WHAT IS THE FRENCH REVOLUTION?
The Old System
For centuries, France was ruled according to a system called the ancien régime. In this system, the people were ruled by a king and divided into three groups.
• First Estate: Clergy or religious leaders
• Second Estate: Aristocracy
• Third Estate: The common people
A Storm is Brewing
1
After years of fighting in the American Revolution, France is on the brink of bankruptcy. French people are upset over the poverty they face and the fancy lives of the aristocracy. The people are tired of the injustice they see and decide to do something about it.
2
June 20, 1789: The Tennis Court Oath
The Third Estate (representatives of “the people”) forms their own government, called the National Assembly, to fight for change. On June 20, they swear an oath on a tennis court. They vow to stay together until there is a new constitution for France.
3
Protests turn violent when a crowd attacks the Bastille, a fortress and prison in Paris. After a fierce battle, the people take control of the fortress. This event is celebrated in France every year on July 14.
4
August 26, 1789: Declaration of the Rights
The National Assembly approves the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This document lists the principles of the revolution, which include men’s equal rights and freedom.
5
October 5, 1789: Women’s March on Versailles
A crowd of Parisian women march from Paris to Versailles to demand bread from King Louis XVI. Joined by revolutionaries, the women besiege the palace and force the king to return to Paris with them.
6
August 10, 1792: Revolution Turns Radical
Radical revolutionaries attack the royal palace and arrest King Louis XVI. In the following month, violence sweeps across Paris. By September, the monarchy has been abolished and the French Republic is established.
7
January 21, 1793: The King Is Dead
The Republic puts King Louis XVI on trial and condemns him to death. The king is sent to the guillotine.
The Reign of Terror
8
The new law allows for the arrest and trial of anyone suspected of being against the revolution. For the next 10 months, thousands of people are sent to the guillotine under the orders of Maximilien Robespierre.
9
October 16, 1793: Off with Her Head!
The queen of France, Marie Antoinette, is put on trial for treason against the French Republic and found guilty. She is executed by guillotine.
10
December 19, 1793: Siege of Toulon
The French Army recaptures the port city of Toulon, which Britain, Spain, and the Royalists had taken. Throughout the revolution, France battles other European rulers who want to stop the spread of revolutionary ideas.
11
July 27, 1794: The Terror Comes to an End
Robespierre is overthrown and arrested by the National Convention. The following day, on July 28, he is executed by guillotine. The Thermidorians, the group of people who overthrew Robespierre, come to power.
12
Following the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorians try to bring order to France. They repeal the Law of Suspects, reinstate freedom of worship, and arrest thousands of Robespierre’s supporters during the “White Terror.”
13
May 20–21, 1795: The Prairial Uprising
Increasing bread prices and poverty cause the common people to rise up against Thermidorian rule. The Prairial Uprising is the last major uprising during the revolution.
14
November 2, 1795: The French Directory Is Born
After the uprising, the Thermidorians write their own constitution to create a new system of government known as the French Directory. The Directory rules for the next four years, growing increasingly unpopular.
15
November 9, 1799: Napoleon Takes Power
The successful general, Napoleon Bonaparte, helps stage a coup to take control of the government. He ends the Directory and establishes himself as “first consul” of France.