ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of the French Revolution

Okay, so imagine you're playing with your toys and suddenly a lot of kids come together to play. But not everyone is happy with the way things are going - some kids feel like they're not getting to play with the toys they want, or that they're not being treated fairly.

This is kind of like what happened in France a long time ago, in 1789. A lot of people were unhappy with the way things were being run - there was a king, Louis XVI, who had a lot of power, but a lot of regular people, called peasants, didn't have many rights.

So the peasants started to complain, and they asked the king to change things. When he didn't do anything, they got angrier and started to protest.

This is kind of like when you ask your parents for something and they say no, and then you keep asking and asking until they finally give in (hopefully!).

The protesters started to take control of some areas in France, and they formed their own government. They called themselves the National Assembly, and they wanted to make changes to the way the country was run.

This is kind of like when you and your friends have a big argument about the rules of the game you're playing, and you decide to make your own rules that are more fair.

One of the big things the National Assembly wanted was to take some of the king's power away, and give more power to regular people. They also wanted to make sure that everyone had equal rights.

But the king didn't like this, and he tried to stop them. He even sent soldiers to attack the protesters!

This is kind of like when you and your friends are playing a game and someone starts cheating, so you have to tell them to stop.

The National Assembly didn't give up, though. They kept fighting, and eventually they won. The king was arrested and put on trial.

This is kind of like when you and your friends finally convince someone to play the game the way everyone else wants to play it.

The National Assembly decided that France would no longer be a monarchy, ruled by a king. Instead, they would become a republic, where everyone has a say in how things are done.

This is kind of like when you and your friends decide to change the rules of your game entirely, or maybe even start a new game altogether!

And that's basically what happened during the French Revolution. It took a long time, and there were a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, regular people were able to come together and make big changes to their country.
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