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Political regimes
You need to know the main historical periods and what the regimes brought to our current system. Today's Republic was built step by step. It inherited the gains, struggles and changes of the regimes before it.
Key points of the sheet
- Before the French Revolution of 1789, France was an absolute monarchy by divine right. This period is called the Ancien Régime.
- Three dynasties followed one another: Merovingian (481-751), Carolingian (751-987) and Capetian (987-1789).
- From 1789, France had several regimes. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was published in 1789. Then came the constitutional monarchy (1791-1792).
- Next came the First Republic (1792-1799), the Consulate (1799-1804) and the First Empire (1804-1814). Napoleon promulgated the Civil Code.
- Then came the Restoration of the monarchy (1814-1830), the July Monarchy (1830-1848), the Second Republic (1848-1851) and the Second Empire (1852-1870).
- The Third Republic lasted from 1870 to 1940. In 1871, there was the uprising of the Paris Commune. Then came the Vichy regime (1940-1944). At the same time, there was Free France, then the French Committee of National Liberation. From 1944 to 1946, there was the Provisional Government of the French Republic.
- Under the Fourth Republic (1946-1958), social security (sécurité sociale) was created. The Constitution guaranteed equality between women and men for the first time.
- Since 1958, the political regime of France has been the Fifth Republic.
Words to know
- Ancien Régime
- It is the period before 1789. France was then an absolute monarchy by divine right.
- absolute monarchy by divine right (monarchie absolue de droit divin)
- It was the political regime of France before the French Revolution of 1789.
- Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen)
- This text was published in 1789, during the French Revolution.
- Civil Code (Code civil)
- Napoleon promulgated the Civil Code under the First Empire (1804-1814).
- Paris Commune (Commune de Paris)
- It was an uprising in 1871, under the Third Republic (1870-1940).
- Vichy regime (Régime de Vichy)
- It was the regime from 1940 to 1944. At the same time, there was Free France, then the French Committee of National Liberation.
- constitutional monarchy (Monarchie constitutionnelle)
- It was the regime of France from 1791 to 1792.
- Fifth Republic (Vème République)
- It has been the political regime of France since 1958.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Under which regime did Napoleon promulgate the Civil Code?
In French, the language of the exam: Sous quel régime Napoléon promulgue-t-il le Code civil ?
Under the First Empire (1804-1814), Napoleon promulgated the Civil Code.
Before 1789, what was the political regime of France?
In French, the language of the exam: Avant 1789, quel est le régime politique de la France ?
Before the Revolution of 1789, France was an absolute monarchy by divine right.
Under which Republic was social security (sécurité sociale) created?
In French, the language of the exam: Sous quelle République la Sécurité sociale est-elle créée ?
Social security was created under the Fourth Republic (1946-1958).
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
More in this topic (Political regimes since 1789)
- From the Merovingians to the Ancien Régime (5th-18th century)
- The Ancien Régime (until 1789)
- The Fifth Republic (Vème République)
Source
Sheet “Les régimes politiques” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.