French Revolution

Date/period

Event(s)

1756-1763

The Seven Years War

1774

Accession of Louis XVI

1778

France entered the American War of

Independence

1781- 1787

Economic crisis in France

1788

Declaration of bankruptcy in France

1789

May 5th: Estates-General met at

Versailles
June 17th: National Assembly
proclaimed
June 20th: Tennis Court Oath
July 10th: Formation of the citizens'
militia
August 4th: Decrees dismantling
feudalism passed (August Decrees)
August 26th: Declaration of the Rights of
Man and Citizen
October 5th-6th: 'October Days'- Women
marching on the Hotel de Ville and
Versailles. Louis and Marie Antoinette
brought back to Paris
November 2nd: Church property
nationalised

1790

May 21st: Creation of the Paris Sections.

June 19th: Abolition of the nobility.
July 12th: Civil Constitution of the
Clergy.
August 16th: Reorganisation of the
judiciary.

1791

: March 2nd: Dissolution of Guilds.

June 14th: The Le Chapelier Law.
June 20th: Flight to Varennes.
August 14th: Slave revolt in SaintDomingue (resulted in shortage of sugar
in France).
August 27th: Declaration of Pillnitz.
November 9th: Decree against migrs
(vetoed by Louis 12th November).

1792

March: Guillotine to be used for all public

executions.
April 20th: War declared on Austria.
May 27th: New decree against
Refractory Priests.
June 13th: Prussia declared war on
France.
August 10th: Overthrow of the
Monarchy.
August 19th: Prussian forces entered
northern France.
August 20th: Capture of Longwy.

 September 2nd-6th: September

massacres.
September 22nd: Proclamation of the
Republic.
November 6th: Battle of Jemappes.
November 19th: Decree of Fraternity.
1793

January 21st: Execution of Louis XVI.

February 1st: War declared of Great
Britain and the Dutch Republic.
February 21st: Convention accepts the
amalgam.
March 10th: Revolutionary Tribunal
established.
March 11th: Revolt in the Vendee.
April 6th: Committee of Public Safety
(CPS) created.
June 2nd: Girondin deputies purged.
July 17th: Final abolition of Feudalism in
France.
July 27th: Robespierre joined the CPS.
September 17th: Law of Suspects.
September 22nd: Year 2 began.
September 29th: General Maximum
introduced.
October 5th: New revolutionary calendar.
October 16th: Battle of Wattignies.

 December 4th: Law of 14 Frimaire

establishes Revolutionary Government.
1794

March 24th: Execution of Hebert and his

leading supporters.
April 5th: Danton and Desmoulins
executed.
June 8th: Festival of the Supreme Being.
July 27th-28th: Coup of Thermidor.
July 28th: Execution of Robespierre.
August 1st: Law of 22 Prairial repealed.
September 18th: State end financial
support of the Church.
November 12th: Jacobin Club closed.

1795

February 21st: Formal separation of

Church and State.
April 1st-2nd: Germinal uprising.
May 20th-23rd: Prairial uprising.
August 22nd: Constitution of Year 3.
October 1st: Vendemiaire Uprising,
Bonaparte appointed commander of the
Army of the Interior.
November 2nd: Directory established.

1796

March 11th: Bonaparte appointed to

command the army in Italy.
March-May: Conspiracy of Equals.

1797

September 4th: Coup dtat of Fructidor.

1798

May 11th: Law of 22 Floreal.

1799

June 18th: Coup dtat of Prairial.

November 9th-10th: Coup dtat of
Brumaire, Bonaparte overthrows the
Directory.
December 25th: Constitution of Year 8.

1801

July 15th: Signing of the Concordat with

the Pope.

1802

March 27th: Peace of Amiens.

April 18th: The Concordat.

1803

May 18th: Start of the Napoleonic War.

1804

March 20th: Murder of the Duc

dEnghein.
March 21st: Civil code issued.
May 18th: Napoleon declared Emperor
of the French.

1805

October 21st: Battle of Trafalgar.

1808

May 5th: Forced abdication of the King

of Spain. Start of the Peninsular War.

1812

June 22nd: Napoleon invaded Russia.

1814

April 6th: Restoration of the Bourbon

monarchy. (Louis XVIII)

1815

20th March-22nd June: 100 daysNapoleon returned to France and raised

an army, fought the battle of Waterloo

and lost (June 18th).
1824

16th September: Louis XVIII, Charles X

becomes king.

1830

28th July: July Days leading to the 1830

revolution.
2nd August: Charles X abdicated in
favour of his grandson.