The French Revolution began in 1789 as the commoners grew angry with the unequal system of the Estates General and the financial troubles of King Louis XVI. On May 5th, the Estates General met but the commoners' demands for fair representation and tax reform were denied. In response, the Third Estate formed the National Assembly on June 17th and took the Tennis Court Oath to create a new constitution. Tensions rose further and the Storming of the Bastille on July 14th marked the start of the Revolution. The National Assembly worked to establish a new government and declare rights for citizens. However, war and unrest continued throughout the early 1790s as the monarchy weakened and new assemblies and the Republic were formed

1. French Revolution
1789

2. Beginning of the Revolution
French society was divided in three Estates General: Clergy, nobles and commoners.
The commoners were mainly the bourgeoisie .
Louis XVI called the Estates General for a meeting on May 5 1789.
The Bourgeoisie wanted to thrust the reforms that French people wanted for long.
The commoners were angry as they saw that the gathering was just to discuss about the deficit
the monarchy was passing through.
Commoners were disappointed when the vote for the motion was going to be taken the old way
one vote for Estate. So that Clergy and Nobles will vote for the same and commoners will have
always one vote.
Count Mirabeau wanted to reconcile the Crown and Bourgeoisie

3. Tennis Court Oath
The delegates of the Third Estate decided to step aside the Estates General.
They made their own assembly called; National Assembly.
The main leader was count Mirabeau who promoted the Oath
They wanted to give a Constitution for the government that was fair for all the commoners and
they had to stay together until they made one and presented it.

4. The Storming of the Bastille
These events provoked the opposition of the King who had gathered troops to re-establish the
order in the city.
Commoners organised a mob against this action.
The National Guard had a cockade red, white and blue to be make them distinguish from the
Royal army.
On the 14th of July 1789, the rebels seized the Bastille giving the first step to France political
change.
Marquis de La Fayette was the chief of the National Guard .
This event is known as the end of the Ancient Regime.
Louis XVI led The Constituent Assembly happened.

5. Constituent Assembly
This assembly worked from 1789 to 1791, first in the Versailles Palace and then in Paris.
The assembly established the basis of new France.
It abolished the privilege to the Clergy and nobles.
They settle down the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen.
They implanted the Economic freedom.
The constitution was made in 1791

6. Monarchy and its Decay
The New Legislative Assembly was formed by the Girondins or the ones of centre, Jacobins or
republicans and Feuillants that wanted to keep the monarchy.
It was a period of Tension between France and the rest of countries in Europe.
Many nobles were refugees in the countries such as Austria and they were called emigrés and
were on favour to the monarchy.
For that reason the Assembly decided to declare war to Austria. It was thought by the Girondins
that this war would consolidate the Revolution.
The Jacobins thought war was not an option and they refused to have any war.
On April 20th, 1792 France was in war with Hamburg

7. Assault des Tuileries
The Austrian invasion from the north caused Paris discontent and chaos.
The Cabinet of Girondins and Paris people (sans culottes) made an assault to the Castle od
Tuileries where the king and his family were staying.
When Prussia joined Austria, the Assembly declared state of exception; calling volunteers from
all the kingdom.
From that attack France soldiers were singing the Marseillaise which is the National Anthem of
France until now.
The idea that the king was making treatments with enemies to ease the failure of revolution and
the invasion of France brought the second assault to Tuileries.
On August 10th 1792 was called the Second Revolution as they imprisoned the Royal family.

8. Battle of Valmy
Even though the Legislative Assembly was still working, the power was a executed by a popular
government Revolutionary Commune led by the Girondin Georges Danton.
Danton was in charge of the defence of the country.
The Battle of Valmy gave France a reward when they defeated the Prussia Army which was the
most powerful of Europe in those times.
Events such as the September killing where Jean Paul Marat, a journalist, was killed; brought
hundreds of suspicious and many people were killed under the thought of being against
revolution.
As a consequence Countries against Absolutism, such as England, were outraged by the
disorders in France.

9. End of the Battle
There were prisoners in Paris Jail by C. L. Muller as they were afraid of internal movements
against the revolution
It happened the slaughtered of September.

10. The Republic: National Convention
After the end of the battle of Valmy (September 22 1792) it was gathered the new government,
the National Convention or parliament, was elected by the vote of male members who declared
a Republic, this Convention had three forces:
Girondins Convention 1792 – 1793: they sat on the right side of the emicycle.
Montagnards Convention 1793 – 1794: they sat on the left side, they were on a higher level for
that reason they were called Montagnards. or Jacobins .
Thermidorian Convention 1794 . 1795: in the centre banks were located the plain or bigger
group

11. Beginning of the Republic
The Girondins were the first who led the National Convention
During Girondins ruling, France was a declared country who would help the countries in
oppression. Also Louis XVI (citizen Louis Capet) was prosecuted and convicted
This decision provoked the major crisis in the revolution process which made that other
monarchies of Europe have a coalition against France
It led to uprisings inside France where the monarchy respect was still going on.
The execution of Louis XVI was in the Concord Plaza

12. Parisian Rebellion against Girondins
French people realized that Girondins brought the country to war and they were not ready to
face one
The discontent of the capital burst in a rebellion led by Jacques Hérbert which in June 1793
could get that the convention arrested the guilty Girondins leaders.
Since July 1793 the power was then led by the Montagnards who assumed the Committee of
Public Safety and Entity composed by 9 then 12 congressmen with the purpose of speeding up
the government of the country
It became the authentic executive power of the Revolution.

13. Reign of Terror
The main leader was Maximillian Robespierre, know as the incorruptible.
Under his leading, it was made many decisions that Jacobins and other general revolutionary
masses considered necessary to defeat enemies.
It brought the beginning of a period called “Reign of Terror”
Robespierre had to deal with the group of Hérbet and Danton and he could control them
In 1794 was a coup d'état and Robespierre and his close co workers were executed.
Masses of people tried to help, but they could not do anything.

14. Public Works of the National Convention
Free and obligatory education.
Foundation of the Normal School of Arts and Crafts.
Creation of the Museum of Natural History of the Botanic Garden, the National Library, and the
Museum of Louvre in Paris.
They replaced the Gregorian Calendar by the Calendar of the Revolution.
They established the Metric Decimal system.

15. Thermidorian Era
The power returned to the Bourgeoisie and the groups showed the interest to the convention.
There were abolished some emergency measures made by the Committee of Public Safety.
Later on the Club of Jacobins were persecuted and arrested, calling this period the White Terror.
France was winning all wars with Europeans countries and they signed peaceful treaties with
Provinces United, Spain and Prussia.
The approval of a new conservative constitution was the final activities of the Convention which
was dissolved in October 1795 to have other type of government “Directory”

16. Directorate
This regime worked from 1795 to 1799 as it was not stable by the conflict between the Executive
and Legislative power.
Besides France was passing through an acute financial crisis, the Directorate had lack of popular
support and finally it had to lead with the right and left congress.
They made an impulse by declaring war to countries overseas which caused the final decay of
this regime.
Then, the young Napoleon Bonaparte made a coup d’état on the 9th of November 1799 and he
declared the end of the Revolution
The new government was ruling with authority and got a rid of the dangerous congressmen.

17. Internal Changes: Political, Economical
and Social
Abolition of the absolutist regime
Elimination of Feudalism
Redistribution of wealthy
Access to education
In religion, they had freedom of conscious and civil rights+

18. External Changes
France influenced on other countries and supported them
They supported the ideological process of the Latin American Colonies Independence
They were the model of a Republic government.