Social Studies 20-1: French Revolution Time Line
For this assignment, you will be filling in the important timeline events from the French Revolution. Describe what the event was or the significance of the importance of the event. Keep in mind the ideas of Nation and Nationalism
May 1789
Estates General
- Louis XVII called a meeting of the Estates General b/c of
public pressure. The three estates had a list of public
grievances to share – they wanted political change.
- Disagreements between the King and the three estates
left them at a stand still
- what do you think each Estate wanted from the King?
Look it up on page 59
June 1789
National Assembly and Tennis Court Oath
- the National Assembly was a self proclaimed group
before it had legitimacy
- the National Assembly came into power because of the
failure of the Estates General
-June 20 1789 – a group of men got locked out of the
Estates General meeting place and met on a tennis court.
- this group swore not to disband until France had a
constitution; hence the tennis court oath
July 14, 1789
Storming the Bastille
- the King refused to recognize the legitimacy of the
National Assembly
- the King assembled royal troops near Paris – rumors of
an attack prompted crowds to storm the Royal Prison (the
Bastille)
- revolutionary groups got weapons and freed criminals of
the state to use for defense
August 4, 1789
Abolition of Feudal System
- those who worked in the Feudal system (peasant
farmers) were scared of a poor economy and scarcity of
food so they attacked the nobility
- National Assembly abolished the Estates General which
ended the feudal system and the national assembly
gained legislative power
-why is this a big deal?!
August 1789
Declaration of the Rights of Man
- passed by the National Assembly
- described the Rights of man (individuals) and guiding
democratic principles
- look at the examples of rights this document protected
on p 60, why might these be important? Do they show up
in constitutions today?
October 1789
March on Versailles
- people marched to the city to protest the high cost of
bread
- the royal family was trying to escape France
- the protestors found out and forced them back to Paris
where they would have less opportunity to escape
1799
Creation of Constitutional Monarchy
- the National Assembly creates a new constitution for
France
- kept the country a monarchy, but transformed
distribution of political power
- they limited the power of the King through rule of law,
distributed the power to elected legislature, dissolved the
royal administration and they decentralized power
- power from Paris to 83 individual districts
- France was now a sovereign nation
- stripped the Clergy of property and special rights
- how are these changes different from France prerevolution?
1790-1793
Emergence of Jacobins and Girondins
- political parties
- Girondins were moderates who wanted to maintain the
monarchy
- Jacobsins were radicals who wanted to establish France
as a republic
- stormed to Tuileries palace Aug 1892 to the
royal family and the king was suspended from
duties in elected legislative assembly
April 1792
France declares war on Austria
- many nobles fled to Austria and Prussia b/c of changes in
France
- those who fled tried to rally army support to invade
France
- began the French Revolutionary Wars b/c of this threat
- Prussia joined Austria not long after war was declared
September 1792
National Convention and France a Republic
- Jacobins and Girondins voted to remove Monarchy and
make France a Republic
- what changes does this mean in the government system?
How are republics and monarchy’s different?
January 1793
Trial and Execution of Louis XVI
- Louis XVI was found guilty of treason after a trial
- sentenced to death – but not everyone supported this
- look back at the previous event… coincident?! I THINK
NOT!
August 1793
Levee en Masse (conscription)
- France was fighting Austria (still), Prussia, and Great
Britian
-they needed soldiers and support badly
- started losing so they instituted conscription
-does this take away some of the freedom that people had
worked so hard to achieve?
Social Studies 20-1: French Revolution Time Line
October 1793
Execution of Marie Antoinette
-the wife of Louis XVI
- famously quoted as saying, “let them eat cake” after she
learned that the peasants had no bread. It’s a little harsh
considering that cake was more expensive than bread
(and needs some of the same ingredients!). She was
pretty oblivious to their situation.
- anyway, they ended killing her. She was guilty of treason
and other things.
1793-1794
Reign of Terror
- revolutionary government lead by Robespierre (the guys
last name)
- the government was called the National Convention and
it became a tyrannical government (but didn’t France just
work so hard to achieve a Republic?!)
- the government arrested and executed up to 40 000
“enemies of the republic”
1795
Emergence of Napoleon Bonaparte
- Napoleon Bonaparte was trained in the French Military
and climbed the ranks very quickly
November 1799
Napoleon’s Coup
- Napoleon was approached by a group and asked to lead
a coup against the French government
- successful overthrow of the Directory led to new
leadership by the organizers of the coup
- manipulated the situation and was elected First Consul
(the new leader of France)
1800-1804
Napoleon’s Reforms
-centralized the administration of France’s government
departments
- created lycee school system
- implemented a tax system
- created the Bank of France
- the Napoleonic Code (which were civil laws)
- improved the road and sewer systems
1804
Napoleon as Emperor
- he was popular with people – they voted to make him
“Consul for Life” which made it possible for him to crown
himself Emperor for Life
- relative stability in France under Napoleons rule – there
were some people that challenged his authority though
- the constitution was rewritten and France was remade
as an Empire
- France’s government changed again?! Check out page
65, fast facts and the top right to see the Governments In
France during the Revolution. DO IT.
1804-1814
Napoleon builds his empire
- think globalization at it’s very beginning
- expanded French control and influence (think Africa,
South America, etc)
- put his brothers on the Throne in Italy and Spain
- married off his sisters to gain strategic
relationships
- conquests and expansion influenced other nationsrevolutionary ideas!!
- Napoleonic code was influential and Europe built on that
influence
1805-1814
Empire at war and the Continental System
March – June 1815
100 Days and Waterloo
- reign of Napoleon ended with his defeat at Leipzig
(Germany)
- removed as Emporer and exhiled to Elba
Louis XVIII returned to rule France as a Monarch
- Napoleon escaped – returned – got control of France for
a period known as “100 days”
- coalition (temporary alliance) at waterloo defeated
Napoleon again
- Continental system: an embargo prohibiting his allie and
territories within his empire from trading within Britain
(gee this sounds familiar to things we do today!)
- expanded and claimed territories for France. Expansion
led to war with Austria, Prussia, GB, Russia
- why would this expansion lead to wars? Did these ideas
and expansions leave legacies behind?
Social Studies 20-1: French Revolution Time Line