French Revolution Timeline

Italian Campaign🟢

Apr 2, 1796

The Italian Campaign was a show of Napoleon’s military skills. The battles were very successful. They were against the Austrians. Much of Northern Italy was captured.

Egyptian Campaign🟡

Jul 1, 1798

Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt had a goal: to block Britain’s trade route to India and reestablish commerce with the Levant. Many long days and battles left Napoleon’s army tired and defeated. The Battle of the Pyramids was a victory for France, but the rest of the campaign was a failure.

Consulate🟢

Nov 9, 1799

The French Consulate was a new addition to the government after the fall of Directory. It was a three-party board to govern the country. Napoleon declared himself the First Consul, and later Sole Consul for Life in 1802. He disbanded the Consulate on May 16, 1804.

Banque de France🟡

Jan 18, 1800

Napoleon founded the Banque de France to encourage recovery for his economy after the effects of the revolutionary period. At first, it was successful in its intentions, but it soon showed that it could not fix the nations economic issues. This bank is still in business today.

Concordat of 1801🔴

Jul 15, 1801

Following the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, the Catholic Church was disconnected from France. Napoleon desired to establish peace and restore the unity of the Church. This ended up failing.

Consul for Life🟢

1802

Napoleon, the First Consul already, names himself Sole Consul for Life.

Napoleonic Code🟡

Mar 21, 1804

The Napoleonic code had been planned and debated over for four years, and it was finally enacted on March 3rd, 1804. It was Napoleon’s new legal framework for his nation. While it introduced more concrete laws about property and individual rights, it gave men nearly all authority and reintroduced slavery to territories. This new system was caused by a need to update the outdated one France was currently under. This effectively influenced many civil codes in Latin American and European countries.

Napoleon crowns himself Emperor🟢

Dec 2, 1804

Napoleon’s crowning was an extravagant event meant to cement Napoleon’s place in history as a leader and hero. Pope Pius VII was called upon to crown Napoleon, but instead of going to him, the pope came to France. The coronation was almost canceled because Napoleon and Josephine never had a church wedding, but they quickly married the day before the ceremony. Napoleon took it upon himself to crown both he and his wife rather than the pope doing it. The ceremony did not have the intended effect.

The Battle of Trafalgar🔴

Oct 21, 1805

Admiral Lord Nelson led his British navy against Napoleon, leader of the French-Spanish Fleet. This attack was caused because the British believed they were facing a French security threat. Napoleon had previously won battles on the mainland, but he was no match for the English naval fleet. It was bloody battle, with the British losing 1,500 seaman, and with Nelson dying 30 minutes before the end of the battle. The effect of this event was that it established Britain’s naval supremacy.

Holy Roman Empire Abolished🟢

Aug 6, 1806

The HRE was in place for over 1,000 years, but Napoleon’s quest to annex most of Europe led to its downfall. It was dissolved after the French defeated the empire at Austerlitz. Following the Empire’s defeat, Napoleon established the Confederation of the Rhine, which collapsed in 1813.

Continental System🟡

Nov 21, 1806

The Continental System, or Blockade, was a tactical move by the French that caused an increase in French-British tension. This forbade all British goods to enter the continent. This caused Britain to retaliate, and a series of laws/orders between France and Britain were passed. This eventually caused the War of 1812.

Resistance in Spain🔴

May 2, 1808

France’s rule over Spain was not something that many Spaniards supported. Though allies through many battles, Napoleon decoded to invade Madrid in 1808 and declare his brother the King of Spain. The Spaniards naturally did not like this new level of control, and talk of rebellion began. This caused the Peninsular War to be fought over the next six years, where Napoleon was inevitably defeated by the Sixth Coalition in 1814. The effect of this was that it negated Napoleon’s power.

Invasion of Russia🔴

Jun 24, 1812

Napoleon made the grave mistake of invading Russia through the winter. While he outnumbered the Russians in troop size, they were not acclimated to the freezing climate. They ended up either starving or retreating. It ended on December 14, 1812.

The Battle of Leipzig🔴

Oct 16, 1813

This was a “battle of the nations” where nations like Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Sweden prevailed over France. This defeat drove Napoleon back. It ended on October 26.

Abdication🟡

Apr 6, 1814

Napoleon abdicated the throne after being urged to by his military commanders due to his loss of support. He was exhiled to the Island of Elba and Louis XVIII took power. He then came back after the 100 days.

The Hundred Days

Mar 20, 1815

This was the time period between Napoleon returned from the Island of Elba and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII. This period was actually 110 days long. In this time, the War of the Seventh Coalition and the Battle of Waterloo commenced. It caused the end of Napoleon’s reign.

Battle of Waterloo🔴

Jun 18, 1815

This battle was Napoleon’s final defeat. Napoleon was facing the Prussian and British armies, along with some allies, and both sides took heavy losses. The French army made some poor decisions after being fatigued, and inevitably lost the battle. This also marked the end of Napoleon’s military career. He reportedly rode away from the battle in tears.