A chronology of the French Revolution
September 25
1774
Louis XVI comes to the throne
American War of Independence
Famine in Paris and grain riots in northern France.
1776
July 4
American Declaration of Independence.
1778
France enters American war; at war with Britain.
1783
September 3
Peace of Versailles.
1786
September 26
Commercial free trade treaty between Britain and France (Vergennes/Eden Treaty).
1787
February 22
The first Assembly of Notables convened
July-September
Conflict between the king and the Parlement de Paris
1788
June-July
Insurrection at Grenoble and district, with calls for profound reforms
August 8
King and his minister, Brienne, convoke Estates General for May 1789
Paris Parlement recommends that the Estates General should be held as in 1614, and presents a list of grievances.
Riots in Paris, Rennes, Dijon and Pau.
November
Meeting of the Second Assembly of Notables
1789
January-May
Preparation of Cahiers de Doléances (lists of grievances) and elections to the Estates General.
May 5
Estates General assemble at Versailles.
June 17
Adoption of the title 'National Assembly' by the Third Estate.
June 20
Members of the Third Estate (plus some reform-minded clergy and nobility), excluded from their meeting place, assemble and take the 'Tennis Court Oath', swearing not to disband until a constitution is established.
June 23
Louis XVI rejects Resolutions of the Third Estate.
June 27
King orders clergy and nobility to join Third Estate.
July 9
National Assembly declares itself a Constituent Assembly.
July 13
Formation of National Guard
July 14
Fall of the Bastille.
July 15
Lafayette appointed Commander of the National Guard.
July 17
Beginning of the 'Great Fear', the peasant revolt against feudalism, and of municipal revolts.
August 5-11
National Assembly decrees the abolition of feudalism, equality of taxation and the sale of offices.
August 26
National Assembly approves the text of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
October 5-6
The 'October Days'- women's march to Versailles. Return of the king to Paris.
October 10
Louis XVI decreed 'King of the French' rather than 'King of France'.
November 2
Church property nationalised.
December 14-16
Legislation to reorganise local government, which will create 83 départements in January 1790.
1790
January
First sale of assignats.
January 28
Removal of civil disabilities of Jews.
February
Edmund Burke condemns and Charles James Fox welcomes Revolution in speeches at Westminster.
February 13
Suppression of religious orders and monastic vows.
June 19
Abolition of nobility and titles by Constituent Assembly.
July 12
Civil constitution of the clergy.
July 14
F�te de la Federation: first public celebration of Bastille Day.
August 18
First counter-revolutionary assembly at Jal�s (between Loire and Rh�ne).
November
Publication of Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France. Counter-revolutionary riots in Lyons. Inflation of French currency caused by immense issue of assignats.
November 26
First decree imposing civic oath on the clergy.
1791
January 30
Mirabeau elected President of the French Assembly.
February 9
First bishops of constitutional church elected.
March 2
Abolition of guilds and monopolies
March 10
Pope condemns civil constitution and Declaration of the Rights of Man.
April 2
Death of Mirabeau.
April 13
Papal bull, Cavitas, condemns civil constitution.
May 15
Black inhabitants of French colonies born of free parents declared to have equal civil rights with whites
June 20
Louis XVI flees Paris for Varennes.
June 25
King returns to Paris under duress.
July 15
Assembly declares the king is inviolable and his prerogatives are restored.
July 17
'Massacre of the Champs de Mars'- National Guard fire on crowd during protests against the king's reinstatement.
August 27
Declaration of Pillnitz - Austria and Prussia ready to intervene in French affairs, but Britain remains neutral.
September 4
France annexes Avignon.
September 13-14
Louis XVI formally accepts constitution.
September 28
Slavery abolished in France but not in colonies.
September 30
Constituent Assembly dissolved.
October 1
First meeting of Legislative Assembly.
November 9
Assembly orders all émigrés to return under pain of death. Civil marriage and divorce instituted.
November 11
King vetoes Assembly's ruling on émigrés.
November 29
Decree of Assembly against non-juring priests (i.e. those refusing to swear oath of allegiance to the State).
December 19
King vetoes Assembly's decrees against non-juring priests.
1792
January- March
Food riots in Paris.
January 2
Decree that 1 January 1789 shall be reckoned the start of the 'Era of History'.
February 9
Property of émigrés declared forfeit to the nation.
April 20
'War of the First Coalition' begins - France declares war on Austria.
April 24
'La Marseillaise' composed by Rouget de Lisle.
August 10-13
Revolution of 10 August. Storming of Tuileries. King imprisoned with his family
August 19
Lafayette, commander of the National Guard, flees to Austria.
August 22
Royalist riots in La Vendée, Brittany and Dauphiné.
August 23
Prussian army captures Longwy.
September 2
Prussian army captures Verdun
September 2-6
'September Massacres' - Paris crowd murder 1200, including 100 priests.
September 20
French defeat Prussians at Valmy.
September 20-21
Final sessions of Legislative Assembly. First session of the Convention. Unanimous vote to abolish monarchy. Revolutionary calendar introduced.
September 21-22
Year I of the First Republic proclaimed
September 29
French occupation of Nice (Sardinian territory)
October 10
Convention decree forbids use of madame and monsieur, and replaces them with citoyen and citoyenne.
November 6
French victory over Austria at Jemappes; occupation of Belgium begins.
November 19
Edict of Fraternity offers aid to all subject people everywhere 'struggling to be free'.
November 27
Savoy (formerly Sardinia) decreed 84th French département.
December 11
Trial of the king begins.
1793
January 21
Louis XVI executed.
February 1
France declares war on Britain and Holland.
February 13
First Coalition against France formed by Britain, Austria, Prussia, Holland, Spain and Sardinia.
February 25
Food riots in Paris.
March 7
France declares war on Spain.
March 11-16
Beginning of revolt in La Vendée.
March 18
France withdraws from Belgium.
April 6
Committee of Public Safety established with dictatorial powers.
May - June
Insurrection leads to fall of Gironde and purge of all government committees except the Committee of Public Safety.
May 4
Maximum imposed on grain prices.
June 24
The Convention accepts the 'Jacobin' Constitution of 1793 (Year I).
July 10
Danton leaves Committee of Public Safety.
July 12
Royalist insurrection in Toulon.
July 13
Marat stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday.
July 17
Abolition of all feudal rights without compensation.
July 27
Robespierre and St Just appointed to Committee of Public Safety.
August 1
Metric system adopted in France.
August 23
Decree of Levée en masse.
August 27
Surrender of Toulon to British.
September 4-5
Popular riots in Paris.
September 17
Law of Suspects and beginning of the Terror.
September 22
Beginning of 'Year II' of the Revolution
October 10
Decree suspending constitution and sanctioning Revolutionary government for the 'duration of the war'.
October 16
Execution of Marie Antoinette.
November 10
Festival of Liberty and Reason.
November 24
Revolutionary calendar introduced.
December 19
Toulon retaken by French.
December 23
Revolt in La Vendée crushed by Republican forces (Battle of Savenay).
1794
February 4
Abolition of slavery in all French colonies.
February 15
Tricolour adopted as French flag.
June 1
British naval victory against French in English Channel.
June 10
Law of 22 Prairial increases power of the Revolutionary Tribunal, leading to mass executions
June 26
Battle of Fleurus - French reconquest of Belgium.
July 30-31
Reorganisation of Committee of Public Safety.
August 10
Reorganisation of Revolutionary Tribunal.
September 18
State financial support for all forms of religious worship withdrawn.
September 28
Britain, Austria and Russia form Alliance of St Petersburg against France.
November 12
Jacobin Club closed.
December 24
New issue of assignats further depreciates French currency.
1795
Year of near famine throughout France.
February 19
Peace treaty between France and Tuscany.
February 21
Decree permitting freedom of worship and separation of Church and State.
April 5
Peace with Prussia signed at Basle.
April 16
Peace with United Provinces. French recognition of the 'Batavian Republic' in Holland.
May-June
'White Terror' in south.
June 8
Death of Dauphin (Louis XVII) in captivity. Comte de Provence assumes title of Louis XVIII.
July 21
Hoche destroys Royalist landings at Quiberon.
July 22
Peace with Spain signed.
August 22
Convention approves 'Constitution of Year III' which establishes Directory.
October 5
Defeat of attempted Parisian insurrection of 13 Vendémiaire by Napoleon Bonaparte's 'whiff of grapeshot'.
October 26
Convention dissolved. Directory is inaugurated. Place de La Revolution renamed Place de la Concorde.
1796
February 2-23
Napoleon given command of French army in Italy.
February 19
End of assignats.
March 9
Napoleon marries Josephine de Beauharnais.
March 18
Government issues land bonds to replace assignats; massive inflation.
March 29
End of rebellion in La Vendée.
April
Napoleon's ultimately victorious campaign against Austrians in Italy begins.
November 15-17
Napoleon wins decisive battle against Austrians at Arcola in northern Italy.
1797
March-April
Elections lead to defeat of Directory candidates; monarchists strengthened.
October 18
Treaty of Campo Formio - peace with Austria.
1798
May 19
Napoleon sails for Egypt.
August 1
French fleet destroyed in Battle of the Nile.
August 22
Formation of Second Coalition (Britain, Austria and Russia) against France.
1798-1799
Winter - Spring
French power eliminated in Italy (except for besieged garrison at Genoa).
1799
March 12
France declares war on Austria
June 18
Directory resigns.
August 22- October 9
Napoleon abandons army in Egypt and returns to France.
November 9-10
Napoleon's coup d'état of 18-19 Brumaire. Napoleon proclaimed First Consul.