Historical overview
France’s modern political history has been shaped by monarchy, revolution, republics, empire, occupation, resistance and the development of modern constitutional government. Before 1789, France was ruled under an absolute monarchy, with society structured by legal and social privileges.
The French Revolution began in 1789 amid fiscal crisis, social inequality and political conflict. The Estates-General met in May, and the National Assembly emerged in June. The storming of the Bastille on 14 July became a major symbol of the revolution. Between 20 and 26 August, the National Constituent Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It proclaimed principles including liberty, equality before the law, national sovereignty and resistance to oppression. Assemblée nationaleThe monarchy was abolished in 1792, and the First French Republic was proclaimed. Louis XVI was executed in January 1793. The revolutionary period included political violence, the Reign of Terror, war and major changes in law and administration. Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in 1799 and became Emperor in 1804. His Civil Code of 1804 influenced legal systems in many countries, although it also reinforced patriarchal authority and restricted women’s legal independence.
France experienced successive political systems during the nineteenth century: the Bourbon Restoration, July Monarchy, Second Republic and Second Empire. The Third Republic was established in 1870 and lasted until the German occupation and collapse of 1940.
During the Second World War, France was divided between German-occupied territories and the Vichy regime, which collaborated with Nazi Germany. The French Resistance opposed occupation and collaboration. The liberation of Paris in August 1944 became a major moment in the restoration of republican government.
The Fourth Republic was established in 1946. The Constitution of the Fifth Republic, adopted in 1958 under Charles de Gaulle, created the current constitutional framework with a strong presidency. The 1962 constitutional reform introduced direct popular election of the president. The 1968 protests and strikes challenged French political and social institutions and had lasting effects on public debate.
Key historical timeline
- 987Hugh Capet becomes King of the Franks, beginning the Capetian dynasty.
- 1337–1453Hundred Years– War.
- 1598Edict of Nantes grants limited rights to French Protestants.
- 1643–1715Reign of Louis XIV.
- 1789French Revolution begins; Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adopted.
- 1792Monarchy abolished; First Republic proclaimed.
- 1793Louis XVI executed.
- 1799Napoleon’s coup of 18 Brumaire.
- 1804Napoleonic Civil Code adopted; Napoleon crowned emperor.
- 1848February Revolution establishes the Second Republic; universal male suffrage introduced.
- 1870Third Republic proclaimed after the fall of the Second Empire.
- 1905Law separates churches and the state.
- 1940French government signs armistice with Germany; Vichy regime established.
- 1944Liberation of Paris and restoration of republican institutions.
- 1946Fourth Republic established.
- 1958Fifth Republic established.
- 1962Direct election of the president approved by referendum.
- 1968Nationwide student protests and general strikes.
- 1981François Mitterrand elected president; first Socialist president of the Fifth Republic.
- 2000Presidential term reduced from seven to five years.Important historical documents to digitiseDeclaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789).Constitution of 1791.Constitution of 1793 and Constitution of 1795.Napoleonic Civil Code (1804).Constitution of 1848.Laws establishing the Third Republic.Law on the Separation of Churches and State (1905).Vichy government laws and occupation records.Records of the French Resistance and liberation.Constitution of 1946.Constitution of 1958 and 1962 amendment.European Convention on Human Rights ratification records.
Archive notes
Archive and research links
Archives nationales de France – central state archives, revolutionary records and constitutional documents.
French National Assembly – Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen – institutional history of the 1789 Declaration.
Légifrance – Full text of the 1789 Declaration – legal text and current constitutional status.
Archives nationales – History of the National Archives – describes the creation of the archive during the Revolution.Élysée – The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen – official overview of the Declaration’s influence.
Editorial note: The Declaration’s universal language did not mean that all people enjoyed equal rights in practice. Women, enslaved people in French colonies and many colonised populations were excluded from equal political participation. Include the Haitian Revolution, abolition and restoration of slavery under Napoleon, colonial history and the struggles for women’s rights.