Financial Crisis (1770s-1780s): France’s involvement in the American Revolutionary War, alongside extravagant royal spending, led to severe national debt. The taxation system was ineffective, and attempts at reform by finance ministers were blocked by the nobility.
Social Inequality: French society was divided into three estates: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the common people (Third Estate). The Third Estate bore the brunt of taxes, while the first two were largely exempt, causing widespread resentment.
Enlightenment Ideas: Philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu criticized the monarchy and promoted ideas about equality, liberty, and democracy.
1789: The Revolution Begins
May 5, 1789 – Estates-General Meeting: King Louis XVI called the Estates-General (a legislative body representing the three estates) to discuss the financial crisis. This was the first such meeting since 1614. The Third Estate, representing 98% of the population, demanded more say in decision-making, leading to conflict over voting procedures.
June 17, 1789 – Formation of the National Assembly: Frustrated by the refusal to give them more power, the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly, claiming to represent the people of France.
June 20, 1789 – Tennis Court Oath: After being locked out of their meeting hall, members of the National Assembly met in a nearby tennis court, swearing not to disband until they had drafted a new constitution for France.
July 14, 1789 – Storming of the Bastille: Parisians, fearing the king would crush the revolution, stormed the Bastille prison, a symbol of royal tyranny, marking the revolution’s first act of popular violence.
August 26, 1789 – Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: The National Assembly adopted this fundamental document, inspired by Enlightenment ideals. It proclaimed the equality of all men, individual liberty, and the sovereignty of the people.
October 5-6, 1789 – Women’s March on Versailles: Thousands of Parisian women, frustrated by bread shortages and high prices, marched to the royal palace in Versailles, forcing the king and queen to move to Paris. This signified the weakening of royal authority.
1790-1791: Early Reforms and Resistance
July 12, 1790 – Civil Constitution of the Clergy: The National Assembly passed a law placing the Catholic Church under state control, which created a deep rift between revolutionaries and religious conservatives.
June 20-21, 1791 – Flight to Varennes: King Louis XVI and his family attempted to flee France to avoid revolutionary pressures, but they were captured in Varennes and returned to Paris, eroding trust in the monarchy.
September 3, 1791 – First Constitution: The National Assembly adopted the Constitution of 1791, establishing a constitutional monarchy where the king had limited powers and the Legislative Assembly held legislative authority.
1792: Radicalization and the Fall of the Monarchy
April 20, 1792 – France Declares War on Austria: The revolutionary government declared war on Austria, fearing foreign intervention to restore the monarchy. This led to a series of wars between revolutionary France and various European monarchies (the French Revolutionary Wars).
August 10, 1792 – Storming of the Tuileries Palace: Radical revolutionaries, supported by Parisian militias, stormed the king’s residence, the Tuileries Palace, and imprisoned Louis XVI, marking the end of the monarchy.
September 20, 1792 – National Convention and the Republic: The newly elected National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic, beginning the more radical phase of the revolution.
1793-1794: The Reign of Terror
January 21, 1793 – Execution of Louis XVI: After a trial for treason, King Louis XVI was found guilty and guillotined. His execution shocked European monarchies and deepened internal divisions within France.
July 13, 1793 – Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat: Marat, a radical revolutionary leader, was assassinated by Charlotte Corday, a supporter of the Girondins, a moderate revolutionary faction. This event intensified the internal conflict.
September 5, 1793 – Beginning of the Reign of Terror: The revolutionary government, dominated by the Jacobins led by Maximilien Robespierre, launched the Reign of Terror. During this period, thousands of suspected enemies of the revolution were executed, including Marie Antoinette (October 16, 1793).
July 27, 1794 – Fall of Robespierre: As the Reign of Terror spiraled out of control, Robespierre and his allies were arrested and executed. This marked the end of the radical phase and the Reign of Terror.
1795-1799: The Directory and Rise of Napoleon
August 22, 1795 – Constitution of Year III: A new constitution was adopted, establishing the Directory, a five-member executive body. The Directory sought to stabilize France after the chaos of the Reign of Terror, but it was weak and corrupt.
November 9, 1799 – Coup of 18 Brumaire:Napoleon Bonaparte, a rising military leader, overthrew the Directory in a coup d’état, establishing the Consulate with himself as First Consul. This effectively ended the French Revolution and set the stage for Napoleon’s rise to power as emperor.
