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 IMPORTANT FRENCH HISTORICAL DATES

58 BC –  481: Rome conquers the Celtic Gaule. Gallo-Roman civilisation

481 –  987: Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties. Invasions from the East Hugues Capet, king ofFrance, begins the Capetian dynasty

XIth –  XIIIth: century: Development of agriculture and commerce. Emergence of cities. The kinggains more power against the feudal lords. Economical and cultural role of the monastical orders.Crusades.

XIVth - XVth century Epidemics (black plague, 1347), starvations and civil wars. Rivalries between the

French and the English : The 100 years War ("Guerre de Cent Ans"), Joan of Arc (1425-1431) Territorial

alliances and reconstitution of the kingdom. Agricultural, demographical and commercial renewal. The

first wars against Italy. The beginning of the French Renaissance period.

XVIth century Francis I (François I er ) (12 September 1494 –  31 March 1547) was King of Francefrom 1515 until his death. Francis I is considered to be France’s first Renaissance monarch. Hisreign saw France make immense cultural advances. In 1539, Francis signed the important edict knownas Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêt, which, among other reforms, made French the administrativelanguage of the kingdom, replacing Latin. This same edict required priests to register births, marriagesand deaths and to establish a registry office in every parish. This established the first records of vitalstatistics with filiations available in Europe.

He was a contemporary of Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire, as well as of Henry VIII of

England and of his great rival, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Religion: It was during Francis' reign that divisions in the Christian religion in Western Europeerupted. Martin Luther’s preaching and writing led to the f ormation of the Protestant movementwhich spread through much of Europe, including France. Initially, Francis was relatively tolerant ofthe new movement, and even considered it politically useful, as it caused many German princes toturn against his enemy, Charles V. However, Francis' attitude toward Protestantism changed whenhe came to view the movement as a plot against him, and began to persecute its followers.Protestants were jailed and executed. In some areas whole villages were destroyed. Printing wascensored.

Introduction of the Reformation ("Réforme"): Religious wars between Catholics and Protestants.Henri IV (1589-1610). Edit de Nantes recognizing freedom of thought and religion (1598)

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1610 –  1715: Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Absolute power of the king. French culture and hegemonyspread throughout Europe. The beginning of overseas commerce. Louis XIV revokes the “Edit deNantes”. The beginning of Protestants persecution and massive immigration.

XVIIIth century Louis XV and Louis XVI: Economic and demographical rise. Age of theEnlightenment ("Siècle des Lumières"). Denial of the king's absolute power

1789 - 1799 French Revolution. Declaration of the rights of man and citizen ("Déclaration desDroits de l'Homme et du Citoyen") (August 26, 1789). Execution of the royal family (1792). FirstRepublic. "Directoire" and "Consulat" periods

1799 - 1815 The rise of Napoléon Bonaparte, Premier consul then Emperor of France (1804).Instigation of modern administrative institutions and laws. European wars, which subsequently leadto the resignation of the Emperor

1815 –  1848: The return of a constitutional monarchy (Louis XVIII, Charles X). Revolution of 1830.Louis-Philippe. Economic prosperity. Strong industrialisation. First railways. Establishment of thefirst French colonies

1848 - 1852 Revolution: 2d Republic. First laws on work, media and education

1852 –  1870 : Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte coup d'etat (Napoléon Ier nephew) Second Empire. Politicalliberalization (1860). Period of strong economic growth and colonial expansion

1870 - 1875 War between France and Prussia. Loss of Alsace and Lorraine, dismissal of Napoléon

III. "Commune de Paris" (1871). IIIrd Republic. CHANGE OF HISTORY CURRICULUM INPRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION GEARED TOWARDS AN IDEA OF FRANCE’S

GRANDEUR TO BOOST LOW SPIRTIS AND UNITY AFTER FRENCH MILITARY DEFEAT.

1875 –  1914: Education: In 1880, Jules Ferry (an ancestor of the education minister) sought tocompletely eliminate religious personnel from state-run schools as part of his education reforms.Recognition of the right to form a union. Separation of Church and State (1905).

1914 –  1918: First World War. Allied victory. Re-institution of Alsace and Lorraine. Peace treaties

1919 –  1939: Reconstruction. Artistic shining of Paris. Economical crisis. "Front Populaire" (1936).

Tensions in Europe

1939 –  1945: Second World War. Defeat and occupation. Marshall Philippe Pétain’s Vichycollaborationist Government vs. General de Gaulle coordinating the Resistance from London andAlgiers. Allied victory (May 8, 1945)

1946 –  1957: IVth Republic. Reconstruction, demographic and economic rise. Decolonisation erupts.European Community (Rome treaty, 1957)

1958 –  1968: Return of General de Gaulle. Adoption of the Vth Republic Constitution, byreferendum (September 28, 1958). "Marché commun" (1959). "Accords d'Evian" ending the

Algerian war (March 18, 1962). The President is now elected through a direct vote from the people.Social troubles (May 1968)

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1969 - 1981 Georges Pompidou president (1969-1974). Economic development. Construction ofEurope First oil crisis (1973). Valéry Giscard d'Estaing president (1974-1981). People over 18 yearsof age are allowed to vote. Second oil crisis (1979). Inflation and unemployment increase

1981 - 1995 François Mitterrand president. Abolition of the death penalty (1981)

May 7, 1995: Jacques Chirac (conservative)president

January 1, 2001: The French Franc, national currency, is replaced by the European Euro

May 7, 2002: Jacques Chirac president (2d term)

- May 2007 : Nicolas Sarkozy president (Conservative) elected for a 5 year-term- May 2012: François Hollande (Socialist) elected for a 5 year-term