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On the death of his grandfather Louis XV, Louis Auguste (Louis XVI) succeeded to take the French throne on May 10, 1774. Only 20 years old at the time, Louis XVI was immature and lacked self-confidence. Even though Louis XVI wanted to be a good king and help his subjects, he faced enormous debt and rising resentment towards a despotic monarchy.

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Food shortages in Paris and grain riots in northern France

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Food shortages in Paris and grain riots in northern France

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July 4: American Declaration of Independence

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July 4: American Declaration of Independence

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Later, in 1789, the National Assembly in France used the American Declaration of Independence as a model when drafting the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.

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France enters American war; at war with Britain.

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France enters American war; at war with Britain.

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France realized that the United States could be victorious. The king directed Vergennes to negotiate an alliance with the Americans. On February 6, France formally recognized the United States, with the signing of the Treaty of Alliance. Hostilities soon followed after Britain declared war on France on March 17, 1778.

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After two years of delay, Great Britain and the future United States of America signed the Treaty of Versailles, which also involved France, Spain, and the Netherlands. It also officially ended the War of American Independence.

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The Eden Treaty was a treaty signed between Great Britain and France, named after the British negotiator William Eden (1st Baron Auckland, 1744–1814). It effectively shortly ended the economic war between France and Great Britain and set up a system to reduce tariffs on goods from either country.

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February 22: The first Assembly of Notables convened

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February 22: The first Assembly of Notables convened

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The Assembly of Notables was convened by Louis XVI to come up with a solution for the many financial problems that France was facing. Charles de Calonne proposed imposing a heavy tax on the French nobility, but the Assembly of Notables rejected that plan.

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July-September: Conflict between the king and the Parlement de Paris

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July-September: Conflict between the king and the Parlement de Paris

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The Paris parlement came into conflict with the monarchy when they refused to register Brienne's order implementing a new land tax. The king responded by sending the Paris parlement into exile at Troyes, hoping to force their compliance, however, this triggered significant public agitation and some violence.

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The Day of the Tiles was an event that took place in the French town of Grenoble. It was one of the first disturbances which preceded the French Revolution.

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Louis XVI convoked the Estates-General for May 1789. The King agreed to retain many of the divisive customs which had been the norm in 1614 but were intolerable to the Third Estate. The most controversial and significant decision remained the nature of voting.

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November: Meeting of the Second Assembly of Notables

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November: Meeting of the Second Assembly of Notables

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A second convocation of the Assembly of Notables was ordered by the king. This time, the king sought the Notables’ advice on political procedure rather than taxation.

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Louis XVI called an assembly of Estates General to pass proposals for new taxes on 5th May 1789. The opening of the Estates General in Versailles also marked the start of the French Revolution. The Estates General was brought to an end when the Third Estate was formed and created in the National Assembly.

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June 17: Adoption of the title 'National Assembly' by the Third Estate.

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June 17: Adoption of the title 'National Assembly' by the Third Estate.

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The tennis court oath said, “We swear never to separate ourselves from the National Assembly, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require until the constitution of the realm is drawn up and fixed upon solid foundations.”

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On 14 July 1789, a state prison on the east side of Paris, known as the Bastille, was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. The prison had become a symbol of the monarchy's dictatorial rule, and the event became one of the defining moments in the Revolution that followed.

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July 15: Lafayette becomes the National Guard Commander

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July 15: Lafayette becomes the National Guard Commander

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The day after the Fall of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, La Fayette was pronounced commander of the National Guard, not with the king’s approval. Because of this appointment, he was now in charge of maintaining order in Paris.

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Beginning of the 'Great Fear', the peasants revolted against feudalism and municipal revolts.

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The National Constituent Assembly adopted 18 decrees or articles, The August Decrees, concerning the abolition of feudalism, other privileges of the nobility, and seigneurial rights.

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August 26: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

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August 26: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

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While riots were raging, Louis XVI approved the text on October 5, 1789. The basic principle of the declaration was that every human being has the right to life, liberty and the security of his person.

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Driven to desperation by food shortages, a crowd of several thousand Parisians, many of them women, marched on Versailles to pressure the royal government, hoping the king would intervene – but some had more sinister ambitions.

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December 14-16: Legislation to reorganise local government, which will create 83 départements in January 1790.

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December 14-16: Legislation to reorganise local government, which will create 83 départements in January 1790.