French Revolution Timeline: 1795 - 1799 (The Directory)

1795

January
• January: Peace negotiations opens between the Vendéans and the central government.
• January 20: French forces occupy Amsterdam.

February
• February 3: The Batavian Republic proclaimed in Amsterdam.
• February 17: Peace of La Jaunaye: Vendéan rebels offered an amnesty, freedom of worship and no conscription.
• February 21: Freedom of worship returns, but church and state are officially separated.

April
• April 1-2: Germinal uprising demanding the 1793 constitution.
• April 5: Treaty of Basle between France and Prussia.
• April 17: The Law of Revolutionary Government is suspended.
• April 20: Peace of La Prevalaye between Vendéan rebels and the central government with the same terms as La Jaunaye.
• April 26: Representatives en mission abolished.

May
• May 4: Prisoners massacred in Lyons.
• May 16: Treaty of the Hague between France and the Batavian Republic (Holland).
• May 20-23: Uprising of Prairial demanding the 1793 constitution.
• May 31: The Revolutionary Tribunal closed.

June
• June 8: Louis XVII dies.
• June 24: Declaration of Verona by self declared Louis XVIII; his statement that France must return to the pre-revolutionary system of privilege ends any hope of a return to monarchy.
• June 27: Quiberon Bay Expedition: British ships land a force of militant émigrés, but they fail to break out.

748 are caught and executed.

July
• July 22: Treaty of Basle between France and Spain.

August
• August 22: Constitution of the Year III and the Two Thirds Law passed.

September
• September 23: Year IV begins.

October
• October 1: Belgium annexed by France.
• October 5: Uprising of Vendémiaire.
• October 7: Law of Suspects cancelled.

• October 25: Law of 3 Brumaire: émigrés and the seditious barred from public office.
• October 26: Final session of the Convention.
• October 26-28: The Electoral Assembly of France meets; they elect the Directory.

November
• November 3: The Directory begins.
• November 16: The Pantheon Club opens.

December
• December 10: A forced loan is called.

1796

• February 19: Assignats abolished.
• February 27: Pantheon Club and other neo-Jacobin groups closed.
• March 2: Napoleon Bonaparte becomes commander in Italy.
• March 30: Babeuf creates an Insurrectionary Committee.
• April 28: French agrees an armistice with Piedmont.
• May 10: Battle of Lodi: Napoleon defeats Austria. Babeuf arrested.
• May 15: Peace of Paris between Piedmont and France.
• August 5: Battle of Castiglione, Napoleon defeats Austria.
• August 19: Treaty of San Ildefonso between France and Spain; the two become allies.
• September 9-19: Grenelle Camp uprising, fails.
• September 22: Start of Year V.
• October 5: The Cispadane Republic is created by Napoleon.
• November 15-18: Battle of Arcole, Napoleon defeats Austria.
• December 15: French expedition to Ireland sails, intended to cause an uprising against England.

1797

• January 6: French expedition to Ireland withdraws.
• January 14: Battle of Rivoli, Napoleon defeats Austria.
• February 4: Coins return to circulation in France.
• February 19: Peace of Tolentino between France and the Pope.
• April 18: Elections of Year V; electors turn against the Directory. Leoben Peace Preliminaries signed between France and Austria.
• May 20: Barthélemy joins the Directory.
• May 27: Babeuf executed.
• June 6: Ligurian Republic proclaimed.
• June 29: Cisalpine Republic created.
• July 25: Clamp down on political clubs.
• August 24: Repeal of laws against clergy.
• September 4: Coup d'état of Fructidor: Directors Barras, La Révellière-Lépeaux and Reubell use military support to overturn election results and strengthen their power.
• September 5: Carnot and Barthélemy are removed from the Directory.
• September 4-5: Start of 'Directorial Terror'.
• September 22: Start of Year VI.
• September 30: Bankruptcy of the Two Thirds reduces national debt.
• October 18: Peace of Campo Formio between Austria and France.
• November 28: Start of Congress of Rastadt to negotiate a general peace.

1798

• January 22: Purge in the Dutch Convention.
• January 28: The free city of Mulhouse is annexed by France.
• January 31: Law on elections allows councils to 'verify' deputies credentials.
• February 15: Proclamation of the Roman Republic.
• March 22: Elections of Year VI. Proclamation of the Helvetic Republic.
• April 26: Geneva is annexed by France.
• May 11: Coup d'état of 22 Floréal, where the Directory alters election results so favoured candidates are elected.
• May 16: Treilhard replaces Neufchâteau as a Director.
• May 19: Bonaparte's expedition to Egypt leaves.
• June 10: Fall of Malta to France.
• July 1: Bonaparte's expedition lands in Egypt.
• August 1: Battle of the Nile: the English destroy the French fleet at Aboukir, compromising Napoleon's war in Egypt.
• August 22: Humbert lands in Ireland but fails to damage the English.
• September 5: The Jourdan Law introduces conscription and calls up 200,000 men.
• September 22: Start of Year VII.
• October 12: Peasants war starts in Belgium, repressed by the French.
• November 25: Rome is captured by Neopolitans.

1799

January
• January 23: France captures Naples.
• January 26: The Parthenopean Republic is proclaimed in Naples.

March
• March 12: Austria declares war on France.

April
• April 10: The Pope is brought to France as a captive. Elections of the Year VII.

May
• May 9: Reubell leaves the Directory and is replaced by Sieyés.

June
• June 16: Aggravated by France losses and disputes with the Directory, the ruling Councils of France agree to sit permanently.

• June 17: The Councils overturn the election of Treilhard as Director and replace him with Ghier.
• June 18: Coup d'état of 30 Prairial, 'Journee of the Councils': the Councils purge the Directory of Merlin de Douai and La Révellière-Lépeaux.

July
• July 6: Foundation of the neo-Jacobin Manège club.
• July 15: Law of Hostages allows hostages to be taken among émigrés families.

August
• August 5: A loyalist uprising occurs near Toulouse.
• August 6: Forced loan decreed.
• August 13: Manège club shut down.
• August 15: French General Joubert is killed at Novi, a French defeat.
• August 22: Bonaparte leaves Egypt to return to France.
• August 27: An Anglo-Russian expeditionary force lands in Holland.
• August 29: Pope Pius VI dies in French captivity at Valence.

September
• September 13: The 'Country in Danger' motion is rejected by the Council of 500.
• September 23: Start of Year VIII.

October
• October 9: Bonaparte lands in France.

• October 14: Bonaparte arrives in Paris.
• October 18: The Anglo-Russian expeditionary force flees from Holland.
• October 23: Lucien Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, is elected president of the Council of 500.

November
• November 9-10: Napoleon Bonaparte, aided by his brother and Sieyès, overthrows the Directory.

• November 13: Repeal of the Law of Hostages.

December
• December 25: Constitution of the Year VIII proclaimed, creating the Consulate.

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