The French Revolution
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Updated: 17 Nov 2022
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Created byClaire the Bread Fascist
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Events
Day of the Tiles in Grenoble, first revolt against
the kingAssembly of Vizille, assembly of the Estates-
General of DauphinéThe royal treasury is declared empty, and the
Parliament of Paris refuses to reform the tax
system or loan the Crown more moneyThe treasury suspends payments on the debts
of the governmentBrienne resigns as Minister of Finance, and is
replaced by the Swiss banker Jacques Necker,
popular with the Third EstateOver the opposition of the nobles, Necker
announces that the representation of the Third
Estate will be doubled, and that nobles and
clergymen will be eligible to sit with the Third
EstateThe Abbé Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès publishes
his famous pamphlet, "What is the Third
Estate?"King Louis XVI convokes elections for delegates
to the Estates-GeneralRiots in Paris by workers of the Réveillon
wallpaper factory in the Faubourg Saint-AntoinePresentation to the King of the Deputies of the
Estates-General at VersaillesFormal opening of the Estates-General at
VersaillesThe Deputies of the Third Estate refuse to meet
separately from the other Estates, occupy the
main hall, and invite the clergy and nobility to
join themThe nobility refuses to meet together with the
Third Estate, but the clergy hesitates, and
suspends the verification of its deputiesThe clergy renounces its special tax privileges,
and accepts the principle of fiscal equalityThe nobility renounces its special tax privilegesThe Third Estate deputies from Paris, delayed
by election procedures, arrive in VersaillesThe scientist Jean Sylvain Bailly is chosen the
leader of the Third Estate deputiesUpon the death of seven-year-old Louis Joseph
Xavier François, Dauphin of France, the eldest
son and heir of Louis XVI, his four-year-old
brother, Louis-Charles, Duke of Normandy,
becomes the new DauphinThe deputies of the nobility reject a
compromise program proposed by finance
minister Jacques NeckerAt the suggestion of Sieyès, the Third Estate
deputies decide to hold their own meeting, and
invite the other Estates to join themNine deputies from the clergy decide to join the
meeting of the Third EstateOn the proposal of Sieyès, the deputies of the
Third Estate declare themselves the National
AssemblyBy a vote of 149 to 137, the deputies of the
clergy join the assembly of the Third EstateOn the orders of Louis XVI, the meeting hall of
the Third Estate is closed and lockedThe Royal Council rejects the financial program
of Minister NeckerThe new National Assembly meets in the
church of Saint Louis in VersaillesLouis XVI personally addresses the Estates-
General (a Séance royale), where he invalidates
the decisions of the National Assembly and
instructs the three estates to continue to meet
separately48 nobles, headed by Louis Philippe II, Duke of
Orléans, join the AssemblyLouis XVI reverses course, instructs the nobility
and clergy to meet with the other estates, and
recognizes the new AssemblyA crowd invades the prison of the Abbey of
Saint-Germain-des-Prés and liberates soldiers
who had been imprisoned for attending
meetings of political clubsThe National Assembly forms a committee of
30 members to write a new ConstitutionAs tensions mount, the Comte de Mirabeau,
Third-Estate deputy from Aix, demands that the
Gardes Françaises of the military household of
the king of France be moved out of Paris, and
that a new civil guard be created within the cityThe National Assembly reconstitutes itself as
the National Constituent AssemblyLouis XVI abruptly dismisses NeckerThe National Assembly declares itself in
permanent sessionStorming of the BastilleThe astronomer and mathematician Jean
Sylvain Bailly is named mayor of Paris, and
Lafayette is appointed Commander of the
newly formed National GuardThe King reinstates Necker as finance minister
and withdraws royal troops from the center of
the cityThe King visits Paris, where he is welcomed at
the Hôtel de Ville by Bailly and Lafayette, and
wears the tricolor cockadeCamille Desmoulins begins publication of 'La
France libre', demanding a much more radical
revolution and calling for a republic arguing
that revolutionary violence is justifiedAn armed mob on the Place de Grève
massacres Berthier de Sauvigny, Intendant of
Paris, and his father-in-law, accused of
speculating in grainJacques Pierre Brissot begins publication of Le
Patriote français, an influential newspaper of
the revolutionary movement known as the
GirondinsThe King appoints a government of reformist
ministers around NeckerPublication of "A plot uncovered to lull the
people to sleep" by Jean-Paul Marat,
denouncing the reforms of August 4 as
insufficient and demanding a much more
radical revolutionThe Assembly proclaims freedom of religious
opinionsThe Assembly proclaims freedom of speechThe Assembly adopts the Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the Citizen, drafted largely
by LafayetteThe Assembly debates giving the King the
power to veto legislationCamille Desmoulins organizes an uprising at
the Palais-Royal to block the proposed veto for
the King and to force the King to return to ParisThe Constitution Committee of the Assembly
proposes a two-house parliament and a royal
right of vetoThe Mayor of Troyes is assassinated by a mobThe National Assembly gives the King the
power to temporarily veto laws for two
legislative sessionsDesmoulins publishes Discours de la lanterne
aux Parisiens, a radical pamphlet justifying
political violence and exalting the Parisian mobFirst issue of Jean Paul Marat's newspaper,
L'Ami du peuple, proposing a radical social and
political revolutionElection of a new municipal assembly in Paris,
with 300 members elected by districtsAt the banquet des Gardes du Corps du Roi in
Versailles, which Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette
and the Dauphin attended at dessert time, the
King's guards put on the white royal cocardeMarat's newspaper demands a march on
Versailles to protest the insult to the cocarde
tricolourAfter an orderly march, a crowd of women
invade the PalaceThe Assembly names Lafayette commander of
the regular army in and around ParisLouis XVI secretly writes to king Charles IV of
Spain, complaining of mistreatmentThe National Assembly holds its first meeting in
Paris, in the chapel of the archbishop's
residence next to Notre Dame CathedralThe Assembly declares a state of martial law to
prevent future uprisingsThe Assembly votes to place property of the
Church at the disposition of the NationThe Assembly moves to the Salle du Manège,
the former riding school near the Tuileries
PalaceFirst issue of Desmoulins' weekly Histoire des
Révolutions de France et de Brabant, savagely
attacking royalists and aristocratsRevolt by the sailors of the French Navy in
Toulon, who arrest Admiral d'AlbertThe Assembly decides to divide France into
departments, in place of the former provinces
of FranceIntroduction of the assignat, a form of currency
based not on silver, but on the value of the
property of the Church confiscated by the StateThe Assembly decrees that Protestants are
eligible to hold public office; Jews are still
excludedRiot in Versailles demanding lower bread
pricesMarat publishes a fierce attack on finance
minister NeckerParis municipal police try to arrest Marat for his
violent attacks on the government, but he is
defended by a crowd of sans-culottes and
escapes to LondonThe Assembly forbids the taking of religious
vows and suppresses the contemplative
religious ordersThe Assembly requires curés (parish priests) in
churches across France to read aloud the
decrees of the AssemblyThe Assembly abolishes the requirement that
army officers be members of the nobilityThe Assembly decides to continue the
institution of slavery in French colonies, but
permits the establishment of colonial
assembliesThe Assembly approves the sale of the property
of the church by municipalitiesPope Pius VI condemns the Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the Citizen in a secret
consistory.Pro-catholic and anti-revolutionary riot in the
French provinces of Vannes protesting
measures taken against the churchPro-catholic and anti-revolutionary riot in the
French provinces of Nîmes protesting
measures taken against the churchPro-catholic and anti-revolutionary riot in the
French provinces of Toulouse protesting
measures taken against the churchPro-catholic and anti-revolutionary riot in the
French provinces of Toulon protesting
measures taken against the churchPro-catholic and anti-revolutionary riot in the
French provinces of Avignon protesting
measures taken against the churchFoundation of the Cordeliers club, which meets
in the former convent of that nameRiots in MarseilleLafayette and Jean Sylvain Bailly institute the Society of 1789Law passed that allows for the redemption of
manorial duesMarat returns to Paris and resumes publication
of L'Ami du peopleThe Assembly decides that it alone can decide
issues of war and peace, but that the war
cannot be declared without the proposition and
sanction by the KingLyon celebrates the Revolution with a Fête de la
FédérationLille celebrates the Revolution with a Fête de la
FédérationStrasbourg celebrates the Revolution with a
Fête de la FédérationRouen celebrates the Revolution with a Fête de
la Fédération.Uprising of biracial residents of the French
colony of MartiniqueThe Assembly abolishes the titles, orders, and
other privileges of the hereditary nobilityAvignon, then under the rule of the Pope, asks
to be joined to FranceDiplomats of England, Austria, Prussia and the
United Provinces meet at Reichenbach to
discuss possible military intervention against
the French RevolutionThe Assembly adopts the final text on the
status of the French clergyThe Fête de la Fédération is held on the Champ
de Mars in Paris to celebrate the first
anniversary of the RevolutionThe Pope writes a secret letter to Louis XVI,
promising to condemn the Assembly's abolition
of the special status of the French clergyMarat publishes a demand for the immediate
execution of five to six hundred aristocrats to
save the RevolutionThe Assembly refuses to allow Austrian troops
to cross French territory to suppress an
uprising in Belgium, inspired by the French
RevolutionThe Assembly decides to take legal action
against Marat and Camille Desmoulins because
of their calls for revolutionary violenceThe Assembly establishes positions of justices
of the peace around the country to replace the
traditional courts held by the local noblesThe Assembly calls for the re-establishment of
discipline in the armyBattles in Nancy between rebellious soldiers of
the army and the national guard units of the
city, who support Lafayette and the AssemblyNecker, the finance minister, is dismissedMutiny of sailors of the French fleet at BrestLouis XVI writes his cousin, Charles IV of Spain,
to express his hostility to the new status of the
French clergyThe Assembly dissolves the local assembly of
Saint-Dominque (now Haiti) and again reaffirms
the institution of slaveryThe Assembly decrees that the tricolor will
replace the white flag and fleur-de-lys of the
French monarchy as emblem of FranceInsurrection in the French colony of Isle de
France (now Mauritius)Uprising of black slaves in the French colony of
Saint-Domingue (now Haiti)The Assembly decrees that all members of the
clergy must take an oath to the Nation, the Law
and the KingLouis XVI writes to King Frederick William II of
Prussia asking for a military intervention by
European monarchs to restore his authorityThirty-nine deputies of the Assembly, who are
also clergymen, take an oath of allegiance to
the governmentMirabeau elected President of the AssemblyPriests are ordered to take an oath to the
Nation within twenty-four hoursMesdames, the daughters of Louis XV and
aunts of Louis XVI, depart France for exileConstitutional bishops, who have taken an oath
to the State, replace the former Church
hierarchyDay of DaggersAbolition of the traditional trade guildsThe Assembly orders that the silver objects
owned by the Church be melted down and sold
to fund the governmentPope Pius VI condemns the Civil Constitution of
the ClergyDiplomatic relations broken between France
and the VaticanDeath of MirabeauThe Assembly proposes transforming the new
church of Sainte Geneviève, not yet
consecrated, into the Panthéon, a mausoleum
for illustrious citizens of FranceEncyclical of Pope Pius VI condemns the Civil
Constitution of the ClergyThe National Guard, despite orders from
Lafayette, blocks the royal family from going to
the Château de Saint-Cloud to celebrate EasterOn a proposal of Robespierre, the Assembly
votes to forbid members of the current
Assembly to become candidates for the next
AssemblyThe Assembly orders the transfers of the ashes
of Voltaire to the PanthéonThe Chapelier Law is passed by the Assembly,
abolishing corporations and forbidding labor
unions and strikesThe Assembly forbids priests to wear
ecclesiastical robes outside churchesThe Flight to VarennesThe King is recognized at VarennesLouis XVI returns to ParisEmperor Leopold II issues the Padua Circular
calling on the royal houses of Europe to come
to the aid of Louis XVI, his brother-in-lawThe Assembly decrees that émigrés must
return to France within two months, or forfeit
their propertyThe ashes of Voltaire are transferred to the
PanthéonThe Assembly orders the deportation of priests
who have not signed the oath to the
government, known as the Civil Constitution of
the ClergyThe Assembly orders the raising of an army of
20,000 volunteers to be camped outside ParisLouis XVI vetoes the laws on the deportation of
priests and the formation of a new army
outside ParisA secret insurrectionary committee, supported
by the Paris Commune and led by the
prosecutors Louis Pierre Manuel and Georges
Danton, is formedDemonstrators invade the Tuileries Palace and
King Louis XVI condescends to wear a red
liberty cap and drink to the health of the NationThe Assembly bans gatherings of armed
citizens within the city limitsLafayette speaks to the Assembly, denouncing
the actions of the Jacobins and other radical
groups in the AssemblyLafayette leaves Paris and returns to his armyAs the Austrian army advances slowly toward
Paris, the Assembly declares that the Nation is
in danger (La patrie en danger)The Assembly votes to send regular army units,
whose officers largely support Lafayette, far
outside the cityMembers of the Cordeliers club, led by Danton,
demand the convocation of a Convention to
replace the Legislative AssemblyThe Assembly authorises the Paris sections,
local assemblies in each neighbourhood, many
controlled by the Jacobins and Cordeliers, to
meet in permanent sessionsBrunswick ManifestoThe Brunswick Manifesto is widely circulated in
Paris, causing fury against the KingDecree by the Assembly allows working-class
citizens (those who pay no taxes) to join the
National GuardArrival in Paris of volunteer fédérés from Marseille47 of the 48 sections of Paris, mostly controlled
by the Cordeliers and the Jacobins, send
petitions to the Assembly, demanding the
removal of the KingThe Paris section Number Eighty proclaims an
insurrection on August 10 if the Assembly does
not remove the KingGeorges Danton, a deputy city prosecutor, and
his Cordeliers allies take over the Paris city
government and establish the Revolutionary
Paris communeStorming of the Tuileries PalaceThe Assembly elects a new Executive
Committee to replace the governmentRoyal family imprisoned in the TempleLafayette tries unsuccessfully to persuade his
army to march on Paris to rescue the royal
familyAt the demand of Robespierre and the
Commune of Paris, who threatens an armed
uprising if the Assembly does not comply, the
Assembly votes the creation of a Revolutionary
Tribunal, the members of which are selected by
the Commune, and the summoning of a
National Convention to replace the AssemblyThe Assembly abolishes the religious teaching
orders and those running hospitals, the last
remaining religious orders in FranceLafayette leaves his army and goes into exileFirst summary judgement by the Revolutionary
Tribunal and execution by the guillotine of a
royalist, Louis Collenot d'AngremontThe Paris Commune orders that persons
henceforth be addressed as Citoyen and
Citoyenne ("Citizen") rather than Monsieur or
MadameRoyalist riots in Brittany, Vendée and DauphinéCapitulation without a fight of Verdun to
Brunswick's troopsThe government requisitions all church objects
made of gold or silverCreation of the Louvre Museum displaying art
taken from royal collectionsLast session of Assembly votes a new law
permitting civil marriage and divorceThe French army under Generals Dumouriez
and Kellermann defeat the Prussians at the
Battle of ValmyThe newly elected National Convention holds
its first session behind closed doors, in the Salle
du Manège, the former riding school of the
Tuileries Palace, and elects its BureauThe Convention proclaims the abolition of
royalty and the First French RepublicFrench troops occupy Nice, then part of SavoyNational Assembly declares the king inviolable,
and cannot be put on trialThe more moderate members of the Jacobins
club break away to form a new club, the
FeuillantsA demonstration sponsored by the Jacobins,
Cordeliers, and their allies carries a petition
demanding the removal of the King to the
Champ de MarsFollowing the events in the Champ de Mars, the
Assembly forbids incitement to riot, urging
citizens to disobey the law, and seditious
publications, aimed at the Jacobins and
CordeliersSlave uprising begins in Saint Domingue (Haiti)Declaration of PillnitzLouis XVI formally accepts the new ConstitutionThe Assembly declares that all men living in
France, regardless of color, are free, but
preserves slavery in French coloniesThe Assembly limits membership in the
National Guard to citizens who pay a certain
level of taxes, thus excluding the working classLast day of the National Constituent AssemblyFirst session of the new national Legislative
AssemblyRiots against the revolutionary commune, or
city government, in AvignonÉmigrés are again ordered to return to France
before January 1, 1792, under penalty of losing
their property and a sentence of deathJérôme Pétion de Villeneuve is elected mayor of
Paris, with 6,728 votes against 3,126 for
LafayetteThe Legislative Assembly creates a Committee
of Surveillance to oversee the governmentPriests are again ordered to take an oath to the
government, or to be considered suspectsThe King writes a secret letter to Frederick
William II of Prussia, urging him to intervene
militarily in France "to prevent the evil which is
happening here before it overtakes the other
states of Europe"Louis XVI's brothers, (the counts of Provence
and Artois) refuse to return to France, citing
"the moral and physical captivity in which the
King is being held"Lafayette receives command of one of the
three new armies established to defend the
French borders, the Army of the Centre, based
at MetzThe Assembly votes to summon a mass army of
volunteers to defend the borders of FranceThe slave uprising in Haiti causes severe
shortages of sugar and coffee in ParisFrench citizens are required to have a passport
to travel in the interior of the countryAustria and Prussia sign in Berlin a military
convention to invade France and defend the
monarchyThe Assembly decrees the confiscation of the
property of émigrés, for the benefit of the
NationConfrontation between the army and crowds in
Béthune over the allocation of grainThe Duke of Brunswick is named to command a
joint Austrian-Prussian invasion of FranceThe Assembly granted equal rights to free
people of color in HaitiThe Assembly closes the Sorbonne, a center of
conservative theologyThe Assembly declares war on the King of
Bohemia and Hungary, i.e. to the Holy Roman
EmpireLa Marseillaise composed by Claude Joseph
Rouget de Lisle, is sung for the first time in
StrasbourgThe war beginsThe government issues 300,000,000 assignats
to finance the warThe Assembly orders the raising of 31 new
battalions for the armyThe Royal-Allemand regiment (Régiment de
Royal-Allemand cavalerie), composed of
German mercenaries, deserts the French army
and joins the Austrian-Prussian coalitionThe Hussar regiments of Saxe and Bercheny
desert the French Army and join the coalitionFrench troops occupy Basel in Switzerland, then
ruled by Archbishop of Basel, and proclaim it an
independent RepublicFrench troops occupy Frankfurt am MainThe French army under Dumouriez invades the
Austrian Netherlands (Belgium)The Convention claims the right to intervene in
any country "where people desire to recover
their freedom"Discovery in the king's apartment in the
Tuileries Palace of the armoire de fer, an iron
strongbox containing Louis XVI's secret
correspondence with Mirabeau and with
foreign monarchsThe Convention decrees the attachment of Nice
and the Savoy to FranceThe French army occupies LiègeRobespierre, leader of the Jacobins and First
Deputy for Paris in the Convention, demands
that the King be put to deathDeputies sent by Brussels assembly to the
National Convention express gratitude of the
Belgian people and request that France
officially recognise the independence of
BelgiumAt the proposal of Jean-Paul Marat, the
Convention rules that each deputy must
individually and publicly declare his vote on the
death penalty for the KingOpening of the trial of Louis XVI before the
ConventionLouis XVI is brought before the ConventionDefence of the King presented by his lawyer,
Raymond Desèze (Raymond comte de Sèze)Motions in the Convention asking that people
vote on judgement of the KingThe Convention declares Louis XVI guilty of
conspiracy against public liberty by a vote of
707 to zero.In a vote lasting twenty-one hours, 361
deputies vote for the death penalty, and 360
against (including 26 for a death penalty
followed by a pardon)Louis XVI is beheaded at 10:22 on Place de la
RévolutionBreaking of diplomatic relations between
England and FranceThe Convention declares war against England
and the Dutch RepublicThe Convention annexes the Principality of
MonacoJean Nicolas Pache is elected the new mayor of
ParisDecree of the Convention annexes Belgium to
FranceArmed royalist uprising against the Convention
begins in BrittanyThe Convention declares war against SpainWar in the VendéeRevolutionary Tribunal established in Paris,
with Fouquier-Tinville as the public prosecutorFailed uprising in Paris by the ultra-
revolutionary faction known as the enragés, led
by the former priest Jacques RouxThe Convention decrees the death penalty for
those advocating radical economic programs, a
decree aimed at the enragésThe Convention decrees the death penalty for
any participant in the uprising in the VendéeEstablishment of Revolutionary Surveillance
Committees (Comités de surveillance
révolutionnaire) in all communes and their
sectionsGeneral Dumouriez denounces revolutionary
anarchyThe Convention orders Dumouriez to return to
Paris, and sends four commissaires and Pierre
de Ruel, the Minister of War, to arrest himDumouriez arrests the commissaires of the
Convention and Minister of War and hands
them over to the AustriansConvention declares Dumouriez outside the
lawArrest of Philippe Égalité, a deputy and head of
the Orléans branch of the royal family, who had
voted for the execution of Louis XVI, his cousinDumouriez fails to persuade his army to march
on Paris, and goes over to the Austrians on
April 5Jean Paul Marat is elected head of the Jacobin
ClubCommittee of Public Safety established by the
Convention to oversee the ministries and to be
chief executive body of the governmentFirst session of the Revolutionary TribunalThe Convention votes to arrest Marat for using
his newspaper L'Ami du peuple to incite
violence and murder, and demand to suspend
the ConventionThe mayor of Paris, Jean Nicolas Pache,
demands that the Convention expel 23
deputies belonging to the moderate Girondin
factionMarat is brought before the Revolutionary
Tribunal, and is acquitted of all chargesThe rebels of the Vendée, led by the aristocrats
Charles de Bonchamps and Henri de La
Rochejaquelein, capture BressuireAt the demand of the Paris section of Saint-
Antoine, the Convention fixes a maximum price
for grainAt the demand of the Girondins, the
Convention orders the arrest of the ultra-
revolutionary enragés leaders Jacques René
Hébert and Jean VarletThe Paris Commune demands the release of
Hébert and VarletAt the Jacobin Club, Robespierre and Marat call
for an insurrection against the ConventionRelease of Hébert and VarletThe leaders of Lyon rebel against the
Convention, arresting the local Montagnard
and enragés leadersInsurrection of 31 May – 2 June 1793The sans-culottes and soldiers of the Paris
Commune, led by François Hanriot, occupy the
hall of the Convention and force it to vote for
the arrest of 29 Girondins deputies, and two
ministers, Claviére and LebrunRevolts against the Montagnard coup d'état in
Marseille, Nîmes, and ToulouseBordeaux rejects the new governmentMontagnards gain control of the Committee of
Public SafetyDespite the Revolution, scientific research
continuesLeaders of departments opposing the new
government meet in CaenRatification of new Constitution by the National
ConventionJacques Roux, leader of the ultra-revolutionary
enragés, presents his program to the
ConventionRobespierre denounces the enragés before the
ConventionRobespierre and Hébert lead a delegation of
Jacobins to the Cordeliers Club to demand the
exclusion from the club of Roux and the other
ultra-revolutionary leadersThe eight-year-old Louis XVII, king of France in
the eyes of the royalists, is taken from Marie
Antoinette and given to a cobbler named
Antoine Simon on orders from the National
ConventionMarat violently denounces the enragésCharlotte Corday assassinates Jean-Paul Marat
in his bathCharlotte Corday is tried and sentenced to
death by the Revolutionary Tribunal for
murdering MaratRobespierre elected to the Committee of Public
SafetyThe Convention institutes death penalty for
those who hoard scarce goodsThe Convention declares a scorched earth
policy against all departments rebelling against
its authorityThe Convention adopts the principles of the
metric systemOn order by decree of the Convention, a mob
profanes the tombs of the Kings of France at
the Basilica of Saint-DenisMarie-Antoinette is transferred from the
Temple to the ConciergerieThe Convention sends an army led by General
Kellermann to lay siege to the rebellious city of
LyonRobespierre is elected the president of the
ConventionLevée en masse voted by the ConventionSoldiers of the Convention capture MarseilleAnti-Convention leaders in Toulon invite the
British fleet and army to occupy the citySans-culottes occupy the Convention and
demand the arrest of suspected opponents of
the Revolution, and the creation of a new
revolutionary army of 60,000 menStart of Reign of TerrorConvention re-establishes revolutionary
government in BordeauxAll women are required to wear a cocarde
tricolorThe Convention passes the General Maximum,
fixing the prices of many goods and services, as
well as maximum salariesThe Convention orders that Marie-Antoinette
be tried by the Revolutionary TribunalAdditional moderate deputies are accused and
excluded from the Assembly; a total of 136
deputies are excludedTo break with the past and replace traditional
religious holidays, the Convention adopts the
newly created Republican CalendarLyon is recaptured by the army of the
ConventionA decree by the Convention puts the new
Constitution on holdThe Convention decrees that the city of Lyon
will be destroyed in punishment for its
rebellion, and renamed Ville-AffranchieMarie-Antoinette is summoned before the
Revolutionary Tribunal and charged with
treasonThe Army of the Convention defeats the
Austrian Army at the Battle of WattigniesMarie-Antoinette is convicted and guillotined
on the Place de la RevolutionThe Army of the Convention under Generals
Jean-Baptiste Kléber and François Séverin
Marceau-Desgraviers defeats the Vendéen
rebels at CholetThe Convention orders the repression of the
ultra-revolutionary enragésThe Convention forbids religious instruction by
clericsThe Revolutionary Tribunal sentences the 21
Girondins deputies to deathThe 21 Girondins deputies are guillotinedOlympe de Gouges, champion of rights for
women, accused of Girondin sympathies, is
guillotinedPhilippe Égalité is guillotinedMadame Roland is guillotined in the purge of
GirondinsFormer finance minister Brienne is arrested at
SensThe Cathedral of Notre Dame is re-dedicated as
a Temple of Reason in to the civic religion of the
Cult of ReasonThe astronomer and former mayor of Paris,
Jean Sylvain Bailly, is executed on the Champ de
Mars for his role in suppressing a
demonstration there on July 17, 1791On Robespierre's orders, supporters of Danton
are arrestedDanton returns to Paris, after being absent
since October 11The Paris Commune orders the closing of all
churches and places of worship in ParisConvention votes to remove Mirabeau's
remains from the Panthéon and replace them
with those of MaratThe Cordelier deputy Camille Desmoulins,
supporting Danton, publishes an appeal for
national reconciliation.Defeat of the rebel Vendéen army at Le MansWithdrawal of the British from Toulon,
following a successful military operation
conceived and led by a young artillery officer,
Napoléon BonaparteThe Army of General François Joseph
Westermann destroys the last of the Vendéen
army at SavenayTo punish the rebellious city of Toulon, the
Convention renames it Port-la-MontagneAt the Jacobins, Robespierre denounces Fabre
d'Églantine, one of the instigators of the
September massacres, father of the Republican
calendar, and ally of DantonArrest of Fabre d'Églantine for alleged diversion
of state fundsDeath of Henri de la Rochejaquelein, royalist
and military leader of the Vendéens, fighting at
NuailléThe Convention votes to abolish slavery in
French coloniesRobespierre makes accusations against the
Convention delegate Joseph Fouché at a
meeting of the JacobinsThe members of the alleged Conspiracy of
Luxembourg, a diverse collection of followers of
Danton and Hébert and other individuals, are
put on trialAt the request of Robespierre, the Convention
orders the transfer of the ashes of Jean-Jacques
Rousseau to the PanthéonA report to the Convention by Saint-Just calls
from greater centralisation of the police under
the control of the Committee for Public SafetyBy the Treaty of the Hague, between Britain
and Prussia, Britain agrees to fund an army of
62,000 Prussian soldiers to continue the war
against FranceIn a report to the Convention, the deputy
Billaud-Varenne delivers a veiled attack against
Robespierre: "All people jealous of their liberty
should be on guard even against the virtues of
those who occupy eminent positions."Malesherbes and the deputés Isaac René Guy le
Chapelier and Jacques Guillaume Thouret, four
times elected president of the Constituent
Assembly, are taken to the scaffoldRobespierre creates a new Bureau of Police
attached to the Committee of Public Safety, in
opposition to the existing police under the
Committee of General SafetyRobespierre asks the Convention to decree
"that the French people recognise the existence
of a Supreme Being and the immortality of the
soul", and to organise celebrations of the new
cultThe chemist Antoine Lavoisier, along with
twenty-six other former members of the Ferme
générale, is tried and guillotinedArrest of Jean Nicolas Pache, the former mayor
of Paris, followed by his replacement by Jean-
Baptiste Fleuriot-Lescot, a close ally of
RobespierreExecution of Madame Élisabeth, the sister of
Louis XVINaval battle between British and French fleets
off OuessantRobespierre is unanimously elected president
of the ConventionFestival of the Supreme Being, conducted by
RobespierreLaw of 22 PrairialWithout naming names, Robespierre
announces to the Convention that he will
demand the heads of "intriguers" who are
plotting against the ConventionCarnot foresightedly despatched a large part of
the Parisian artillery to the frontFrench forces under Jourdan defeat the
Austrians at the Battle of FleurusDispute within the Committee of Public SafetyRobespierre speaks at the Jacobin Club,
denouncing a conspiracy against him within the
Convention, the Committee of Public Safety,
and the Committee of General SecurityFrench forces under Generals Jourdan and
Pichegru capture Brussels from AustriansRobespierre speaks again at the Jacobin Club,
denying he has already made lists, and refusing
to name those he plans to arrestAt the request of Robespierre, Joseph Fouché is
expelled from the Jacobin ClubAlexandre de Beauharnais is tried and
executed; his widow Joséphine de Beauharnais
became Napoleon's mistress, and his wife in
1796Robespierre attends a meeting of reconciliation
with the members of the Committees of Public
Safety and General Security, and the dispute
seems settledThe poet André Chénier is among those
guillotinedMarie Thérèse de Choiseul, the princess of
Monaco is executedRobespierre gives a violent speech at the
Convention, demanding, without naming them,
the arrest and punishment of "traitors" in the
Committees of Public Safety and General
Security.At noon, Saint-Just begins his speech in the
convention, prepared to blame everything on
Billaud, Collot d'Herbois and CarnotAt two in the morning, soldiers loyal to the
Convention take the Hôtel de Ville without a
fightRobespierre lectures the Convention on the
necessity for the Terror: "The foundations of a
popular government in a revolution are virtue
and terror; terror without virtue is disastrous;
and virtue without terror is powerless. The
Government of the Revolution is the despotism
of liberty over tyranny."Napoleon Bonaparte is promoted to general for
his role in driving the British from ToulonRecall of Jean-Baptiste Carrier from NantesJacques Roux commits suicide in prisonIn a speech at the Cordeliers Club, Hébert
attacks both the factions of Danton and
RobespierreAt the Cordeliers Club, Jean-Baptiste Carrier
calls for an insurrection against the ConventionThe Committees of Public Safety and General
Security denounce a planned uprising by the
CordeliersSaint-Just, President of the Convention,
denounces a plot against liberty and the French
peopleRobespierre tells the Convention that "All the
factions must perish from the same blow."Arrest of General Hoche, a member of the
CordeliersTrial of the Hébertists beginsHébert and leaders of the Cordeliers are
condemned to death and guillotinedThe philosopher and mathematician Condorcet
is arrestedDanton, Camille Desmoulins and their
supporters arrestedTrial of Danton before the Revolutionary
TribunalThe Convention decrees that anyone who
insults the justice system is excluded from
speaking, barring Danton from defending
himselfDanton and Desmoulins are convicted and
guillotined the same dayArrest and execution of seventy allies of
Robespierre within the Paris CommuneInmates of Paris prisons arrested under the
Law of Suspects are releasedNapoléon Bonaparte is arrested in Nice, but
released on August 20The Convention reorganises the government,
distributing power among 16 different
committeesFirst anti-Jacobin demonstration in Paris by
disaffected young middle-class Parisians called
MuscadinsFrench army retakes Condé-sur-l'EscautThe Convention puts Paris under the direct
control of the national governmentThe Musée des Monuments français is founded
to protect religious architecture and art
threatened with destructionThe Abbé Grégoire, a member of the
Convention, coins the term "vandalism" to
describe destruction of religious monuments
across FranceThe Convention stops paying officially
sanctioned priests and stops maintaining
church propertiesThe remains of Marat are placed in the
PanthéonConfrontations in the meetings of the Paris
sections between supporters and opponents of
the TerrorArrest of the leaders of the bands of armed
sans-culottes in ParisFoundation of the Central School of Public
Works, the future École PolytechniqueMuscadins attack the Jacobin ClubThe Convention orders the suspension of
meetings of the Jacobin ClubTreaty of London between the United States
and England calls for joint suppression of
French corsairs and a blockade of French portsThe Convention forms a committee of 16
members to complete work on the Constitution
of 179373 surviving Girondin deputies are given seats
again in the ConventionConviction and execution of the Jacobin Carrier
for ordering the mass execution of as many as
10,000 prisoners in the VendéeThe Convention repeals the law setting
maximum prices for grain and other food
productsFrench army of Pichegru captures AmsterdamFrench cavalry capture the Dutch fleet, trapped
in the ice at Den HelderConfrontations between Muscadins and sans-
culottes in Paris streetsThe semi-official government newspaper Le
Moniteur Universel condemns the past
incitement to violence and terror by Marat and
his alliesA French army captures CologneThe Convention orders the deportation to
French Guiana of Barère, Billaud-Varenne, and
Collot d'Herbois, and the arrest of 8 extreme-
left deputies.The French army under Pichegru suppresses an
armed uprising in the Faubourg Saint-AntoineSignature of a peace agreement between
Prussia and France in BaselConvention orders the disarmament of Jacobins
who were involved in the TerrorThe Convention restores civic rights to all
citizens declared outside the law since May 31,
1793Assassination of 6 Jacobins involved in the
Terror in Bourg-en-BresseThe Convention names a commission of 8
members to revise the ConstitutionAgreement of last Vendéen rebels to lay down
their arms in exchange for amnestyMassacre of 25 Jacobins imprisoned in LyonThe former chief prosecutor, Fouquier-Tinville,
and the 14 jurors of the Revolutionary Tribunal
are condemned to death and guillotined.Armed uprising against the Convention by
Jacobins and sans-culottesNew uprising of Jacobins and sans-culottes in
Paris; they occupy the Hôtel de Ville3rd day of uprising in ParisThe army secures the Faubourg Saint-Antoine,
and disarms and arrests the participants in the
uprisingThe last Jacobin former members of the
Committees of Public Safety and General
Security are arrestedThe Convention abolishes the Revolutionary
TribunalDeath of the 10-year-old Louis XVII imprisoned
in the TempleThe Convention decriminalizes the émigrés
who fled France after the Jacobin seizure of
power on May 26, 1793Deputies who supported the May 20–22
uprising are put on trialSuicide of 6 deputies condemned to death for
participation in the May 20–22 uprisingThe rebels of the Vendée, under Charette,
resume their rebellionIn support of the Chouans, an army of émigrés,
under the command of Joseph de Puisaye,
landed at QuiberonAn army of 4,000 royalist émigrés is landed by
the British in the Bay of Carnac in BrittanyThe royalist army of émigrés in Brittany is
defeated in front of Vannes by General HocheThe Chouans are forced to abandon Auray2,000 more royalist émigrés are landed at
Quiberon, where they also are trapped by
HocheThe French Army of the Western Pyrenees in
Spain under Moncey captures Vitoria-Gasteiz
and takes Bilbao on July 19.The royalist army in Quiberon surrendersThe Peace of Basel is signed between Spain and
FranceThe Convention orders the arrest of Joseph
Fouché and several other Montagnard deputiesThe Convention adopts the Franc as the French
monetary unitConstitution of the Year III (Constitution de l'An
III), the new Constitution, is adopted by the
ConventionApproved by a national referendum, the new
Constitution comes into effectAn armed royalist uprising threatens the
ConventionBeginning of elections to the new chambers of
the legislature, the Council of Five Hundred and
the Council of AncientsMontagnard army officers dismissed under the
Convention are reintegrated into the armyThe assignat falls to just 3% of its nominal valueBonaparte is named commander in chief of the
Army of the InteriorThe first Directory is elected by the legislature;
its members are Louis Marie de La Révellière-
Lépeaux, Jean-François Rewbell, Étienne-
François Letourneur, Paul Barras and
Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, who declines to serve
and is replaced by Lazare CarnotThe legislature votes a forced loan of
600,000,000 francs to be taken from the
wealthiest French citizensThe daughter of Louis XVI and Marie-
Antoinette, Madame Royale, imprisoned in the
Temple since August 1792, is exchanged for a
group of republican prisoners held in AustriaArmistice on the Rhine halting combat between
the French and Austrian armiesCreation by the Directory of the Ministry of the
Police, under Merlin de DouaiCommemoration of the anniversary of Louis
XVI's executionThe Directory is given the provisional power to
name the administrators of citiesThe royalist and rebel leader Nicolas Stofflet
tries to restart the War in the VendéeWolfe Tone, leader of the Irish revolutionaries,
arrives in France, seeking military support to
liberate IrelandThe government stops issuing assignats, which
have lost most of their valueThe United States and Britain extend their
treaty of November 19, 1794The Vendéen rebel and royalist leader Nicolas
Stofflet is captured and executed by firing
squad in Angers the following dayOn the orders of the Directory, General
Bonaparte closes the extreme leftist Club du
Panthéon, founded by a follower of MaratThe Directory names General Bonaparte the
commander of the Army of ItalyMarriage of Napoléon Bonaparte and Joséphine
de Beauharnais, the widow of Alexandre de
Beauharnais, a French general and political
leader guillotined during the Reign of TerrorThe Directory replaces the assignat with
2,400,000,000 Mandats territoriaux, which can
be used to purchase nationalized propertyFrançois de Charette, last leader of the royalist
rebellion in Vendée, is captured and executed
by firing squad in NantesFrançois-Noël Babeuf, known as "Gracchus
Babeuf", the ultra-leftist leader and precursor
of Communism, forms an insurrectional
committee and movement, called Les Égaux
("the Equals"), to overthrow the governmentBonaparte begins his Italian campaign with
victories over the Austrians at Montenotte
(April 12) and the Sardinians at Millesimo (April
13)Babeuf's followers and the remaining
Montagnards form a common plan to
overthrow the DirectoryBonaparte forces an armistice upon the Duke
and Duchess of ParmaBonaparte defeats the Austrians at the Battle of
LodiTreaty signed in Paris between the Directory
and king Victor Amadeus III of SardiniaIn Milan, Bonaparte promises "independence"
for ItalyThe Austrians renounce the armistice along the
Rhine, and the war resumes on that frontBonaparte begins the siege of Mantua, the last
Italian city held by AustriaBonaparte signs an armistice with the king of
SicilyBonaparte's army enters Romagna, one of the
Papal StatesEnd of the civil war in the west of France, with
the submission of Georges Cadoudal and the
departure of Louis de Frotté for EnglandBonaparte signs the Armistice of Bologna with
the Holy See, which permits the French
occupation of the northern Papal StatesThe Island of Elba is occupied by the BritishA new Austrian army under Wurmser arrives in
ItalyGeneral Kléber captures FrankfurtFrench army under General Laurent de
Gouvion Saint-Cyr captures StuttgartGeneral Hoche is named head of an army to
invade Ireland in support of the Irish
independence movementBonaparte defeats the Austrians under
Wurmser at the Battle of CastiglioneTreaty of alliance signed between France and
Spain at San IldefonsoBonaparte defeats the Austrians under
Wurmser at the Battle of BassanoFailed insurrection at the Grenelle army camp
Paris by followers of Gracchus Babeuf, and
diehard Montagnards, infiltrated by agents of
the policeSpain, now allied with France, declares war on
BritainThe ew leaders of the September 9–10 Babeuf
uprising are tried by a military tribunal and
sentenced to deathBonaparte encourages the proclamation of a
Cispadane Republic in northern Italy, composed
of Modena and some of the Papal statesAustria sends 2 more armies to northern Italy
to confront BonaparteDecisive victory of Bonaparte over the
Austrians at the Battle of ArcoleAbrogation of the harshest parts of the October
25, 1795 laws punishing émigrés and refractory
priestsDeparture from Brest of a fleet carrying a
French army commanded by Hoche to invade
IrelandStorms dislocate the French invasion fleet off
the coast of Ireland and force it to return to
FranceA new Austrian army commanded by General
József Alvinczi is sent to fight General
Bonaparte in ItalyBonaparte defeats the Austrians at the Battle of
RivoliSurrender of last Austrian forces in Italy, in
Mantua, to BonaparteBonaparte occupies Ancona to force Pope Pius
VI to negotiate with himDefeat of the Spanish fleet, ally of the French,
at the Battle of Cape Saint VincentPius VI cedes Comtat Venaissin and the
northern portion of the Italian papal states to
the new Cispadane RepublicBeginning of the trial of Babeuf and his leading
followers at the High Court of Justice in VendômeThe Directory authorises French warships to
capture U.S. ships, in retaliation for the British-
US treaty of February 20, 1796Bonaparte begins a new offensive in Italy
against the army of the Archduke Charles, Duke
of TeschenFrench voters are required to take an oath of
fidelity to the government before voting on
April 18After a series of victories by Bonaparte, the
Austrians agree to negotiatePreliminary Treaty of LeobenResults of partial elections for the legislatureMassacre of anti-French insurgents in Verona
by French armyThe Directory ratifies the Treaty of LeobenBonaparte declares war on VeniceRevolutionaries overthrow the government
council (Patriciate) of VeniceBonaparte begins negotiations with the Doge of
Venice, Ludovico ManinNew session of the French legislature beginsA drawing of lots removes the moderate
republican Étienne-François LetourneurThe political agitator Babeuf and one
supporter, Darthé, are sentenced to deathFirst meeting of the Cercle Constitutionnel, a
club of prominent moderate republican
deputiesBonaparte installs a new government in Genoa,
with the aim of creating a new Ligurian
RepublicThe Director Paul Barras contacts General
Hoche, seeking support for a coup d'état
against the royalist majority in the 2 CouncilsThe royalist majority in the Councils repeals the
law of October 25, 1795, which added
punishments against refractory priests and
émigrésFrench troops land on Corfu, previously owned
by VeniceGeneral Hoche sends 15,000 soldiers from the
Rhine to Brest via Paris, on the pretext of
planning an invasion of IrelandTalleyrand proposes a French expedition
against EgyptThe French support the formation of the
Cisalpine Republic, composed of the former
Cispadane Republic and LombardyConflict within the Directory between
Barthélemy and Carnot, favorable to the
monarchists, and the 3 pro-republican
directors, Barras, La Révellière-Lépeaux, and
RewbellThe army of Hoche arrives within 3 leagues of
Paris, a violation of the ConstitutionBarras produces evidence that General
Pichegru was in secret correspondence with
Louis XVIII and the monarchists.The Councils vote a law forbidding political
clubs, including the republican Cercle
ConstitutionnelBonaparte sends General Augereau to Paris as
military commander of the city, to support a
coup d'état against the royalistsBonaparte writes to the Directory, proposing a
military intervention in Egypt "to truly destroy
England"Coup d'état of 18 Fructidor against the royalists
in the legislatureThe Directory forces the Councils to adopt new
laws annulling the elections of 200 royalist
deputies in 53 departments, and deporting 65
royalist leaders and journalistsElection of two new republican directors, Merlin
de Douai and François de Neufchâteau, to
replace Carnot and BarthélemyGeneral Augereau, who carried out the
September 4 coup, is named commander of the
new Army of the RhineDirectory instructs Bonaparte to win major
concessions in negotiations with Austria, and,
in the event of refusal, to march on ViennaSignature of peace between Austria and France
in the Treaty of Campo FormioBonaparte meets with the Irish leader Wolfe
Tone to discuss a future French landing in
IrelandAnti-French riots in Rome, and murder of a
French general, Mathurin-Léonard DuphotPope Pius VI apologises to France for the Rome
riots; apologies are rejected by the DirectoryThe French legislature passes a law authorising
a loan of 80,000,000 francs to prepare an
invasion of EnglandThe Directory orders General Berthier and his
army to march on Rome to punish the papal
government for the murder of General DuphotBonaparte presents a plan for an invasion of
England to the DirectoryThe legislature authorises French ships to seize
neutral ships carrying British merchandiseThe Vaud region of Switzerland, with French
support, declares independence from the Swiss
government in BernThe Directory authorises French troops to
intervene on behalf of the Swiss uprising in
Vaud against the Swiss governmentBerthier and his army enter RomeTalleyrand presents to the Directory a project
for a French conquest of EgyptGeneral Berthier, in Rome, proclaims a new
Roman Republic, under French protectionBonaparte recommends to the Directory the
abandonment of the invasion of England, and
an invasion of Egypt insteadThe Directory approves Bonaparte's plan to
invade EgyptThe French army captures BernThe Parliament of German states, meeting in
Rastadt, accepts the annexation of the left bank
of the Rhine by FranceUnder the sponsorship of General Brune, an
assembly in Aarau proclaims a Helvetic
RepublicFollowing the French model, the new Helvetic
Republic declares itself a secular republicThe Traité de Réunion formally unites the
Republic of Geneva with the French RepublicA report to the Council of Five Hundred
declares that the French elections were
irregular, and recommends exclusion of
candidates of the far leftBy the Law of 22 Floréal Year VI, the Council of
Ancients and the Council of Five Hundred
invalidate the election of 106 Jacobin deputiesJean Baptiste Treilhard is elected to the
Directory in place of François de NeufchâteauBonaparte and his Armée d'Orient set sail from
Toulon for EgyptAnti-British uprising begins in Ireland; the Irish
rebels believe that Bonaparte is sailing to
IrelandIrish uprising suppressed by the British armyBonaparte defeats the Mameluks at the Battle
of the PyramidsBonaparte and his army enter CairoAdmiral Nelson and the British fleet destroy the
French fleet at the Battle of the Nile, stranding
Bonaparte in EgyptA French fleet and expeditionary force sails for
Ireland to aid the Irish rebels, though the
rebellion is already defeatedFrench troops under General Humbert land at
Killala, in northwest IrelandGeneral Humbert defeats a British force at the
Battle of Castlebar, and declares an Irish
republicSuppression of a royalist revolt in the south of
the Massif Central in France and the arrest of
its leadersThe Jourdan law requires all French men
between 20 and 25 to perform military serviceThe forces of General Humbert are surrounded
by the British army at the Battle of Ballinamuck
and forced to surrenderA new French expeditionary force sails from
Brest to IrelandThe French government calls 200,000 men for
military serviceFrançois de Neufchâteau, Minister of the
Interior, creates the first Higher Council on
Public EducationFrench fleet and expeditionary force defeated
off coast of Ireland; 6 of 8 warships capturedBelgian peasants rebel against obligatory
service in French armyRemoval of the remains of Marat and 3 other
extreme Jacobins from the PanthéonSeveral former Jacobin leaders in Lyon, who
conducted the Terror there, are assassinated,
beginning of the so-called First White TerrorAn amnesty granted to former Vendéen rebels,
restoring freedom of religionOn a proposal by Boissy d'Anglas, the
Convention proclaims freedom of religion and
the separation of church and stateIn the Convention, the deputy Rovère demands
the punishment of Jacobins who carried out the
TerrorThe Convention orders the arrest of Barère,
Villaud-Varenne, Collot d'Herbois and Vadier,
the Jacobins who had orchestrated the downfall
of RobespierreIn Toulon, arrest of the Jacobins who had
carried out mass executions of the populationRiot in Toulon by sans-culottes, who execute 7
imprisoned émigrésFood riots in ParisGrain supplies in Paris are exhaustedOn a proposal by Sieyès, the Convention votes
the death penalty for leaders of movements
who try to overthrow the governmentBeginning of the trial of Fouquier-Tinville, the
head of the Revolutionary Tribunal, who
conducted the trials during the TerrorInsurrection of 12 Germinal, Year IIIPopulation of Cairo rebels against French
occupationDirectory orders deportation of Belgian priests,
blamed for peasant uprisingA Russian-Turkish fleet blockades Corfu
occupied by the French armyAustria and England agree to cooperate to
force France back to its 1789 boundariesThe army of the King of Naples captures RomeFrench troops defeat Belgian rebels at Hasselt
and massacre insurgentsFrench army under Jean Étienne Championnet
defeats the army of the King of Naples and his
wife at Battle of Civita CastellanaFrench army under Championnet recaptures
RomeFrench army attacks Naples and forces King of
Naples to take sanctuary on the flagship of
Admiral NelsonAlliance (Second Coalition) between Russia,
Britain and the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily
against France signedThe army of General Championnet captures
CapuaFrench army occupies NaplesProclamation of a new republic in Naples,
named Parthénopéenne by the DirectoryVictory of General Louis Desaix over the
Mameluks at Aswan completes the French
conquest of upper EgyptConflict between Generals Championnet and
Faipoult over the command of French troops in
NaplesChampionnet orders the expulsion of Faipoult
from NaplesBonaparte marches his army from Cairo toward
SyriaBonaparte defeats a Turkish army and occupies
Arish in the Sinai PeninsulaThe Directory orders the arrest of General
ChampionnetGeneral Jean-Baptiste Jourdan assembles the
Army of the Danube and prepares to cross the
Rhine and invade German states and AustriaFrench troops in Corfu surrender, after a long
siege by a Russian-Turkish fleetBonaparte captures Jaffa in PalestineBonaparte visits the hospital for plague victims
in JaffaThe Directory declares war on Austria and on
the Grand Duchy of TuscanyBonaparte lays siege to Saint-Jean-d'Acre in
PalestineFrench troops enter the Grand Duchy of
TuscanyArmy of General Massena defeated by
Austrians at Battle of FeldkirchDefeat of Jourdan by Austrians at Battle of
StockachBonaparte tries unsuccessfully to capture Saint-
Jean-d'AcreBonaparte fails again to take Saint-Jean-d'AcreJourdan resigns as commander of the Army of
the DanubeBeginning of legislative elections in France to
replace 1/3 of membersPope Pius VI, a prisoner of the French, is
transferred to FranceThe Austrian army of Melas and the Russian
army of Alexander Suvorov join in ItalyBonaparte defeats the Ottoman army led by
Abdullah Pasha al-Azm at the Battle of Mount
TaborFrench elections result in a major loss for
supporters of the government, and a victory for
the extreme leftBonaparte fails a 3rd time to capture Saint-
Jean-d'AcreAlexander Suvorov's Russo-Austrian army
defeats French forces under General Moreau at
the Battle of CassanoSuvorov enters MilanBonaparte fails for a 4th time to capture Saint-
Jean-d'Acre5th and last attempt by Bonaparte to capture
Saint-Jean-d'AcreAs the result of the system of drawing lots,
Rewbell leaves the Directory and is replaced by
Sieyès, who is seen as a moderate leftistAn English fleet lands soldiers at Ostend in
BelgiumRusso-Austrian army enters TurinBonaparte returns to CairoA serious struggle begins between the newly
elected left-wing members of the Council of
Five Hundred and the Directory, due to the
string of French military defeatsThe Council of Five Hundred and Council of the
Ancients annul the election of Jean Baptiste
Treilhard to the Directory and replace him with
a leftist member, Louis-Jérôme GohierCoup of 30 Prairial Year VIIA French army under Étienne Macdonald is
defeated by the Russians under Suvorov at the
Battle of the TrebiaAnother reversal in Italy: the French garrison of
Naples surrendersThe Council votes to demand a forced loan of
100,000,000 francs from wealthy citizens to
equip new armies2 commanders with neo-Jacobin sympathies
are promoted by the Directory: Joubert is
named new commander of the Army of Italy,
and Championnet is chosen to command the
Army of the AlpsA neo-Jacobin club, the Société des amis de la
Liberté et de l'Égalité ("Society of the Friends of
Liberty and Equality"), is founded in ParisThe Council of Five Hundred votes a new law on
hostages, demands lists of royalists be made in
each department, and brings accusations
against former members of the Directory with
royalist tendenciesAt a celebration of the anniversary of the
Revolution, General Jourdan calls "bringing
back the pikes", the weapons of the Jacobin
street mobs during the TerrorAn Ottoman army under the command of Seid
Mustafa Pasha, transported to Egypt by Sidney
Smith's British fleet, lands at AbukirBonaparte defeats Seid Mustafa Pasha's
Ottoman army at the Battle of AbukirRoyalist uprisings in Toulouse and BordeauxSieyès orders the closing of the new Jacobin
Club in ParisDefeat of the French Army of Italy under
General Joubert at the Battle of NoviThe Council of Five Hundred decides, by a vote
of 217–214, not to arrest and try the former
members of the Directory accused of royalist
sympathiesBonaparte has had no news from France in 6
months.Pope Pius VI dies, a French prisoner, in ValenceChampionnet, prominent among the Jacobin
generals, is named new commander of the
Army of ItalyGeneral Jourdan, leader of the Jacobins in the
army, asks the Council of Five Hundred to
declare a state of national emergencyCouncil of Five Hundred refuses to declare a
state of national emergencyThe Director Sieyès obtains the resignation of
Jean Bernadotte as Minister of War, on the
grounds that Bernadotte was planning a
Jacobin coup d'étatThe royalist leaders in the west of France,
including the Breton Chouan leader Georges
Cadoudal, meet to organise a new uprising
against ParisThe royalist military commander Louis de
Frotté lands in Normandy to take charge of the
new uprisingGeneral Masséna defeats the Russian-Austrian
army of Alexander Rimsky-Korsakov at the
Second Battle of ZurichThe Russian army under Suvorov is forced to
retreat across the AlpsA French-Dutch army under General Brune
defeats a Russian-British force at the Battle of
CastricumBonaparte lands at Saint-RaphaëlSieyès invites General Moreau to organize a
coup d'état against the Jacobins in the Councils,
but Moreau refusesBonaparte arrives in Paris for public
celebrationsBonaparte is received by the DirectoryThe royalist forces in the west, the Chouans,
capture Nantes, but are forced to withdraw the
next dayThe Russian Czar Paul I orders the withdrawal
of Russian troops from the war against the
FrenchLucien Bonaparte, younger brother of General
Napoléon Bonaparte, is elected President of
the Council of Five HundredBonaparte meets with Sieyès; the two men
dislike each other but agree to a parliamentary
coup d'état to replace the DirectoryBonaparte meets with Fouché, the Minister of
Police, who agrees not to interfere with a coup
d'étatThe Councils of the Ancients and the Five
Hundred offer a banquet to Bonaparte at the
former church of Saint SulpiceGeneral Jourdan proposes that Bonaparte join
him in a Jacobin coup d'état against the
DirectoryBonaparte dines with Cambacérès and
arranges the final details of the coup d'étatThe coup d'état of 18 Brumaire beginsAs proposed by Bonaparte, the members of the
two Councils are transported to the château of
Saint-CloudBonaparte rejects a constitution proposed by
SieyèsThe Councils, now firmly under the control of
Bonaparte, adopt the Constitution of the Year
VIIIPeriods
Food riots in ParisFollowing the news of surrender of Verdun, the
Commune orders massacres of prisoners in
Paris prisonsArrest and execution of Robespierre; End of the TerrorThe Directory Replaces the ConventionLast Paris uprising by the Jacobins and sans-culottesRenewed uprisings in the Vendée and a royalist invasion of BrittanyThe new Constitution is approved: the Directory takes powerNapoleon's campaign in Italy; Defeat of the royalists in the Vendée; a failed uprising in ParisBonaparte chases the Austrians from Italy; a republican coup d'état against the royalists in ParisNew republics in Switzerland and Italy; an election annulled; Bonaparte invades EgyptFrance at War in Italy and Germany; Bonaparte returns from Egypt; the Consulate seizes power; End of the RevolutionThe royal treasury is empty; Prelude to the RevolutionThe Revolution Begins; the Estates-General and the Constituent AssemblyThe Rise of the Political ClubsThe unsuccessful flight of the Royal Family from ParisWar and the overthrow of the monarchyTrial and Execution of Louis XVIFrance at war against Europe; The Jacobins seize power; The Terror beginsCommittee on Public Safety takes control of governmentThe Jacobin Coup d'ÉtatThe fury of the Terror or, the Cult of the Supreme Being, and the Downfall of RobespierreElections for 1/3 of the seats in the French legislatureBonaparte invades and captures MaltaBonaparte lands in Egypt and captures AlexandriaDirectory, desperate for money, imposes new real estate tax and additional taxes based on number of doors and windowsFrench armies under Jourdan and Bernadotte cross the RhineMasséna is forced to withdraw his forces from ZürichRoyalist forces in Brittany and the Vendée
briefly capture several cities, but are quickly
driven out by the French armyBonaparte and the two other Provisional
Consuls form a new government, Berthier as
minister of War, Talleyrand in charge of foreign
relations, Fouché as minister of Police, and
Cambacérès as minister of Justice.
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