French Revolution Timeline

Introduction: The French Revolution TimeLine

The French revolution has inspired several nationalist movements in the world. Every event during the revolution has inspired millions of people to fight for their rights and freedom.

French revolution consisted of a series of incidents starting from the meeting of the estate general, the tennis court oath, the Declaration of Rights of the Man, the Reign of Terror, etc. The revolution was a result of the oppressive rule and the response of the common people especially the members of the third estate through an armed rebellion or violent upheaval. The significant events are discussed below.

Meeting of the Estate generals - 1989

It was an assembly composed of clergy, nobility, and the middle class; in the month of May 1789, Louis XVI called them to discuss the new tax measures. In the meantime, the people involved in the third estate were demanding the voting rights and their involvement in the decision-making body. The middle class was in favour of judicial and political reforms in the society but on the other hand the privileged class the nobles and clergy were against these reforms because it affects the privileges enjoyed by them in the traditional system. So the purpose of the meeting failed which led to the formation of the National Assembly and Tennis court oath by the third estate.

Tennis Court Oath

The Tennis court oath was an important event that impacted the entire revolution which happened in the year 1789. The event has proved that the people become the source of authority for the administration of a country. When the meeting failed, the members of the third estate met and decided to formulate National Assembly on 17 June 1789, when they were not allowed to convene the meeting in a formal venue they decided to conduct the oath-taking ceremony at a Tennis court near Versailles Palace. They were highly determined and took an oath not to disperse until reforms have been initiated and executed.

The Revolution 1789 - 1792

The Revolution which began in the year 1989 witnessed a series of incidents that changed the future of France. The National Assembly continued to function in the region which created fear in the minds of others, especially the ruling class. The fear and uncertainty that existed in the society gradually led to insurgency and revolts, and one of the early outcomes of this phase was the storming of the Bastille fortress on July 14, 1789. The event occurred in France and the revolutionaries took over the control of the fortress, armory, and the entire political prison known as Bastille prison. This event marked the beginning of the French Revolution, which is known to be an initial step toward a great revolution.

The news regarding the storming of Bastille prison has spread a wave of revolutionary thoughts across the country, which made them act against the aristocrats and the tax collectors. Violent uprisings against the ruling and the privileged class made the nobles flee the nation in masses, which was a period filled with fear and uncertainty. National Assembly was working relentlessly to end the exploitation and feudalism prevailed in the region and finally gave a fatal blow to feudalism on August 4, 1789. As a result of the strong uprisings, the old order came to an end.

Declaration of Rights of Man

On 04 August 1789, the National Assembly adopted the Rights of Man and the Citizen, which was inspired by the works and the democratic ideology of philosophers like Jean Jacques Rousseau. The declaration was published on 26 August 1789.

French Constitution

The constitution has limited the powers of the monarch and has given more emphasis to the assembly to deal with the administrative matters; it was adopted on 03 September 1791. The radical section of the assembly demanded the trial of the monarch and also demanded a republican form of government. The major leaders of the radical section were Goerges Danton and Maximilien de Robespierre.

Reign of Terro

During this period, the radical elements become more active and led to the capturing of the royal residence in Paris and arresting of King Louis XVI, he was later condemned to death for the charges of treason. At the same time, many of the enemies of the revolution were brutally murdered; some of the moderate voices of the national assembly also become the victims of this brutal attack. National convention replaced the legislative assembly which led to the establishment of the Republic of France. Maximilien de Robespierre and his extremist faction took control over the National convention; thousands of people were executed during this phase which made the period more terrifying for the common people. The reign of terror ended with the execution of Maximilien de Robespierre on July 28, 1794. After the death of Robespierre, a new moderate phase started taking over the entire territory.

End of French Revolution

After the reign of terror, the national convention become a majority body of moderates who demanded the creation of a bicameral legislature. The power control was taken care of by a Directory which was composed of five members appointed by the parliament. The Army under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte acted as a shield for the protection of the Directory. The activities of the Directory led to rampant corruption and financial difficulties for the nation. When the situation got worsened Napoleon took over the power through a military coup, and he established himself as the ‘first consul’. With this, the French Revolution came to an end and it opened up a new world for the Napoleonic era.

FAQs

Qns 1. Mention the significance of Tennis Court Oath.

Ans. The Tennis Court oath was one of the earliest activities that showed the power of the third estate and their high dissatisfaction towards the exploitative administration. The strong conviction of the national assembly to frame the constitution for France was one of the crucial steps towards a strong revolution. All these crucial decisions were the output of their first meeting, which is the Tennis Court Oath.

Qns 2. How did they react to the enemies of revolution during the Reign of Terror?

Ans. Maximilien de Robespierre and his extremist faction took control over the National convention, and thousands of people were executed during this phase which made the period more terrifying for the common people. King Louis XVI was sentenced to death for the charges of treason. During this phase, some of the moderates were also executed due to the activities of the extremist faction.