58 BC - 481 AD |
Roman conquest of Celtic Gaul.
Gallo-Roman civilization. |
481-987 |
Merovingian and Carolingian
dynasties. Sweeping invasions from the east. Hugh Capet, elected King of
France, founds the Capetian dynasty. |
11th-13th centuries |
Development of agriculture and
trade. Emergence of towns. Royal power gains ground over feudal lords.
Economic and cultural role of the great monastic orders. Crusades. |
14th-15th centuries |
Epidemics (Black Death, 1397),
famine and civil wars. Rivalry between France and England: Hundred Years'
War, epic of Joan of Arc (1425-1431). Territorial alliances and
reconstitution of the kingdom. Development of agriculture, the population
and trade. First Italian wars and start of the Renaissance in France. |
16th century |
The Reformation. Religious wars
between Catholics and Protestants. Reign of Henry IV (1589-1610). Edict of
Nantes grants freedom of conscience and worship (1598). |
1610-1715 |
Reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV.
Royal power at its peak; France dominates Europe, French culture spreads.
Start of large-scale sea trade. |
18th century |
Reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI.
Economic and demographic growth. Age of Enlightenment. Absolute monarchy
challenged. |
1789-1799 |
French Revolution. Declaration of
the Rights of Man and the Citizen (26 August 1789). Abolition of the
monarchy (1792). First Republic. Directory. Consulate. |
1799-1815 |
Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, First
Consul, then Emperor of the French (1804). Establishment of modern
administrative institutions, codification of the law. European wars lead to
abdication of the Emperor. |
1815-1848 |
Restoration and constitutional
monarchy (Louis XVIII, Charles X). Revolution of 1830. Reign of
Louis-Philippe. Economic prosperity. Rapid development of industrialization.
First railways. First colonies established. |
1848-1852 |
Revolution. Second Republic. First
laws on labor, the press and education. |
1852-1870 |
Coup d'Etat by Louis-Napoleon
Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon I. Second Empire. Political liberalization
(1860). Period of strong growth and colonial expansion. |
1870-1875 |
Franco-Prussian war resulting in
the loss of Alsace and Lorraine and the fall of Napoleon III. Paris Commune
(1871). Third Republic. |
1875-1914 |
Parliamentary power at its peak.
Recognition of trade unions. Separation of church and state (1905).
Important scientific and technological inventions. |
1914-1918 |
First World War. Allied victory.
Alsace and Lorraine revert to France. Peace treaties. |
1919-1939 |
Reconstruction. Paris attracts
artists from all parts of the world. Great Depression. Popular Front (1936),
development of social legislation. Tension rises in Europe. |
1939-1945 |
Second World War. Defeat and
occupation. General de Gaulle leads the Resistance from London and Algiers.
Allied victory (8 May 1945). |
1946-1957 |
Fourth Republic. Reconstruction.
Demographic and economic growth. Decolonization. Founding of the European
Communities (Treaty of Rome, 1957). |
1958-1968 |
General de Gaulle returns to power.
Constitution of the Fifth Republic adopted by referendum (28 September
1958). Common Market becomes a reality (1959). Signature of Evian Agreements
ends war in Algeria (18 March 1962). Constitutional amendment introduces
election of the President of the Republic by direct universal suffrage
(referendum of 28 October 1962). General de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer
sign Elysée Treaty establishing a framework for Franco-German rapprochement
(23 January 1963). Economic growth. Social crisis (May 1968). |
1969-1981 |
Georges Pompidou's presidency
(1969-1974). Economic development. Continued European construction (first
attempt to coordinate currencies by setting up the "snake" on 10 April 1972,
and expansion of the European Communities to include Denmark, Ireland and
the United Kingdom on 1 January 1973). First oil shock (1973).
Presidency of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1974-1981). Stages in European
construction: European Council established (December 1974), first Lomé
Convention signed (28 February 1975), European Monetary System - EMS - set
up (1 January 1979), accession of Greece (1 January 1981). Right to vote at
age 18 introduced. Abortion law promoted by Simone Veil is adopted (17
January 1975). Second oil shock (1979). Rise of inflation and unemployment. |
1981-1995 |
Presidency of François Mitterrand
(elected 1981, reelected 1988). Death penalty abolished (1981).
Decentralization laws passed (1982). Rules governing radio and television
stations are liberalized (1982).European construction progresses: Spain and
Portugal join on 1 January 1986, the Single Act comes into effect on 1 July
1987, the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Maastricht) is ratified by
referendum (20 September 1992). |
1986-1988 |
First cohabitation: The 1986
general election resulted in a parliamentary majority for the two main
right-wing parties, RPR and UDF. Jacques Chirac is appointed Prime Minister
by President François Mitterrand. This first cohabitation ended with
François Mitterrand's re-election in 1988. |
1993-1995 |
Second cohabitation: Edouard
Balladur is appointed Prime Minister by François Mitterrand after the 1993
General Election. This cohabitation ended with Jacques Chirac's election as
President of the Republic in 1995. |
May 7, 1995 |
Jacques Chirac is elected President
of the Republic. Alain Juppé is appointed Prime Minister. |
May-June 1997 |
Dissolution of the National
Assembly and General Elections resulting in a left-wing majority and thus
the third cohabitation. Lionel Jospin is appointed Prime Minister. |
October 2, 1997 |
Signing of the Amsterdam Treaty. |
January 1, 1999 |
Beginning of the introduction of
the euro. The exchange rates for 11 European currencies are permanently
fixed relative to each other and relative to the euro. |
September 24, 2000 |
In a referendum, 73 percent of the
French people voted in favor of shortening the presidential term from 7 to 5
years. The 5-year term will be effective after the presidential elections of
2002. |
January 2, 2002 |
Euro bills and coins are
introduced. The euro now is used for all transactions in the 12
participating European Union countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Spain,
Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland). |
February 17, 2002 |
French francs are no longer legal
tender in France. |
May 5, 2002 |
Jacques Chirac is re-elected
President of the Republic and appoints Jean-Pierre Raffarin as Prime
Minister. It is the end of the third cohabitation. |