| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Pre-revolutionary Period | |
| 1759 | France loses colonies in America and India during the Seven Year's War. |
| 1762 | Rousseau publishes "The Social Contract". |
| 1774 | Louis XVI ascends to the throne. |
| 1783 | French government borrows great sums to fight the English during American Revolutionary War. |
| 1785 | "Diamond Necklace Affair" tarnishes the reputation of Maria Antoinette, discredits French monarchy. |
National Constituent Assembly: 1789-1791 | |
| Estates General convened, first time since 1614. Commoners demand that three estates sit together. | |
| Jul 1789 | Paris mob storms the Bastille prison, a symbol of Royal power. |
| 7,000 women of Paris march on Versailles to demand lower bread prices. | |
| Church property confiscated, sold to pay national debt. Priests must take oath of allegience. | |
| Apr 1791 | Death of Mirabeau leaves the royals without a mediator against the radicals. |
| Jun 1791 | Royal family flees to Varennes—caught and forced to return to Paris. |
Legislative Assembly: Oct 1791-Sept 1792 | |
| Nov 1791 | All emigres are ordered to return to France or forfeit all property. |
| Apr 1792 | France declares war against Austria, invades Belgium. |
| Jul 1792 | Austria and Prussia begin Invasion of France. |
| Aug 1792 | Paris commune storms Tuileries palace. Lafayette abandons Republicans, flees to Austria. |
| Sep 1792 | Fall of Verdun leads to panic. 1400 Royalists and religious slaughtered in September Massacre. |
| Sep 1792 | French Army, under Charles Dumouriez, stops advance of Coalition troops at the Battle of Valmy. |
National Convention: Sept 1792-July 1794 | |
| Jan 1793 | Trial and execution of Louis XVI. |
| Mar 1793 | National Conscription causes riots in the Vendee. Leads to Catholic-Royalist rebellion and civil war. |
| Mar 1793 | Committee of Public Safety is formed to protect against foreign invastion and internal rebellion. |
| Jun 1793 | Girondist party is purged from the National Convention, leaving the radicals in charge. |
| Jul 1793 | Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat by Charlotte Corday, a Girondist sympathizer . |
| Jul 1793 | Louis XVII, the Dauphin is imprisoned, abused and tortured to death by a vicious cobbler. |
| Sep 1793 | National Convention is taken over by Paris mob, demanding purges. REIGN OF TERROR begins |
| Sep 1793 | Revolutionary calendar is introduced, Sept 22, 1792 start of year 1. |
| Oct 1793 | Maria Antoinette, Girondists, and Madame Roland guillotined. Priests and religious shot on sight. |
| Nov 1793 | Cult of Reason becomes official religion. "Goddess of Reason" is worshipped at Notre Dame. |
| Dec 1793 | Fall of Toulon, Royalist stronghold. Napoleon commands artillery. |
| Feb 1794 | Mass killings & scorched earth in the Vendee. 130,000 Catholic and Royalist supporters slaughtered. |
| Apr 1794 | Revolutionary leader Georges Danton arrested for corruption and executed. |
Thermidorian Convention: July 1794-Nov 1795 | |
| Jul 1794 | Thermidorian Reaction: Danton's supporters, worrying about their own hides, execute Robespierre and his allies. They then take over the National convention and end the Reign of Terror. |
| Oct 1795 | 13 Vendemiaire: Napoleon fires on protesters in Paris, who oppose Thermidorian government. |
| Nov 1795 | Thermidorian Convention establishes The Directory, a permanent government run by themselves. |
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Revolutionary Era: 1789-1795 | |
| Napoleon defeats royalists at siege of Toulon. Distinguishes himself as artillery officer. | |
| Jan 1795 | French client state Batavian Republic is established in the Netherlands. |
| Oct 1795 | Napoleon protects Thermidorian Convention from protestors, confiscates arms from Paris mob. |
Directory: 1795-1799 | |
| Nov 1795 | Thermidorian Convention establishes a 5-member executive government called The Directory. |
| Mar 1796 | Napoleon marries Josephine Beauharnais and assumes leadership of Italian campaign. |
| Successful campaign in Italy at Lodi brings France spoils of war and new sources of taxation. | |
| Jan 1797 | Victory against Austria at the Battle of Rivoli gives France control of Northern Italy. |
| Jul 1797 | French client state Cisalpine Republic is established in Northern Italy. |
| Sep 1797 | Coup of 18 Fructidor ousts newly elected conservatives from Directory government. |
| Oct 1797 | Treaty of Campo-Formio with Austria cedes much Austrian territory into French hands. |
| Feb 1798 | Roman states are invaded by French army. Pope Pius VI kidnapped, exiled to France. |
| Apr 1798 | French client state Helvetian Republic established in Switzerland. |
| Jul 1798 | At Battle of the Pyramids, Napoleon overthrows Mamluks, gains control of Egypt. |
| Aug 1798 | Horatio Nelson destroys the French navy in the Battle of Nile, strands Napoleon. |
| Mar 1799 | Napoleon's siege of Acre is broken up by British sea-power. French are forced to retreat. |
| Jun 1799 | Austrians and Russians win back much of Northern Italy in Battle of the Trebia. |
Consulate: 1799-1804 | |
| Nov 1799 | Napoleon returns from Egypt and in alliance with Sieyes, becomes First Consul of France. |
| Jun 1800 | Napoleon crosses Alps, regains control of Northern Italy at the Battle of Marengo. |
| Jul 1801 | Napoleon signs Concordat with Pope Pius VII—ends schism with the Catholic Church. |
| Mar 1802 | Treaty of Amiens temporarily ends conflict with Britain. French Revolutionary Wars. |
| May 1802 | Napoleon restructures French educational system |
| Aug 1802 | New constitution is adopted, making Napoleon First Consul for life |
| May 1803 | France sells Louisiana Territory to United States |
| Mar 1804 | Napoleonic Code—uniform code of civil law—is enacted. |
Rise of Empire: 1804-1811 | |
| Dec 1804 | Napoleon invites Pope to coronation, then crowns himself Emperor in Notre-Dame Cathedral. |
| Mar 1805 | Cisalpine Republic is renamed Kingdom of Italy. Eugene de Beauharnais appointed viceroy. |
| Oct 1805 | Battle of Trafalgar—French fleet is destroyed, no invasion of England possible. |
| Dec 1805 | Battle of Austerlitz—Napoleon wins crushing victory over Austria and Russia. |
| Mar 1806 | Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte is named King of Naples. |
| Oct 1806 | After Prussian defeat at Jena, Napoleon creates client state, Kingdom of Westphalia. |
| Jul 1807 | After defeat at Freidland Russia signs Treaty of Tilsit, recognizing French Warsaw. |
| Feb 1808 | Spanish monarchy allows French army to occupy Spain (supposedly to attack Portugal). |
| Jul 1808 | Napoleon forces Spanish king to resign, Joseph Bonaparte named King of Spain. |
| Jul 1809 | French over-run Papal states. Pope Pius VII is kidnapped and imprisoned in Savona, France. |
| Dec 1809 | Napoleon divorces Josephine Beauharnais, dismisses cardinals who oppose divorce. |
| Apr 1810 | Napoleon marries Marie-Louise, Archduchess of Austria. A son is born a year of marriage. |
| Sep 1810 | Duke of Wellington begins active campaign against the French in Spain and Portugal. |
Fall of Empire: 1812-1815 | |
| Jun 1812 | Napoleon crosses the Neiman River and enters Russian territory with 600,000 men. |
| Oct 1812 | Six weeks after victory at Borodino, Napoleon orders a retreat from Moscow. |
| Dec 1812 | Last of the straggling French troops returns across the Neiman river. Only 120,000 survive. |
| Apr 1813 | Battle of Vittoria—Beginning of major British/Spanish offense in Spain. |
| Mar 1813 | Emboldened by Russian disaster, Prussia declares war on France. |
| Jan 1814 | Anti-French coalition army enters France, the Pope is freed from captivity. Paris falls in March. |
| Apr 1814 | Napoleon abdicates, exiled to the island of Elba, off the coast of Italy. |
| Sep 1814 | Metternich hosts Congress of Vienna, convention settles national boundaries for Europe. |
| Mar 1815 | Escaping Elba, Napoleon returns in France. His wife Marie-Louise flees to Austria with son. |
| Jun 1815 | Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon defeated by Duke of Wellington and Marshal Blucher. |
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Restoration: 1814-1848 | |
| 1815 | Napoleon defeated at Waterloo, sent into exile. Marshal Ney shot as a traitor. |
| 1815 | Congress of Vienna, led by Metternich redraws map of Europe; restores monarchies. |
| 1815 | Restoration of Louis XVIII to the throne. Bonaparte family exiled from France. |
| 1821 | Death of Napoleon in exile at St. Helena. |
| 1824 | Death of Louis XVIII. Charles X ascends to the throne of France. |
| 1827 | Algiers conquered by France. |
| 1830 | Revolution of 1830. Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, made king. A constitutional monarchy replaces the Bourbon line. |
| 1832 | Death of Napolean II crushes hopes of Bonapartist party for a restoration of Empire. |
| 1833 | Public school established throughout France. |
| 1842 | Prince of Orleans dies unexpectedly, leaving Orleans succession in doubt. |
Second Republic: 1849-1851 and Second Empire: 1852-1870 | |
| 1848 | Revolution of 1848. Chaos and Anarchy reign. |
| 1849 | Napoleon III is elected president of the Second republic. French troups sent to defend Rome. |
| 1852 | Napoleon III dissolves National Assembly and has himself "elected" as Emperor. |
| 1853 | Napoleon III marries Eugenie de Montijo, a French-Spanish commoner. |
| 1853-56 | France allies with England against Russian in the Crimean War. |
| 1856-60 | Opium War. |
| 1859 | France drives Austria out of Northern Italy. 2nd War of Italian Independence; Battles of Magenta, Solferino. |
| 1862 | French establish colony in "Cochin China" (modern-day Vietnam). |
| 1861-67 | French intervention in Mexico. Maximilian installed as Emperor, then deserted. |
| 1869 | Opening of Suez Canal. |
| 1870-71 | Franco Prussian War. Napoleon III resigns after capture at Battle of Sedan. |
Third Republic: 1870-1914 | |
| 1871 | Paris Commune. |
| 1871 | Thiers, representing Orleanist faction, becomes first president of provisional Republic. |
| 1873 | McMahon, representing monarchist faction, becomes second president of provisional Republic. |
| 1875 | French constitution is ratified. |
| 1879 | Prince Napoleon, heir to the Bonaparte Monarchy, dies in Zululand. |
| 1879 | Grevey, representing republican faction, elected president. |
| 1882 | Jules Ferry Laws: Secular public schools. |
| 1886 | Statue of Liberty, designed in France, is presented as a gift to the United States. |
| 1887 | Carnot elected president. |
| 1889 | Eiffel Tower built for French World's Fair, on the anniversary of the French revolution. |
| 1895 | Favre elected president, representing the Liberal party. |
| 1895 | First trial of Alfred Dreyfuss. |
| 1899 | Second trial of Alfred Dreyfuss. |
| 1904 | Emile Combes anti-clerical scandal. |
| 1905 | Separation of Church and State. All Catholic buildings confiscated by the state. |
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Rise of Italy | |
| 723 | First Doge of Venice elected, after collapse of the Byzantine government |
| 800 | Northern Italy and Papal states included as "Kingdom of Italy" within the Holy Roman Empire. |
| 1005 | Republic of Genoa established as a self-governing city-state. |
| 1154 | Kingdom of Sicily established by Norman prince Roger II of Sicily. |
| 1395 | Duchy of Milan created in Northern Italy as part of Holy Roman Empire, between Savoy and Venice. |
| 1416 | Duchy of Savoy established in Northwest Italy as part of the Holy Roman Empire. |
| 1569 | Grand Duchy of Tuscany, formerly the Republic of Florence, established as part of Holy Roman Empire. |
Napoleonic Era | |
| 1796 | Napoleon assumes command of France's army in Italy, defeats Piedmont-Sardinia and the Duchy of Milan, then invades Venice. |
| 1797 | Battle of Rivoli, Mantua surrenders. Austrian army in Italy rounted. Parma and Modena surrender. |
| 1797 | Treaty of Campo-Formio cedes Belgium and most of Northern Italy to France, leaving only Venice to Austria. |
| 1798 | French client republics formed in Northern Italy and Switzerland. |
| 1798 | Papal States invaded. Republic of Rome formed. Pope Pius VI kidnapped, dies in France. |
| 1799 | French invasion of Southern Italy is frustrated by a peasant rebellion. |
| 1799 | Russian/Austrian offensive forces France out of Northern Italy. |
| 1800 | Napoleon seizes power in Paris and immediate leads an army to reconquer Italy. |
| 1801 | Napoleon signs concordat with Pope Pius VII, restoring some rights to the Church and ceding Papal states. |
| 1805 | Northern Duchies and client-Republics joined into a "Kingdom of Italy" with Napoleon crowned as king. |
| 1806 | Kingdom of Naples falls to the French. Napoleon's brother declared king. Later replaced by Murat |
| Secular "reforms" in Naples and Northern Italy involve closing monasteries, selling church property. | |
| 1815 | Kingdoms of Italy restored to pre-1789 boundaries by the Congress of Vienna. |
Revolution of 1848 | |
| 1820 | Revolts in Naples and Piedmont-Sardinia organized by secret societies, easily put down by conservative governments. |
| 1831 | Revolt in Rome, organized by the "Carbonari", put down by an Austrian army. The pope, Gregory XVI, flees Rome. |
| 1845 | Newly elected Pius IX implements many reforms, allows a free press and restores citizenship to many radicals and revolutionaries. |
| 1848 | Simultaneous revolts, organized by Mazzini and "Young Italy" in Naples, Piedmont-Sardinia, Milan. |
| 1848 | Tuscan and Piedmont forces invade Lombardy to expel Austria. Pope Pius IX fails to join anti-Austrian coalition, forced to flee Rome. |
| 1849 | Austria crushes rebellion in Northern Italy. France puts down rebellion in the Papal States and leaves a French guard in Rome. |
Unification of Italy | |
| 1850 | Victor Emmanuel II becomes king of Piedmont-Sardinia; Cavour becomes prime minster with a liberal cabinet, implements anti-clerical measures. |
| 1852 | Napoleon III becomes Emperor of France. Pledges to protect Rome from revolutionaries in order to win favor with French Catholics. |
| 1854 | Cavour sends Piedmont forces to the Crimean War in order to gain favor with France and England—lays groundwork for successful takeover of Northern Italy. |
| 1858 | Secret meeting between Cavour and Napoleon III. France gets Nice and Savoy if it helps Piedmont drive Austria out of Northern Italy. |
| 1859 | France allies itself with Piedmont against Austria. France drives Austria out of Lombardy, but drops out of coalition, leaving Austria in possession of Venice. |
| 1860 | Tuscany and northern Papal States declare for union with Piedmont-Sardinia. |
| 1860 | Garibaldi invades Sicily and Naples and brings entire kingdom under his control. He voluntarily passes control to Piedmont-Sardinia. |
| 1861 | Kingdom of Italy is declared with Victor Emmanuel II as the head. Cavour dies at the very moment of his triumph. |
Consolidation of Papal States | |
| 1862 | Garibaldi makes an unsuccessful attack on Rome. |
| 1866 | Italy joins Prussia in war against Austria, wins Venice as its reward. |
| 1870 | French troops abandon Rome when France is attacked by Prussia. The Pope is surrounded and forced into out of Rome, into the Papal compound in Vatican City. |
| 1871 | Rome becomes capital of Italy. Victor Emmanuel II is the first King of United Italy. |
Kingdom of Italy | |
| 1929 | Vatican City created as a separate state with Rome. () ?> |
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Rise of Prussia 1700 to 1815 | |
| 1685 | Edict of Potsdam establishes freedom of worship; encourages migration of Huguenots to Prussia. |
| 1688 | Death of the Great Elector, Duke of Prussia who liberalized trade and religion in the region. |
| 1700 | Holy Roman Emperor permits Frederick III of Brandenburg to crown himself king in Prussia. |
| Austria gains territory in the Netherlands and Italy during the War of the Spanish Succession. | |
| 1713 | Frederick William I reforms finances of Prussia and builds a large standing army. |
| 1733-38 | Prussia supports Augustus III's claim to the Polish throne in War of the Polish Succession. |
| 1740 | Frederick the Great ascends to Prussian throne. Inherits full treasury, well-drilled army. |
| 1740-48 | Prussia annexes Selesia during the War of the Austrian Succession. |
| 1750 | Voltaire resides at San Souci until he argues with his patron, Frederick the Great. |
| 1756-63 | Prussia fends off attacks from Austria, France and Russia during the Seven Year's War. |
| 1772 | First Partition of Poland enlarges Prussian territory and joins Prussia and Brandenburg. |
| 1783 | Frederick William II, a weak and indulgent prince, ascends to the throne after death of Frederick II. |
| 1792 | Prussia bows out of the French Revolutionary Wars after a loss at the Battle of Valmy. |
| 1793 | Second Partition of Poland gives Prussia control of Gdansk, and territory as far east as Krackow. |
| 1794 | Primary schooling made compulsory for all children, and role of the religious orders strictly regulated. |
| 1797 | Frederick William III ascends to the throne of Prussia and begins reform of government. |
| 1806 | Napoleon overruns Prussia after the battle of Jena-Auerstadt, partitions Polish territories. |
| 1813 | Prussia rises against France, led by Marshal Blucher. |
| 1815 | Congress of Vienna restores Prussian territory and creates the German Confederation. |
| 1818 | Prussia establishes a tarriff-free "Zollverein" customs union among German states. |
Prussian Education Reforms | |
| 1763 | Primary schooling made compulsory for all children, and role of religious orders is strictly regulated. |
| 1788 | National examination required for all civil service positions. |
| 1794 | All schools and Universities became state institutions. |
| 1810 | University of Berlin, founded by Baron Humboldt, became a model for modern secular Universities. |
| 1834 | Horace Mann travels to Prussia to observe educational system, then implements Prussian system in Massachusetts. |
Hapsburg-Austria 1700 to 1815 | |
| 1701-14 | War of the Spanish Succession weakens France, gives Austria control of Northern Italy and Netherlands. |
| 1713 | Charles VI issues the "Pragmatic Sanction" to assure succession of his daughter Maria Theresa. |
| 1740 | Maria Theresa ascends to the Hapsburg throne. |
| 1772 | Maria Theresa agress, reluctantly, to the First Partition of Poland, with Russia and Prussia. |
| 1774 | Maria Antoinette marries the Dauphin of France. |
| 1780 | Joseph II, an anti-clerical "enlightened" monarch, ascends to the throne of Austria. |
| 1782 | Joseph II attempts reorganization of Austrian government; closes monasteries, secularizes schools, limits Papal influence. |
| 1787-91 | Austria unites with Russia in its war against the Ottoman Empire. Russia annexes Crimea. |
| 1792 | Francis II ascends to the throne of Austria; drawn into French Revolutionary Wars. |
| 1791 | Death of Mozart, Austrian musical genius. |
| 1795 | Austria gains more territory north of Bohemia by way of the Third Partition of Poland. |
| 1797 | France gains control of the Austrian Netherlands and Northern Italy by the Treaty of Campo Formio. |
| 1805 | Devastating loss to Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz ends the Holy Roman Empire . |
| 1806 | Hundreds of German states integrated into the French-controlled "Confederation of the Rhine" . |
| 1814-15 | The Congress of Vienna, led by Metternich, restores most of Northern Italy to Austrian control. |
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Unification of Germany | |
| 1815 | Congress of Vienna restores Prussian territory and creates the German Confederation. |
| 1817 | Reformed and Lutheran congregations are united in the "Prussian Union of Churches". |
| 1833-66 | Prussia establishes the "Zollverein"; a free-tarriff customs union among German states. |
| 1848 | Revolutions of 1848 spread to Berlin and German capitals, demanding freedom of press, more liberties. |
| 1849 | Frederick William IV rejects the crown of Germany offered to him by the Frankfurt Parliament. |
| 1861 | Kaiser William I ascends to the throne of Prussia, appoints Otto von Bismarck as Prime Minister. |
| 1864 | Schleswig-Holstein War: Prussia gains provinces in southern Denmark. |
| 1866 | Austro Prussian War settles power struggle in favor of Prussia over Austria. |
| 1870 | Franco Prussian War: Germany humiliates France, annexes Alsace and Lorrane. |
| 1871 | German Confederation is united into an Empire. |
Prewar Germany | |
| 1871-78 | KulturKamph: Bismarck institutes a program of persecution and repression of Catholics in Germany. |
| 1882 | Bismarck negotiates a "Triple Alliance" military league between Germany, Austria, and Italy. |
| 1884 | Germany takes leading role in "Scramble for Africa"; gains colonies in Namibia and East Africa. |
| 1888 | Kaiser William II becomes German Emperor, King of Prussia, Kaiser II. |
| 1889 | Bismarck sponsors wide-ranging social insurance programs in order to subvert Socialism in Germany. |
| 1890 | Kaiser William II dismisses Bismarck from his circle of advisors, promotes young ambitious ministers. |
| 1900 | Germany begins massive build up of navy, intended to threaten British supremacy. |
| 1904 | Morrocan crisis worsens Germany's relationship with Britain and France. |
19th century Austria | |
| 1815 | Congress of Vienna restores Austrian territory in Italy. |
| 1835 | Ferdinand I ascends to the throne, but leaves government in hands of conservative Metternich. |
| 1848 | Rebellions in Milan and Italians states put down by Austrian general Radetzky. |
| 1848 | As a result of rebellion in Vienna, Metternich goes into exile and Franz Joseph I ascends to the throne. |
| 1849 | The Hungarian Revolution, led by Louis Kossuth, is put down by Austria. |
| 1860 | Austria loses control of Italian territories during Italian Unification. |
| 1866 | Austria loses position of influence in German Confederation after disastrous Austro Prussian War. |
| 1889 | Murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf leaves Franz Joseph without an heir. |
Balkan States | |
| 1804-17 | Serbian Uprisings: Serbia gains de facto independence from Ottoman Empire. |
| 1821-32 | Greco-Turkish Wars: Russian, England, and France help Greece win independence from Ottomans. |
| 1863 | Greece adopts a constitution, and George I, of the house of Schleswig-Holstein, becomes king. |
| 1866 | Romania gains de facto independence, and elects Carol I, of the house of Hohenzollern, as king. |
| 1876 | Uprising in Ottoman-controlled Bulgaria leads to massacre of over 30,000 rebels and civilians. |
| 1877-78 | Russo Turkish Wars: Bulgaria gains autonomy from Ottomans; Romania, Serbia, recognized. |
| 1887 | Ferdinand I, of the house of Saxe-Coburg, becomes king of Bulgaria. |
| 1908 | Austria annexes Bosnia and Sarajevo. |
| 1908 | Young Turk revolution in Turkey compels the Sultan to resign, establish a constitution . |
| 1912-13 | Balkan Wars: Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria drive the Ottomans out of Thrace and Albania. |
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
18th Century Russia | |
| 1682 | Peter the Great assumes the throne of Russia |
| 1689 | Peter stages a rebellion to take power from his regent older sister. |
| 1695-96 | Russo Turkish Wars: Azov Campaign, Russia captures Azov, gains access to Black Sea. |
| 1697 | Peter's expedition to Western Europe cut short by a rebellion against him in Russia. |
| Great Northern War: Peter the Great vs. Charles XII | |
| 1704 | Second Battle of Narva: Russians acquire a Baltic port, four years after disastrous first attempt. |
| 1709 | Battle of Poltava: Russians win decisive victory in Ukraine, Charles XII flees to the Ottoman Empire. |
| 1703 | City of St. Petersburg is established on the marshy banks of the Neva River. |
| 1710-11 | Russo Turkish Wars: Pruth River Campain, Ottoman victory over Russia, loss of Azov |
| 1714 | Peter I issues decree requiring modern compulsory education for all children of nobility. |
| 1718 | Alexei, son of Peter and heir to the throne, tried for treason and executed. |
| 1722 | Peter overhauls Russian civil service administration, implements many modernizing reforms. |
| 1733 | Vitus Bering leads the "Great Northern Expedition" to map Russian territory in Siberia. |
| 1741-62 | Reign of Elizabeth of Russia, daughter of Peter the Great. |
| 1753 | Elizabeth orders expansion and remodel of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. |
| 1759 | Russian forces inflict devasting defeat on Frederick the Great at the Battle of Kunersdorf. |
| 1762 | Peter III ascends throne but is overthrown by a palace coup, lead by his wife Catherine the Great. |
| 1768-74 | Russo Turkish Wars: Russians win control of Ukraine, Crimea, northern Caucuses. |
| 1764 | Catherine confiscates church property, closes monasteries, exiles 20,000 "Old Believers" who object to reforms to Siberia. |
| 1772 | First Partion of Poland, Russia annexes White Russia (Belarus), and Livonia (Latvia). |
| 1795 | Thaddeus Kosciusko's rebellion leads to Third Partion of Poland. Russia absorbs Lithuania and makes Poland a client-state. |
| 1796 | Paul I ascends to the throne on the death of Catherine the Great. |
| 1798 | French Revolution: Russian general Alexander Suvorov drives the French out of Northern Italy. |
19th Century | |
| 1801 | Alexander I ascends to the throne after the assassination of his father Paul I. |
| 1809 | Duchy of Finland is annexed to Russia after Finnish War with Sweden . |
| 1807 | Alexander I signs Treaty of Tilsit, making peace with France, after costly Friedland campaign. |
| 1811 | Russo Turkish Wars: Russia annexes Moldavia from Ottoman Empire. |
| 1812 | Napoleon's retreat from Moscow: Russia's scorched earth campaign devastates French army. |
| 1815 | Alexander I plays a key role in the defeat of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna. |
| 1821-32 | Greco-Turkish Wars: Russian, England, and France help Greece win independence from Ottomans. |
| 1825 | Decembrist revolt, seeking to overthrow the Tsar, alienates Nicholas I from modernist reforms. |
| 1829 | Treaty with the Ottomans gives Russia access to the Black Sea and the Danube, and makes Russia the protector of Balkan Slavs. |
| 1853-56 | Crimean War: France and England help Ottoman Empire resist further expansion of Russia. |
| 1855-1881 | Reign of Alexander II, reformer and liberator. |
| 1859 | Chechnya and Dagestan surrender to Russia, after long war in the Caucases led by Imam Shamil. |
| 1861 | Alexander II abolishes serfdom, reducing the power of the landed gentry. |
| 1862 | Nihilist movement, advocating anarchy, communism, and radical remaking of society gains popularity among Russian intellectuals. |
| 1863 | Uprisings in Poland put down with great brutality. Poland becomes a province of Russia. |
| 1863 | Separatist movements crushed in Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland. Native languages banned. |
| 1869 | Leo Tolstoy publishes "War and Peace"; begins pacifist political movement. |
| 1878 | Russo Turkish Wars: Bulgaria is freed from Ottoman control. the independence of Serbia and Romania are recognized. |
| 1866-80 | Alexander III survives 5 assassination attempts between 1866 and 1880. |
| 1881 | Assassination of Alexander III by anarchist group set back reforms in Russia for a generation. |
| 1892 | Russia makes military alliance with France in order to oppose Germany. |
20th century | |
| 1894 | Nicholas II ascends to the throne of Russia |
| 1902 | Vladimer Lenin publishes "What is To Be Done", the manifesto of the Bolshevik party. |
| 1904 | Russian navy is humiliated and anhililated in the Russo Japanese War. |
| 1905 | Political and social unrest throughout Russia organized by political activists. |
| 1906 | Russian constitution enacted and legislative body convened as a response to revolutions of 1905. |
| 1906 | Worker's councils, called "Soviets" are organized throughout Russia by political activists. |
| 1912-13 | Servo-Bulgarian Wars: Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria drive the Ottomans out of Thrace and Albania. |
| 1914 | Russia declares war on Austria on behalf of its ally Serbia. Poor organization of war effort leads to domestic crises throughout Russia. |
| 1917 | February Revolution: Nicholas II abdicates the throne after a rebellion breaks out in St. Petersburg. |
| 1917 | October Revolution: Bolsheviks seize control of the government and exile moderate political opponents. |
| 1918 | Lenin makes peace with Germany. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk cedes control of much eastern territory. |
| 1917-22 | Russian Civil War: Bolsheviks prevail over pro-imperial and anti-communist "white" Russian forces. |
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Events leading up to the Great War | |
| 1911 | Second Moroccan crisis leads to increased tension between Germany and allied Britain and France. |
| 1912 | Balkan Wars: Bulgaria and Serbia drive Turkey out of the Balkan Peninsula. |
| 1913 | Coup d'etat in Turkey puts goverment in hands of Turkish nationalists. |
1914 | |
| Jun 28 | Murder of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. |
| July 28 | Austria declares war on Serbia, drawing Russia into war to defend its interests in the Balkans. |
| Aug 3 | Germany declares War on France. |
| Aug 20 | Germany breaks treaties, enters Brussels, causing England to declare war on Germany. |
| Sep 6 | First Battle of Marne—French Victory. |
| Dec 24 | First German Air-raid on Britain. |
1915 | |
| Apr 17 | Battle of Ypres—First use of Poison Gas. |
| Apr 25 | Allied troops land on Gallipoli |
| May 7 | British Passenger Liner Lusitania sunk by the Germans. |
| May 23 | Italy breaks alliance with Central Powers, enters war on the side of the Allies. |
| Oct 13 | German execute Edith Cavell, an British nurse |
| Oct 14 | Bulgaria enters the war in alliance with the Central Powers. |
| Dec 19 | Britain withdraws from Gallipoli. |
1916 | |
| Battle of Verdun kills over 250,000 soldiers; over a million French and German wounded. | |
| May 31 | Naval battle of Jutland. |
| Jul-Nov | Battle of Somme kills or wounds over a million British and German soldiers. |
| Aug 29 | Hindenberg takes supreme command of German armies. |
1917 | |
| Jan 22 | Woodrow Wilson gives "Peace without Victory" speech, proposing armistice. |
| Feb 27 | February Revolution in Russia overthrows the Tsar, establishes provisional government. |
| Mar 11 | Bagdhad captured by British. |
| Apr 6 | America declares War on Germany . |
| Nov 7 | Overthrow of Kerensky's government by the Bolsheviks—Russia withdraws from the war. |
1918 | |
| Apr 9 | German offensive between Ypres and Arras. |
| May 27 | German offensive near Chateau-Thierry and Marne River. |
| Jun 11 | American offensive in Belleau Wood. |
| Jul 18 | Second Battle of Marne—Allied Victory. |
| Sep 22 | British victory over the Turks in Palestine. |
| Oct 1 | Hindenberg Line, taken by the French. |
| Oct | German Losses at Laon, Ostend, Lille, Aleppo. |
| Nov 11 | Armistice signed between Allies and German powers. |