a timeline of french history
PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS DIRECTLY QUOTED AND IS NOT MINE; THEREFORE, IT SHOULD NOT COUNT TOWARDS THE 1,200 WORD LIMIT. IMAGES WERE ADDED BY ME TO ENHANCE USER INTERACTION.
ORIGINS OF FRENCH HISTORY
1500 BCE: PREHISTORIC POPULATIONS INHABIT THE EARLY LAND OF GAUL (FRANCE). CAVE ART AND STONE MONUMENTS ARE CREATED
(PICTURED ARE THE CARNAC STONES)
(PICTURED ARE THE CARNAC STONES)
1200 BCE: SETTLEMENT BY THE GAULLES (PINK), WHO WERE RELATED TO THE CELTS
59-52 BCE: CONQUEST OF GAUL BY JULIUS CÆSAR AND THE FORMATION OF A GALLO-ROMAN CIVILISATION
500 CE: BARBARIAN INVASIONS AND THE END OF PAX ROMANA, FOLLOWING THE FALL OF ROME
600 CE: SETTLEMENT OF THE FRANKS, A BARBARIAN TRIBE FROM WHICH FRANCE DERIVES ITS NAME
eSTABLISHMENT OF A STATE AND NATION
768 CE: CHARLEMAGNE, NAMED EMPEROR OF THE WESTERN WORLD, ATTEMPTS TO RECREATE THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
987 CE: HUGHES CAPET FOUNDS THE CAPETIAN DYNASTY, WHICH LASTS UNTIL 1328. THE MONARCHY ASSERTS ITS NEW POWER OVER FEUDAL LORDS.
1000-1200s CE: FLOURISHING OF ROMANESQUE AND GOTHIC ART; CRUSADES
(PICTURED IS NOTRE DAME DE PARIS)
(PICTURED IS NOTRE DAME DE PARIS)
1300-1400s CE: FRENCH-ENGLISH RIVALRY CULMINATES IN THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR, TRIGGERING A NEW WAVE OF NATIONALISM. FRANCE IS ALSO PLAGUED BY THE BLACK DEATH AND FAMINE.
ABSOLUTE MONARCHY AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT
1400-1500s CE: THE RENAISSANCE SPREADS THROUGHOUT EUROPE.
1539 CE: FRENCH REPLACES LATIN AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF FRANCE.
1562-1589 CE: RELIGIOUS WARS BETWEEN CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS
1598 CE: EDICT OF NANTES GRANTS FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND WORSHIP
1610-1715 CE: REIGN OF LOUIS XIII, FOLLOWED BY THE ABSOLUTE MONARCHY OF LOUIS XIV, RESULTING IN ROYAL AUTHORITY AND HEGEMONY; INCREASED SPREAD OF FRENCH CULTURE
1700s CE: ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH; AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT; ABSOLUTISM QUESTIONED; FRENCH PARTICIPATE IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
1789 CE: FRENCH REVOLUTION; DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND THE CITIZEN; MONARCHY ABOLISHED
THE AGE OF EMPIRES
1789-1815 CE: POLITICAL CHANGES OCCUR; FIRST REPUBLIC IS ESTABLISHED; THE DIRECTOIRE IS ESTABLISHED; THE CONSULATE IS ESTABLISHED; IN 1804, NAPOLEON I IS CROWNED EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH; HE REORGANISES THE FRENCH ADMINISTRATION AND LEGAL SYSTEM, ESTABLISHING THE NAPOLEONIC CODE
1815 CE: THE FIRST EMPIRE FALLS WITH NAPOLEON AT HIS DEFEAT AT WATERLOO; THE MONARCHY IS REESTABLISHED, AFTER NAPOLEON IS FORCED TO ABDICATE AND EXILED ONCE MORE
1830-1848 CE: REVOLUTION; "JULY MONARCHY;" INDUSTRIALISATION
1848 CE: REVOLUTION; SECOND REPUBLIC IS ESTABLISHED; SLAVERY IS ABOLISHED
1852-1870 CE: SECOND EMPIRE ESTABLISHED BY REFERENDUM BY NAPOLEON III (PRESIDENT LOUIS-NAPOLEON BONAPARTE); PROSPERITY AND GROWTH; COLONIAL CONQUESTS
1870-1871 CE: FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR; LOSS OF ALSACE-LORRAINE; DEFEAT OF NAPOLEON III AND FALL OF THE SECOND EMPIRE
1875 CE: THIRD REPUBLIC IS ESTABLISHED
REPUBLICAN FRANCE
1880-1910 CE: SECULAR EDUCATION, FREEDOM TO ASSEMBLE, SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE (1905), COLONIAL EXPANSION RATIFIED; WORLD'S FAIR (EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE) IN 1900, DEBUTING THE EIFFEL TOWER
1914-1918 CE: WORLD WAR I (1,350,000 KILLED); THE U.S. ENTERS THE WAR IN 1917;
ALSACE-LORRAINE RESTORED TO FRANCE; TREATY OF VERSAILLES (1919)
ALSACE-LORRAINE RESTORED TO FRANCE; TREATY OF VERSAILLES (1919)
1936-1938 CE: RISE OF THE POPULAR FRONT; SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDE AGREEMENTS ON WORK CONDITIONS AND PAID VACATIONS
1939-1945 CE: WORLD WAR II (700,000 KILLED); GERMANY OCCUPIES FRANCE; COLLABORATION WITH THE VICHY REGIME; GENERAL DE GAULLE CALLS FOR FRENCH TO RESIST; RESISTANCE
1944-1945 CE: NORMANDY AND PROVIDENCE LANDINGS; LIBERATION OF FRANCE
1946-1958 CE: FOURTH REPUBLIC IS MARKED BY ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION AND THE END OF COLONISATION; POLITICAL INSTABILITY; BEGINNING OF THE EUROPEAN RECONSTRUCTION; SHARP DEMOGRAPHIC INCREASE; COTY ELECTED IN 1954
FIFTH REPUBLIC
1958 CE: DE GAULLE RETURNS TO POWER AND ESTABLISHES THE FIFTH REPUBLIC, ADOPTED BY REFERENDUM
1962 CE: END OF ALGERIAN WAR, WHICH BEGUN IN 1954
1969-1974 CE: POMPIDOU IS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC; EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION STRENGTHENS
1974-1981 CE: D'ESTAING, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC; OIL CRISIS, FOLLOWED BY RECESSION
1981 CE: SOCIALIST CANDIDATE, MITTERRAND, IS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC WITH A LEFT-WING MAJORITY IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY; DECENTRALISATION LAWS; NATIONALISATION OF LARGE CORPORATIONS
1986 CE: LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS; THE LEFT LOSES OUT TO CONSERVATIVE PARTIES; CHIRAC IS APPOINTED PRIME MINISTER; RE-PRIVATISATION
1988 CE: MITTERRAND IS RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC; THE LEFT WINS A MAJORITY IN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS
1992 CE: THE FRENCH RATIFY THE MAASTRICHT TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION BY REFERENDUM
1993 CE: VICTORY OF THE RIGHT IN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS; PRIVATISATION PROGRAM CONTINUES
(PICTURED IS THE LOGO OF THE UNION FOR POPULAR MOVEMENT, FRANCE'S MAJOR RIGHT-WING PARTY)
(PICTURED IS THE LOGO OF THE UNION FOR POPULAR MOVEMENT, FRANCE'S MAJOR RIGHT-WING PARTY)
1995 CE: CHIRAC ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
2007 CE: SARKOZY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
2012 - 2013 CE: HOLLANDE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC; SAME SEX MARRIAGE LEGALISED
PRESENT: THE SOCIALIST PARTY (PARTI SOCIALISTE) HAS HELD POWER SINCE IN 2012 ELECTIONS, IMPROVING SOCIAL ISSUES AND PAVING THE WAY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL.
CREDIT: ALL TIMELINE INFORMATION WAS USED FROM "FRANCEGATE.COM"