I.                                                                   French Revolution Chronology and Calendar

Sources: Hunt, Politics, Culture, and Class in the French Revolution, Popkin, A Short History of the French Revolution

 

1789                                        4 August – radical reforms proposed and approved National

                                                Assembly that essentially undo the feudal foundation of

French society

26 August – Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen approved

5-6 October – bread riot leads to group of outraged citizens (females and males dressed as females) marches to Versailles and brings the royal family back to Paris

 

1790                                        12 July – Civil Constitution of the Clergy

14 July – First Festival of Federation celebrating Bastille

Day

27 November – Decree requiring oath of loyalty from the

clergy

 

1791                                        20 June – King attempts to flee country in disguise and is

captured at Varennes

 

1792                                        20 April – Declaration of War on Austria

20 June – Invasion of the Tuileries palace by mob

10 August – Insurrection in Paris and attack on Tuileries leads to suspension of the king

2 September – Verdun lost to Prussian army

2-6 September – “September Massacres” prisons emptied and prisoners murdered

21 September – newly elected National Convention meets for first time and abolishes the monarchy

 

1793                                        17-20 January – Voting in trial of the king

21 January – Execution of Louis XVI

1 February – Declaration of War on United Kingdom and Dutch Republic

10 March – Revolutionary Tribunal established

11 March – Vendée uprising begins

4 May – first ‘maximum’ on grain prices

31 May-2 June – Insurrection that deposes and arrests the Girondins

27 July – Robespierre elected to Committee of Public Safety

5 September – ‘Terror’ is made the order of the day

5 October – Revolutionary calendar is adopted

16 October – Execution of Marie Antoinette

 

1794                                        4 February – Slavery abolished in French colonies

13-24 March – Arrests, trials, executions of ‘Hébertists’

30 March-5 April – Arrests, trials, executions of ‘Dantonists’

8 June – Festival of the Supreme Being

27-29 June – 9 Thermidor, Arrests, trials, executions of Robespierre and

his followers

12 November – Closing of the Paris Jacobin Club

24 December – Abolition of the ‘maximum’

 

1795                                        1-2 April – Popular risings in Paris

20-23 May – Second popular risings in Paris

May-June – ‘White Terror’ in South against former Terrorists

22 August – Constitution of the year III approved

5 October – Right wing counter-revolution against constitution defeated

26 October – Directory begins after elections of year IV (October 1795)

 

1796                                        April-October – Succession of Italian victories by

Napoleon Bonaparte

 

1797                                        March-April – Royalists gain in Year V elections

27 May – Execution of Babeuf

4 September – Legislature purged of ‘supposed’ Royalists in Coup of 18 Fructidor, Year V

 

1798                                        March-April – Jacobin recovery in Year VI elections

11 May – Jacobins purged from councils by Coup of 22 Floréal, Year VI

May-October – Bonaparte in Egypt and Near East

 

1799                                        9-10 November – Bonaparte’s coup of 18-19 Brumaire

 

 

Months of the Revolutionary calendar – (Begin on September 22) Vendemiaire (Vintage – Sept-Oct), Brumaire (Mist – Oct-Nov), Frimaire (Frost – Nov-Dec), Nivose (Snow – Dec-Jan), Pluviose (Rain – Jan-Feb), Ventose (wind – Feb-Mar), Germinal (Budding – Mar-Apr), Floréal (Blossom – Apr-May), Prairial (Meadow – May-Jun), Messidor (Harvest – Jun-Jul) Thermidor (Heat – Jul-Aug), Fructidor (Fruit – Aug-Sept) Then 5 days (6 in a leap year) in September Sancullotides (Days of the Pantsless – common people) – Jour de la Vertu (Virtue), Jour du Genie (Genius), Jour du Travail (work), Jour de l’Opinion (Opinion), Jour des Recompenses (Rewards), Jour de la Revolution (Revolution).