1788

August

Louis XVI agrees to summon the Estates General

1789

April

Robespierre elected representative to Estates General by Third Estate of Artois

First Jacobin Club formed at Versailles by delegates to Estates General

May

Estates General meet in Versailles

17 June

Third Estate renames itself the National Assembly

20 June

Tennis Court Oath

9 July

National Assembly adopts title of National Constituent Assembly

14 July

Storming of the Bastille

4 August

Abolition of feudal rights and privileges

26 August

Adoption of Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

5-6 October

Louis XVI and royal family forcibly moved from Versailles to Paris

October

National Constituent Assembly also moves from Versailles to Paris

Jacobin Club installs itself in former monastery of the Jacobins, rue Saint-Honoré

2 November

Nationalization of Church property

12 December

Introduction of assignats (revolutionary currency)

1790

January-February

Municipal elections across France and division of nation into 83 departments

13 February

Monastic vows forbidden

June

Abolition of nobility and titles

July

Civil Consitution of the Clergy (reorganization of Catholic Church under control of state)

14 July

Festival of Federation

1791

March

Abolition of guilds

20-21 June

Royal family's flight to Varennes

17 July

Champs de Mars Massacre

27 August

Declaration of Pillnitz

September

Louis XVI accepts new constitution

Elections held for new Legislative Assembly

Slavery abolished in France (but not in colonies)

October

First meeting of Legislative Assembly

1792

January-March

Food riots in Paris

Fall of Feuillant ministry and rise of Girondins

20 April

Declaration of war against Austria

25 April

First use of guillotine

10 August

Storming of the Tuileries, fall of monarchy, and imprisonment of royal family

12 August

Robespierre elected to Paris Commune

August

Establishment of first Revolutionary Tribunal

2-6 September

September Prison Massacres

September

Election of new National Convention (Robespierre elected deputy for Paris)

France declared a republic and monarchy abolished

Revolutionary Calendar introduced

10 December

Trial of king begins

1793

January

King unanimously convicted, sentenced to death, and executed (on the 21st)

February-March

Declaration of war against Britain, Spain, and Holland

March

Beginning of royalist revolt in La Vendée

10 March

Establishment of second Revolutionary Tribunal

5 April

Defection of Girondin general Dumouriez

6 April

Establishment of Committee of Public Safety

May

Federalist revolt in Lyon

May-June

Anti-Girondin uprising in Paris and purge of Girondins from Convention

24 June

Adoption of republican constitution

13 July

Assassination of Marat

27 July

Robespierre elected to Committee of Public Safety

July-August

War with Federalists (siege of Lyon begins, 8 August)

27 August

Surrender of Toulon to British

5 September

Terror declared

17 September

Law of Suspects

29 September

Law of General Maximum

October-December

Imposition of Terror in Lyon and Toulon; repression of La Vendée rebellion

5 October

Adoption of Republican Calendar (backdated to 22 September 1792)

16 October

Execution of Marie Antoinette

31 October

Execution of Brissot and Girondins deputies

November

Beginning of dechristianization campaign; Festival of Reason in Notre Dame (10 November)

4 December

Law of 14 Frimaire centralizing power in the hands of the Committee of Public Safety

1794

4 February

Abolition of slavery in French colonies

24 March

Execution of Hébertists

5 April

Execution of Dantonists

May

Cult of Supreme Being introduced to replace dechristianizers' Cult of Reason

27 May

Cécile Renault's failed assassination attempt upon Robespierre

8 June

Festival of the Supreme Being

10 June

Law of 22 Prairial reorganizes and further empowers Revolutionary Tribunal, accelerating Terror

26 June

French victory at Battle of Fleurus

27 July

Coup of 9 Thermidor

28 July

Execution of Robespierre and Robespierrists