price of bread, and the
deaths resulting from the two-year famine in many areas of France. On July 14, 1789, an
ancient prison named the Bastille was stormed (attacked) by Parisians (people from Paris)
seeking guns and ammunition for their protests. Even though there were only a few prisoners
released from the prison, the rebels did acquire gunpowder and some weapons. Hearing of the
success of the Parisians in this takeover, the peasants revolted against the land owning nobility,
destroyed fences, records of land ownership, seized manors, and killed many of the nobility.
Assembly of the Notables 1789
To appease the growing unrest, and to convince the people that new and higher taxes were
necessary to address the nation’s problems, Louis XVI called into session the Assembly of the
Notables. This was a weak attempt by the king to gain their support for higher taxes. It did not
work, however, because his new proposal included the taxation of the nobility, from which they
had traditionally been exempted. The nobility refused to consider any new taxes unless the king
gave them more power in the government. The weak king, advised by his wife Marie, refused to
share government with the nobles.
Estates General 1789
Due to a fear of a major uprising, Louis called into session the Estates General, composed of
representatives from each of the Three Estates. The Estates General had not been officially
assembled since 1614. Each of the three Estates was given one vote. The first and second
estates traditionally voted in together, and usually against the third estate. In frustration and
anger, the Third Estate walked out of the meetings and refused to reassemble with the other
two estates. Their appeal for “one person, one vote” was rejected by the first and second
estates because the representatives of the third estate represented 97% of the people, and the
first and second estates were not about to give up their traditional power.
Tennis Court Assembly 1789
When the third estates walked out, the king arranged to have the meeting place conveniently
shut down “for repairs.” The third estate then took over the king’s indoor tennis courts and held
their own assembly, which became known as the Tennis Court Assembly. Some members of
the first and second estate that sympathized with the ideas of democracy joined in with this
assembly. It was here that the members took the “Tennis Court Oath”, swearing to continue
meeting until they had a new constitution for the people of France. When the king sent troops to
disperse them, the bomb went off.
The National Assembly 1789
The Third Estate then set up its own government body, that established the National Assembly,
which existed from July 1789 to September 1791. Under the Assembly, drastic changes in
France’s religious life were approved. (1) Religious freedom was granted. (2) All properties
owned by the Roman Church were confiscated and the funds gained through the sale of the
properties was used to establish a new national currency. (3) A French National Catholic
Church was formed and priests were to be elected by the people in the parishes and not
appointed by bishops. (4) It abolished all ringing of church bells, celebrations of religious
holidays, and use in public of the signs of the cross. (5) In 1791 attacks against priests and
nuns left many dead. Additionally, all remains of feudalism were abolished, ending all
lord/peasant obligations, and produced anti-nobility articles in the local newspapers. The
nobility was abolished and a constitution was drawn up which would maintain a constitutional
monarchy, with a strong Assembly and a weak monarch.
Constitutional Monarchy – for a while
The Declaration of the Rights of Man was approved and adopted, which featured French
“liberty, equality, property, security, and resistance to oppression”. The slogan of the
Declaration was lliberté, égalité, fraternité,
In 1791, the National Assembly dissolved itself in favor of a new Legislative Assembly with
representatives elected by the people. It governed France as a Constitutional Monarchy but
abolished the king’s veto powers. It governed from October 1791 to September 1795.
The king and queen were brought to Paris and placed under palace arrest so that the French
people could “keep their eye on them.” In 1791, Marie had attempted a secret flight from the
country with her husband and children through a secret plan arranged with her brother,
Emperor Joseph of Austrian. They were captured at the border by French soldiers and taken
back to Paris as prisoners. They remained in Paris until their deaths by execution in 1793.
The Radical Stage 1792-1795 and the Reign of Terror
Food riots in Paris broke out in 1792. The National Assembly abolished the monarchy and the
French Republic was proclaimed, Increased fighting among factions, civil war, regional
disputes, and the eventual lack of an emerging strong leadership, opened the door for a small
group of representatives, the Committee of Public Safety, to take control of the Assembly. By Spring 1792, three things were evident: (1) attempts to set up a constitutional monarchy
under Louis had failed, (2) civil unrest was everywhere in France, and (3) the Revolution was
going badly. Counter-revolutionaries in Austria were at work to restore an absolute monarchy under Louis
and had the financial and military support of the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in Vienna.
In response, Revolutionary leaders on the other side declared war in April 1792 against the
Holy Roman Empire with the hope that war against Austria and the Empire would unite France
in a new national spirit.
In August 1792 a battle between revolutionaries and monarchists was fought at the royal
palace in Paris and the monarchy was overthrown. A new government, the National Convention
was declared in September, which immediately declared that France was no longer a monarchy
but a republic. Crowds in Paris stormed the prisons and executed 2,000 prisoners, including
many priests, nuns, and nobility.
Execution of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
The National Convention, now controlled by the more radical members, viewed King Louis XVI
as an enemy of the state, who would be, if he continued to live, as a catalyst for enemies of the
revolution. He was tried for crimes against the people and the National Convention declared
France a Republic. On January 20, 1793 the National Convention condemned Louis to death and he was
executed the next day. The event itself was turned into a major display and triumph for the
Revolution. His wife, Marie Antoinette, during a purge of other suspicioned enemies of the
revolution, was executed in October 1793, nine months after the execution of her husband.
Both were thirty-eight at the times of their death. Marie was tried by the Committee for Public
Safety and accused of holding orgies at Versailles, sending funds secretly to her brother,
Emperor Joseph of Austria, and even committing incest with her son, so intent was the
Committee on establishing guilt worthy of execution.