Key Events of the French Revolution

Posted on Jun 22, 2025 in History

The Revolution

People began to call for an immediate meeting of the Estates-General to deal with the crisis.
The Estates-General was an assembly composed of representatives from the three French estates: clergy, nobility, and the commoners (Third Estate).
The main argument was the form of voting:
- Each of the three estates, one vote (supported by the privileged)
- A vote by head (supported by the Third Estate)
The Estates-General assembled at Versailles in May 1789.

The Third Estate proclaimed itself to be the National Assembly (meaning: to hold the power).
Members of the National Assembly swore to work until France had a constitution; this became known as the Tennis Court Oath (July 1789).

Suspicions of the king’s intentions to betray the National Assembly increased.
On July 14, crowds assaulted the Bastille, a large fortress on the eastern edge of Paris; that was the Storming of the Bastille.
This rebellion spread to the countryside, when the French peasants attacked the castles and chateaux of the noblemen; that was known as the “Great Fear” (Le Grande Peur).

Three main events, three significant decisions were made:
- The Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen: a short document ensuring basic personal rights: property, free speech, and personal security.
- Civil Constitution of the Clergy: the Church was incorporated within the state.
- Constitution of 1791.
During this period, they had to cope with two problems:
- One domestic problem: food was scarce.
- One international problem: the war with Austria (which was against the Revolution).

On August 10, a crowd stormed the Tuileries Palace in the Revolution’s bloodiest eruption to date.
The most radical ones (called Jacobins) under the leadership of Maximilien Robespierre, now demanded the creation of a republic.
The Legislative Assembly immediately suspended the king and started to write a new, republican constitution.
The republican convention was composed of three major political groups:
- The Jacobins, a radical minority.
- The Girondins, a group of moderates.
- The Plain, who were not associated with either party.
On January 15, the convention found Louis guilty and voted for immediate execution; Louis was executed on the guillotine on January 21, 1793.
The Jacobins led by Maximilien Robespierre and supported by the sans-culottes (poorer people) seized power.
The policy became considerably more radical; that was the Reign of Terror.
The Reign of Terror is a policy through which the state used violence to crush resistance to the government.
At least 18,000 people died under the guillotine after accusations of counter-revolutionary activities.
The Reign of Terror remains the most controversial period of the revolution:
- Some have seen the Reign of Terror as a major advance toward modern democracy.
- Others see it as a step toward modern dictatorship.
But Robespierre was overthrown by a conspiracy (July 27) and was executed.

A conservative reaction put an end to the Reign of Terror and more moderate politicians came to dominate the government; that is the Thermidorean Convention.
The Convention passed the new Constitution of the Year III (1795).
This Constitution created the Directory (with five members) that held the Executive power.
In this way, the army (and its successful general, Napoleon Bonaparte) gained much power.
On November 9, 1799 (18 Brumaire of the Year VIII), Bonaparte led the coup of 18 Brumaire which installed the Consulate, giving power to three Consuls:
- Napoleon
- Sieyés
- Ducos