French First Republic - Definition and Overview

The French people proclaimed France's First Republic on 21 September 1792 as a result of the French Revolution and of the abolition of the French monarchy. This marked the first occasion in many centuries where a major European state moved from monarchical to republican mode, and presaged a new era of republican government(s) in Europe.

Republican government officially lasted until the establishment of the First French Empire in 1804. Its rulers included Napoleon Bonaparte, who served as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, when he ended the republic by declaring himself Emperor Napoleon I.

Constitutionally, the republic subdivides into government by:

• The National Convention: 1792-1795
• The Directory: 1795-1799
• The Consulate: 1799-1804

However, major events and phases such as the Reign of Terror and 18 Brumaire, and important groupings like the Committee of Public Safety and the levée en masse often tend to overshadow the official history and the official bodies.

Compare:

• French Second Republic (1848 - 1852)
• French Third Republic (1870 - 1940)
• French Fourth Republic (1946 - 1958)
• French Fifth Republic (1958 - )

See also the timeline of the French Revolution