1789-1792: Liberal Revolution
January 1789- Abbe Sieyes’ “What is the Third Estate?”
- Publication by Abbe Sieyes emphasizing the importance of the Third Estate.
- Many reformers used this as justification for their actions.
April-May 1789- Cahiers des doleances
- A list of grievances ordered by King Louise XVI, to be given to him by each of the three estates. It was written up, after being discussed by the estates generals [May 5th, 1789], the sane year as the start of the Revolution. The purpose of this was that it gave each estate a chance to express themselves [hopes and dissatisfactions] to the king.
May 5th, 1789- Meeting of the Estates Generals
- A meeting to discuss the Cahiers des doleances. It gave each estate a chance to talk, and compile a final list of grievances to give to Louise XVI.
June 17th, 1789- Declaration of National Assembly
- Formed by members of the third estate, to work on national issues that affect the people.
- Send invitations to members of the first two estates as well.
June 20th, 1789- Tennis Court Oath
- Kind Louis XVI ordered the closing of Salle des Étatsthe meeting place of the National Assembly; in an effort to stop them. The assembly met in the king’s indoor tennis court and took an oath swearing to meet until there was a written constitution. This was a sign that the king was loosing his power and authority.
July 9th, 1789- National Assembly takes the name National Constituent Assembly
- Took this name, and the power to rule the state until a constitution was written
July 12th, 1789- Louis XVI gathers 18,000 troops near Versailles
- Louy tries to forcefully close the national assembly in Versailles
July 14th, 1789- Storming of the Bastille
-The people stormed the Bastille out of fear of an attack by the king. They went in to find weaponry and ammunition. Governor Marquis de Launay was killed, along with others.
July-August, 1789- The Great Fear (rural)
- Nobles hired vagrants to kill and rob peasants, and in return the peasants themselves destroyed noble’s properties and obligation to the government.
August 4th, 1789- August 4th Laws
- The National Assembly abolished most feudal laws and privileges. [noble tax exempts, and peasant labor laws].
August 27th, 1789- Declaration of the Rights of Man
- The National Assembly declared that “All men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” And that all men have the rights to, “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression”.
October 5th, 1789- Paris Mob
- Seven thousand desperate women marched on Paris, demanding action from the middle-class—they wanted bread.
October 6th, 1789- King moves to Paris
- King Louise took his family and moved to Paris. Shows how the king is loosing his authority.
1790- `Reform of local government departments
- The Assembly distinguished between “active” and “passive” citizens. The “active” could vote and would vote electors into local departments.
`Fiscal Reform
- Assembly seized all church lands and sold them as bonds.
`Voting Rights
- “Active” and “passive” citizens could vote, if over 25 and able to pay a small tax. Women were still not allowed to vote.
July 1790- Civil Constitution of the Clergy
- King reluctantly accepts the constitutional monarch, in which the king remains the head of the states, but laws are made by elected upper-class officials in the National Assembly.
June 20th, 1791- King Louis tries to flee
- Louis tries to take his family and flee France, but are stopped at Verennes and taken back to Paris.
August 1791 [Right after the Royal family was arrested]- Declaration of Pillnitz
- Document given by monarchs of Austria and Prussia, which stated that they could intervene in France in certain circumstances to avoid war
September 3rd, 1791- Constitution of 1791
- The assembly was broken up after adopting this constitution. None of the members were eligible for election in the new Legislative Assembly. Collapsed 10 months later, taking France into war.
October 1791- Factions in Legislative Assembly
- Jacobins- prosperous middle class, well-educated men.
- Girondins- represented a small body of opinion, which was not exactly republican, but not monarchist either.
- Monarchists- those in favor of a monarch, as opposed to a republic.
October 1st, 1791- Legislative Assembly takes over
- Lead by inexperienced left-wingers, called Jacobins, or Girondins; they were the dominant party, and lead France into war.
April 20th, 1792- France declares war on Austria
- France’s crusade on tyranny.
1790-1792- Wars
- Wars with Austria and Prussia lead to coalitions b/n Spain, England, Holland, Russia, Prussia and Austria; all united against France.
1790- War as policy to solve domestic problems
- Edmund Burke began to preach the necessity of war, and the need to fight against French barbarianism and violence.
1792-1794: Radicalization (The 2nd Revolution)
April 20th, 1792- War with Prussia and Austria; conscription, war production, price ceilings
- France declares war on the King of Hungary and Bohemia (the Austrian Francis II). Prussia joins with Austria.
- Prices of goods began to rise, yet the wages remained nearly the same.
- Bakers were only allowed to make rich brown bread, “the bread of equality”.
- There was a draft of about 800,000 non-married men; people did not oppose this, because they knew that it was for the good for the country.
August 10th, 1792- Attack on Tuileries Palace
- Upheaval by the third estate to get rid of the monarch. Louise fled to the Legislative Assembly in hope of protection, but instead was imprisoned.
September 2nd-7th, 1792- September Massacre
- Angry crowds invaded the prison where Louise was kept; killed any person they came into contact with.
September 20th, 1792- Battle of Valmy
- French Army defeated Prussians; By November, the French had control of the Austrian Netherlands.
September 22nd, 1792- National Convention
- Established by the Legislative Assembly; first act was abolishing the monarch and transforming France into a republic.
- Also started the calendar on this day
December 1792- Girondists vs. Mountain
- Division in the National Convention. Each feared a political take-over by the other.
- Girdonists—feared to gain the support of the royalist
- Mountains – feared to create a dictatorship
January 21st, 1793- Execution of the King
- Louise was tried by the National Convention for Treason, and found guilty. By the one vote majority, was sentenced to death. Killed this day [5 days after the sentence].
February 1st, 1793- Spain and England join Prussia and Austria
- England and Spain were not pleased with France’s military expansion or government, and joined talks with Austria and Prussia.
- France went ahead and declared war on England and Spain, as well as Holland
March 7th, 1793- Counter-Revolutionary revolt
- Peasants that began as supporters of the Revolution, revolted against the injustice towards them, by the new founded Republic.
Spring of 1793- Sans-Culottes and suspension of Constitution of 1791
- Demanded that the government take some sort of action, to guarantee them food
April 6th, 1793- Committee of Public Safety
- Created by the National Convention to deal with national emergency issues.
April-June 1793- Mountains take over
- Robespierre and Mountains create the Committee of Public Safety and arrest all of the Girondist leaders.
June 2nd, 1793- Purge of Girondins
- About 30 Girondins were arrested; since they were anti-revolutionists
September 5th, 1793 – July 28th, 1794- Reign of Terror
- “Used revolutionary terror to solidify the home front” [McKay 708]. Done by the National Convention to stop those who were opposed to the new founded republic.
October 20th, 1793- Revolutionary Tribunals Set up
- The National Convention appointed officials to a jury, a public prosecutor, and two substitutes.
- The decisions made by the tribunals were non-appealable.
November 1793- new religion
- The revolution had been anti-religious from the beginning. The church lands were seized and sold at bargain prices to the bourgeoisie.
July 1794- Pushes Allies over the Rhine
- The French army was successfully able to push the armies of the allies back over the Rhine River. This helped build the national economy, and helped created the largest army in the world.
1795-1799: Ineffective Reaction
April 18th, 1797- Election of 1797
- Began in March.
- First ever free election in France.
- Candidates were mostly constitutional monarchs or vaguely royalists.
May 1795- One of the worst bread riots
- Wages were remaining low, yet the cost of food, and living was rising. There had been many different bread riots in French history, and many in this year; [1795].
July 27th, 1794- Thermedorian Reaction
- The National Convention reduced the powers of the committee and closed the Jacobin club.
- The bourgeoisie bought up all the church land for low bargain prices [were prominent followers of the Old Regime]
- The National Convention resolved to yet again write another Constitution because they were advocators of democracy, but feared democracy, and saw it as “red terror” and “mob rule”.
July 28th, 1794- Execution of Robespierre
- Robespierre was charged with dictatorship and tyranny, and executed by his own execution device. [the guillotine]
August 22nd, 1795- The Constitution of the Year III
- The National Convention drafted another constitution after the execution of Robespierre, and the end of The Terror.
- Put into effect October 26th, 1795.
- Stayed in use until Napoleon in 1799
November 3rd, 1795- The Directory
- A five member group that served as the executive branch of the government; for the governmental system created by the new Constitution of 1795.
- Was overthrown by Napoleon, which was staged by one of The Directories own members.
1795- Voting Rights
- Upper-class men were given the right to vote for electors, who were the people that appointed all of the important officials of the government.
October 5th, 1795- Royalist Insurrgency
- Royalists’ in Paris and in the government were opposed to the republic that France had set-up. Caused riots and rebellions to break out throughout France.
- Would eventually be calmed and controlled by Napoleon when he took power in 1799.
November 9th, 1799- Coup D’ Etat by Napoleon
- Political takeover by Napoleon.
- Changed the Republic into a Dictatorship, which he called a Consult; France was ruled by 3 consults, Napoleon himself, being the first consul.
