Scope
This timeline covers the revolutionary transformation of France from the convening of the Estates-General to Napoleon Bonaparte's seizure of power in the Coup of 18 Brumaire.
Inclusion rule
Include events that materially changed political legitimacy, state structure, popular mobilization, elite conflict, or the internationalization of the Revolution.
Why this timeline exists
The Revolution is both a specific sequence of French events and a wider laboratory for modern politics, sovereignty, mass violence, and social transformation.
It should be read alongside the pre-revolutionary fiscal crisis of the monarchy and the wider Atlantic conflict that worsened that crisis.
Key phases
- Crisis of monarchy and Estates-General
- Constitutional revolution
- Radicalization and war
- Terror and reaction
- Directory and military-political transition