FRENCH REGIMES SINCE 1789
1589-1789 Bourbon Monarchy
1789-1792 Revolution/Constitutional Monarchy
1792-1804 First Republic
1804-1814 First Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French
1814-1830 Restored Bourbon Monarchy: Louis XVIII, Charles X
1830-1848 Orleanist or “July” Monarchy: Louis-Philippe
1848-1852 Second Republic
1852-1870 Second Empire under Louis-Napoleon III, Emperor of the French
1870-1940 Third Republic
1940-1944 Etat français: Vichy Regime: Philippe Pétain Head of State
1944-1946 Provisional Government: Charles de Gaulle President
1946-1958 Fourth Republic
1958- Fifth Republic
SOME IMPORTANT DATES IN THE THIRD REPUBLIC TO 1914
1870-71 Franco-Prussian War 10 May 1871 Treaty of Frankfurt 21-28 May 1871 Suppression of the Paris Commune by the Army of the National Assembly 28 Jan. 1875 National Assembly votes 353-352 to establish a republic 21 June 1879 Revision of Constitution strengthens Chamber of Deputies vis-à-vis President July 1880 Amnesty for Paris Communards 12 May 1881 Protectorate over Tunisia 16 June 1881 Law on free primary education 25 August 1883 Protectorate over Annam 27 July 1884 Law enabling divorce 30 October 1886 Laicization of teaching staff in public schools Jan. – April 1889 Boulanger coup d’etat imminent Sept. 1889 Universal Exposition – Eiffel Tower July 1892 Franco-Russian entente, military agreement Dec. 1894 Conviction of Capt. Alfred Dreyfus by court martial 1894-1906 The Dreyfus Affair Oct. 1895 Protectorate over Madagascar Nov. 1898 Marchand withdraws from Fashoda 1901-1902 Formation of Radical and Radical Socialist Party; of the French Socialist Party 1902-1904 L’affaire des fiches scandal in the Army 8 April 1904 Entente Cordiale with England March 1905 Military service reduced to two years April 1905 Foundation of the Section Française de l’Internationale Ouvrière (SFIO) Dec. 1905 Law on Separation of Church and State 25 July 1909 Blériot flys across La Manche (a.k.a. English Channel) July 1911 Joffre becomes Chief of General Staff with new power Jan. 1913 Poincaré elected President Aug. 1913 Military service restored to three years 28 June 1914 Sarajevo assassination initiates the July Crisis 1 August 1914 France mobilizes 3 August 1914 Germany declares war on France August 1914 Political parties agree to a Union sacrée