5. THE STORMING OF THE
BASTILLE PRISON, JULY
14, 1789
The general director of
finances named Jacques
Necker was fired by the
king. Necker was
sympathetic to the National
Assembly, and the french
saw his dismissal as a direct
attack on the Assembly.
Thus, the revolutionaries
stole the gun powder and
weapons in order to be able
to defend themselves
against the monarchy.
6. DECLARATION OF RIGHTS OF MEN, AUG 26, 1789
The document contained the basic beliefs of the revolutionaries. It boasted 17 articles, the most imp
declaration was that all men were born free and equal.
WOMAN’S MARCH ON VERSAILLES, OCT 5, 1789
THE ROYAL FAMILY ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE, JUNE 20, 1791
7. THE KING’S EXECUTION, JAN 21, 2793
The first republic - ON SEP 21, 1792, THE MONARCHY WAS OFFICALLY ABOLISHED AND FRANCE WAS
OFFICIALLY A NEW REPUNLIC. The republic charged the king with treason and he was found guilty.
A national convention made up of several political parties, eg, montagnards and girondins
ON JAN 21, 1993 KING WAS EXECUTED IN FRONT OF CROWD IN PARIS BY GUILLOTINE
8. THE REIGN OF TERROR, SEP 1793- JULY 1794
After ruling through terror and fear by
killing 200,000 to get rid of
counterrevolutionaries, a military officer
named nepolean bonaparte in 1804
crowned himself emperor ending the
france’s first republic
9. THE SECOND REPUBLIC
After several decades of napoleonic rule, then rule by various bourbon monarchs, in part
because of an economic crisis that continues to cause a decline in the living conditions for
the lower class,
A coalition of politicians created a second constitution and a new republic in 1848 after the
fall of king louis- philippe but napoleon third, came to be elected president
He included many democratic reforms, abolishing slavery, granting enormous press
freedom, creating social programs for unemployed and extending universal sufrage
But he wasn’t satisfied with power so by late 1851 he orchestrated a coup and in 1852 a
new constitution gave him dictatorial powers and continued it for 20 long yrs
10. THE THIRD REPUBLIC
The length of third republic was 70 years, after nepoleon the third dragged france into a
disastrous war with prussia and was captured the exiled leader fled to england. The third
republic was meant to be something like a caretaker republic untill monarchists decided with
royal family to put in charge, this doesn’t mean the political sitution was totally stable,
There were 18 diff governments btw 1929 and 1939 alone. The govnmt seperated the church
and state by law
The start of ww2 and germany’s successful invasion of france, put an end to the third republic
in 1940
11. THE FOURTH REPUBLIC
Both world wars were over, the great depression was solidly in past, the country’s fourth republic
featured mostly ceremonial president with a poweful legislature, but the politicians were elected on a
system of proportional representation. Resulting in so many parties having seats that it was difficult to
create a stable coalition government. The average cabinet only lasted six months and there were 16
prime ministers in the 12 years btw 1946 and 1958
After that, government dissolved itself and brought in charles de gaulle to rewrite a new constitution,
ushering to the fifth repulblic
