Chronology: Key Events in The French Revolution, 1774-95

1774: Louis XVI comes to the throne.

1778: France enters the American War of Independence, making the problem of debt worse and encouraging interest in ideas of liberty.

1781: Necker publishes the Comte Rendu du Roi, giving information on royal finances to the public for the first time.

1787: Assembly of Notables called by Calonne rejects the minister’s reform passage.

1788:

The power of the Parlements reduced. Protests.
August Royal bankruptcy. This leads to the summoning of the Estates General and widespread discussion about the grievances that this body should deal with. Local meetings draw up Cahiers (Lists) of Grievances (1).

1789:

February The famous pamphlet ‘What is the Third Estate?’ appears, written by Sieyès.
May The Estates General meets at Versailles, but little progress is made after the grand opening (2) and there is a dispute about voting – should the Third Estate have only the same voting power as the First (Church) and the Second (Aristocracy)?
June The Third Estate proclaims the National Assembly. Oath of the Tennis Court.
22 June Troops ordered to Paris.
27 June Louis accepts National Assembly.
7 July National Assembly becomes the National Constituent Assembly.
11 July Dismissal of Necker.
14 July Storming of the Bastille.
20 July – 6 August The Great Fear.
4 August Assembly abolishes Feudal Rights.
26 August Declaration of the Rights of Man.
5–6 October ‘October Days’ (3).

1790: Reforms including Civil Constitution of the Clergy, abolition of the Parlements and reform of legal system instituted by the Constituent Assembly. Increasing emigration of conservatives and growth of radicalism

1791:

20 June King flees to Varennes.
17 July Champs de Mars Massacre.
September King accepts new constitution. The Legislative Assembly created.

1792 :

April War between France and the monarchies of Austria and Prussia. 10 August Violent scenes including the massacre of the King’s Swiss Guards.
September Monarchy ended. France becomes a republic.

1793: January King executed.

1793–94: Government by Terror.

1794: Death of Robespierre.

1795: Establishment of the Directory.

1. The wave of public discussion prior to the Estates General was unprecedented in recent French history. Each estate deliberated separately in the localities and, though loyalty to the crown was a common feature of the Cahiers, nevertheless a considerable array of grievances emerged ranging from purely local protests to issues of national significance. Cahiers of the privileged orders were often liberal and ready to reform. 303 deputies were elected from the clergy; 282 from the nobles and 610 from the Third Estate. There is a view that the discussions opened up a chance for King and people to unite behind a progressive reform programme.
2. The Estates General opened at Versailles in May 1789. The optimism reported by such observers as the American minister did not last. The dispute over voting – the practice of voting by order meant that the Third Estate could be outvoted by the privileged estates – meant that progress was impossible. The first step of verifying the credentials of the deputies could not begin until June. Intense disappointment at the failure of the new body to begin serious discussions was a major factor in the growth of radical discontent, and shows weak leadership by the Crown.
3. By October, there had been tumultuous events: the Third Estate had sworn an oath not to disperse before there was a constitution. The three estates had joined in a new National Assembly. The first irruption of the Paris crowds had taken place on 14 July when the Bastille was stormed and the revolution began to become more extreme. In the summer there was large-scale rural unrest and the Assembly passed highly significant changes by abolishing Feudalism (though not all tenants’ financial obligations) and proclaiming the Rights of Man. Continuing economic discontent, the flight of some members of the royal family and nobles and uncertainty about the king’s intentions led to unrest and the famous October Days (5–6 October 1789). Enraged by reports of officers trampling the revolutionary symbol of the red, white and blue cockade in the king’s presence and by high food prices, a crowd of women marched to the palace of Versailles on 5 October accompanied by members of the National Guard – in all 27,000 people. Clashes broke out between local people, the crowd and the King’s bodyguard. On 6 October the royal family accompanied by the women and the National Guard went to Paris and the King took up residence in the Tuileries Palace. Significantly the Assembly went too and met not in Versailles but in the much more accessible building called the manège where they were subject to increasing popular pressure. Thus the October events have been seen as a turning point in the Revolution, anticipating the events of August and September 1792.