List of heads of state of France


Below is a list of all French heads of state. It includes the monarchs of the Kingdom of France, emperors of the First and Second Empire and leaders of the five Republics.

Historical background

Monarchs ruled the Kingdom of France from the establishment of Francia in 486 to 1870, except for certain periods from 1792 to 1852. Since 1970, the head of state has been the president of France. The first race, or dynasty of kings, was the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled until 751, followed by the second race, the Carolingian dynasty, until 987. The third race, the Capetian dynasty, the male-line descendants of Hugh Capet, ruled France continuously from 987 to 1792 and again from 1814 to 1848. The branches of the dynasty which ruled after 1328, however, are generally given the specific branch names of Valois and Bourbon.
With the House of Bonaparte and the Bourbon Restoration, additional "Kings of the French" and "Emperors of the French" ruled in 19th century France, between 1814 and 1870. All rulers to have held the title "King of the Franks", "King of France", "King of the French" or "Emperor of the French" are listed below and excludes other Frankish monarchs. In addition to the monarchs listed below, the Kings of England and Great Britain from 1340 to 1360 and again from 1369 to 1801 also claimed the title of King of France.
For a short time, this had some basis in factunder the terms of the 1420 Treaty of Troyes, Charles VI had recognized his son-in-law Henry V of England as regent and heir. Henry V predeceased Charles VI and so Henry V's son, Henry VI, succeeded his grandfather Charles VI as King of France. Most of Northern France was under English control until 1435, but by 1453, the English had been expelled from all of France save Calais, and Calais itself fell in 1558. Nevertheless, English and then British monarchs continued to claim the title for themselves until the creation of the United Kingdom in 1801.
The title "King of the Franks" gradually lost ground after 1190, during the reign of Philip II and after the July Revolution in 1830, the style "King of the French" was used instead of "King of France ". It was a constitutional innovation known as popular monarchy which linked the monarch's title to the French people rather than to the possession of the territory of France.
In addition to the Kingdom of France, there were also two French Empires, the first from 1804 to 1814 and again in 1815, founded and ruled by Napoleon I, and the second from 1852 to 1870, founded and ruled by his nephew Napoleon III. They used the title "Emperor of the French".

Merovingian dynasty (486–751)

The Merovingians were a Salian Frankish dynasty that ruled the Franks for nearly 300 years in a region known as Francia in Latin, beginning in the middle of the 5th century CE. Their territory largely corresponded to ancient Gaul as well as the Roman provinces of Raetia, Germania Superior and the southern part of Germania. The Merovingian dynasty was founded by Childeric I, the son of Merovech, leader of the Salian Franks, but it was his famous son Clovis I who united all of Gaul under Merovingian rule.
PortraitNameFromUntilDeathRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Clovis I
481511Likely died of natural causes aged 46. Buried at Abbey of St Genevieve until 18th century. Remains relocated to Basilica of St Denis.Son of Childeric IKing of the Franks
Childebert I
51113 December 558Died aged 64. Buried at Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.Son of Clovis IKing of Paris
Chlothar I the Old
13 December 55829 November 561Died aged 64. Buried at Abbey of St. Medard, Soissons.Son of Clovis I
Younger brother of Childebert I		King of the Franks
Charibert I
29 November 561567Died aged 50. Buried at Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.Son of Chlothar IKing of Paris
Chilperic I
567584Died aged 45. Buried at Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.Son of Chlothar I
Younger brother of Charibert I		King of Paris


King of Neustria
Chlothar II the Great, the Young
58418 October 629Died aged 45. Buried at Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.Son of Chilperic IKing of Neustria


King of Paris



King of the Franks

Dagobert I
18 October 62919 January 639Died aged 36. Buried at Basilica of St Denis.Son of Chlothar IIKing of the Franks
Clovis II the Lazy
19 January 63931 October 657Died aged 20. Buried at Basilica of St Denis.Son of Dagobert IKing of Neustria and Burgundy
Chlothar III
31 October 657673Died aged 21. Buried at Basilica of St Denis.Son of Clovis IIKing of Neustria and Burgundy


King of the Franks

Childeric II
673675Died aged 22. Buried at Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.Son of Clovis II
Younger brother of Chlothar III		King of the Franks
Theuderic III
675691Died aged 37.Son of Clovis II
Younger brother of Childeric II		King of Neustria


King of the Franks

Clovis IV
691695Died aged 13.Son of Theuderic IIIKing of the Franks
Childebert III the Just
69523 April 711Died aged 41. Buried at Church of St Stephen at Choisy-au-Bac, near Compiègne.Son of Theuderic III
Younger brother of Clovis IV		King of the Franks
Dagobert III23 April 711715Died aged 14.Son of Childebert IIIKing of the Franks
Chilperic II
71513 February 721Died aged 49. Buried at Noyon.Probably son of Childeric IIKing of Neustria and Burgundy


King of the Franks

Theuderic IV721737Died aged 25.Son of Dagobert IIIKing of the Franks

The last Merovingian kings, known as the "lazy kings", did not hold any real political power, while the Mayor of the Palace governed instead. When Theuderic IV died in 737, Mayor of the Palace Charles Martel left the throne vacant and continued to rule until his own death in 741. His sons Pepin and Carloman briefly restored the Merovingian dynasty by raising Childeric III to the throne in 743. In 751, Pepin deposed Childerich and acceded to the throne.
PortraitNameFromUntilDeathRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Childeric III
743November 751Died aged 37.Son of Chilperic II or of Theuderic IVKing of the Franks

Carolingian dynasty (751–888)

The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The family consolidated its power in the late 8th century, eventually making the offices of Mayor of the Palace and dux et princeps Francorum hereditary and becoming the de facto rulers of the Franks as the real powers behind the throne. By 751, the Merovingian dynasty, which until then had ruled the Germanic Franks by right, was deprived of this right with the consent of the Papacy and the aristocracy, and a Carolingian, Pepin the Short, was crowned King of the Franks.

PortraitNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Pepin the Younger, the Short
75124 September 768Son of Charles MartelKing of the Franks
Carloman I24 September 7684 December 771Son of Pepin the ShortKing of the Franks
Charlemagne 24 September 76828 January 814Son of Pepin the ShortKing of the Franks


Emperor of the Romans

Louis I the Pious, the Debonaire
28 January 81420 June 840Son of CharlemagneKing of the Franks


Emperor of the Romans
Charles II the Bald
20 June 8406 October 877Son of Louis IKing of the Franks


Emperor of the Romans

Louis II the Stammerer
6 October 87710 April 879Son of Charles IIKing of the Franks
Louis III10 April 8795 August 882Son of Louis IIKing of the Franks
Carloman II5 August 8826 December 884Son of Louis IIKing of the Franks
Charles III the Fat
20 May 88513 January 888Son of Louis the German
Cousin of Louis II and Carloman II
Grandson of Louis I the Pious		King of the Franks


Emperor of the Romans

Robertian dynasty (888–898)

The Robertians were Frankish noblemen owing fealty to the Carolingians, and ancestors of the subsequent Capetian dynasty. Odo, Count of Paris was chosen by the western Franks to be their king following the removal of emperor Charles the Fat. He was crowned at Compiègne in February 888 by Walter, Archbishop of Sens.
PortraitNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Odo of Paris
29 February 8881 January 898Son of Robert the Strong
Elected king against young Charles III.		King of the Franks

Carolingian dynasty (893–922)

Charles, the posthumous son of Louis II, was crowned by a faction opposed to the Robertian Odo at Reims Cathedral, though he only became the effectual monarch with the death of Odo in 898.
PortraitNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Charles III the Simple
28 January 89830 June 922Posthumous son of Louis II
Younger half-brother of Louis III and Carloman II		-

Robertian dynasty (922–923)

Bosonid dynasty (923–936)

The Bosonids were a noble family descended from Boso the Elder, their member, Rudolph, was elected "King of the Franks" in 923.
PortraitNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Rudolph
13 July 92314 January 936Son of Richard, Duke of Burgundy
Son-in-law of Robert I		King of the Franks

Carolingian dynasty (936–987)

Capetian dynasty (987–1792)

After the death of Louis V, the son of Hugh the Great and grandson of Robert I, Hugh Capet, was elected by the nobility as king of France. The Capetian Dynasty, the male-line descendants of Hugh Capet, ruled France continuously from 987 to 1792 and again from 1814 to 1848. They were direct descendants of the Robertian kings. The cadet branches of the dynasty which ruled after 1328, however, are generally given the specific branch names of Valois and Bourbon.
Not listed below are Hugh Magnus, eldest son of Robert II, and Philip of France, eldest son of Louis VI; both were co-Kings with their fathers, but predeceased them. Because neither Hugh nor Philip were sole or senior king in their own lifetimes, they are not traditionally listed as Kings of France, and are not given ordinals.
Henry VI of England, son of Catherine of Valois, became titular King of France upon his grandfather Charles VI's death in accordance with the Treaty of Troyes of 1420 however this was disputed and he is not always regarded as a legitimate king of France.
From 21 January 1793 to 8 June 1795, Louis XVI's son Louis-Charles was the titular King of France as Louis XVII; in reality, however, he was imprisoned in the Temple throughout this duration, and power was held by the leaders of the Republic. Upon Louis XVII's death, his uncle Louis-Stanislas claimed the throne, as Louis XVIII, but only became de facto King of France in 1814.

House of Capet (987–1328)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Hugh Capet
3 July 98724 October 996Grandson of Robert IKing of the Franks
Robert II the Pious, the Wise
24 October 99620 July 1031Son of Hugh CapetKing of the Franks
-
Henry I
20 July 10314 August 1060Son of Robert IIKing of the Franks
Philip I the Amorous
4 August 106029 July 1108Son of Henry IKing of the Franks
Louis VI the Fat
29 July 11081 August 1137Son of Philip IKing of the Franks
Louis VII the Young
1 August 113718 September 1180Son of Louis VIKing of the Franks
Philip II Augustus
18 September 118014 July 1223Son of Louis VIIKing of the Franks

first monarch to use the title of King of France
Louis VIII the Lion
14 July 12238 November 1226Son of Philip II AugustusKing of France
Louis IX the Saint
8 November 122625 August 1270Son of Louis VIIIKing of France
Philip III the Bold
25 August 12705 October 1285Son of Louis IXKing of France
Philip IV the Fair, the Iron King
5 October 128529 November 1314Son of Philip IIIKing of France and of Navarre
Louis X the Quarreller
29 November 13145 June 1316Son of Philip IVKing of France and of Navarre
John I the Posthumous
15 November 131620 November 1316Son of Louis XKing of France and of Navarre
Philip V the Tall
20 November 13163 January 1322Son of Philip IV
Younger brother of Louis X		King of France and of Navarre
Charles IV the Fair
3 January 13221 February 1328Son of Philip IV
Younger brother of Louis X and Philip V		King of France and of Navarre

House of Valois (1328–1589)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Philip VI of Valois, the Fortunate
1 April 132822 August 1350Grandson of Philip III of FranceKing of France
John II the Good
22 August 13508 April 1364Son of Philip VIKing of France
Charles V the Wise
8 April 136416 September 1380Son of John IIKing of France
Charles VI the Beloved, the Mad
16 September 138021 October 1422Son of Charles VKing of France

House of Lancaster (1422–1453), disputed

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilClaimTitle
Henry VI of England
21 October 142219 October 1453By right of his father Henry V of England by the Treaty of Troyes become heir and regent to the French throneKing of France

House of Valois (1328–1589)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Charles VII the Victorious, the Well-Served
21 October 142222 July 1461Son of Charles VIKing of France
Louis XI the Prudent, the Cunning, the Universal Spider
22 July 146130 August 1483Son of Charles VIIKing of France
Charles VIII the Affable
30 August 14837 April 1498Son of Louis XIKing of France

Orléans branch (1498–1515)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Louis XII Father of the People
7 April 14981 January 1515Great-grandson of Charles V
Second cousin, and by first marriage son-in-law of Louis XI
By second marriage husband of Anne of Brittany, widow of Charles VIII		King of France

Orléans–Angoulême Branch (1515–1589)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Francis I the Father and Restorer of Letters
1 January 151531 March 1547Great-great-grandson of Charles V
First cousin once removed, and by
first marriage son-in-law of Louis XII		King of France
Henry II
31 March 154710 July 1559Son of Francis I/Maternal grandson of Louis XIIKing of France
Francis II
10 July 15595 December 1560Son of Henry IIKing of France


King of Scots
Charles IX5 December 156030 May 1574Son of Henry IIKing of France
Henry III
30 May 15742 August 1589Son of Henry IIKing of France


King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania

House of Bourbon (1589–1792)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Henry IV, Good King Henry, the Green Gallant
2 August 158914 May 1610Tenth generation descendant of Louis IX in the male line
By first marriage son in law of Henry II, Brother in law of Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III
King of France and of Navarre
Louis XIII the Just
14 May 161014 May 1643Son of Henry IVKing of France and of Navarre
Louis XIV the Great, the Sun King
14 May 16431 September 1715Son of Louis XIIIKing of France and of Navarre
Louis XV the Beloved
1 September 171510 May 1774Great-grandson of Louis XIVKing of France and of Navarre
Louis XVI the Restorer of French Liberty
10 May 177421 September 1792Grandson of Louis XVKing of France and of Navarre



King of the French

Louis XVII 21 January 17938 June 1795Son of Louis XVIKing of France and of Navarre

French First Republic (1792–1804)

Presidents of the National Convention

The first President of France is considered to be Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who was elected in the 1848 election, under the French Second Republic.
From 22 September 1792 to 2 November 1795, the French Republic was governed by the National Convention, whose president may be considered as France's legitimate Head of State during this period. Historians generally divide the Convention's activities into three periods, moderate, radical, and reaction, and the policies of presidents of the Convention reflect these distinctions. During the radical and reaction phases, some of the presidents were executed, most by guillotine, committed suicide, or were deported. In addition, some of the presidents were later deported during the Bourbon Restoration in 1815.

Establishment of the Convention

The National Convention governed France from 20 September 1792 until 26 October 1795 during the most critical period of the French Revolution. The election of the National Convention took place in September 1792 after the election of the electoral colleges by primary regional assemblies on 26 August. Owing to the abstention of aristocrats and the anti-republicans, and the general fear of victimization, the voter turnout in the departments was low – as little as 7.5 percent or as much as 11.9% of the electorate, compared to 10.2% in the 1791 elections, despite the doubling of the number of eligible voters.
Initially elected to provide a new constitution after the overthrow of the monarchy on 10 August 1792, the Convention included 749 deputies drawn from businesses and trades, and from such professions as law, journalism, medicine, and the clergy. Among its earliest acts was the formal abolition of the monarchy, through Proclamation, on 21 September, and the subsequent establishment of the Republic on 22 September. The French Republican Calendar discarded all Christian reference points and calculated time from the Republic's first full day after the monarchy – 22 September 1792, the first day of Year One.
According to its own rules, the Convention elected its President every fortnight. He was eligible for re-election after the lapse of a fortnight. Ordinarily the sessions were held in the morning, but evening sessions also occurred frequently, often extending late into the night. In exceptional circumstances, the Convention declared itself in permanent session and sat for several days without interruption. For both legislative and administrative deliberations, the Convention used committees, with powers more or less widely extended and regulated by successive laws. The most famous of these committees included the Committee of Public Safety and the Committee of General Security.
The Convention held both legislative and executive powers during the first years of the French First Republic and had three distinct periods: Girondins, Montagnard and Thermidorian. The Montagnards favored granting the poorer classes more political power; the Girondins favored a bourgeois republic and wanted to reduce the power and influence of Paris over the course of the revolution. A popular uprising in Paris helped to purge the Convention of the Girondins between 31 May and 2 June 1793; the last of the Girondins served as presidents in late July.
In its second phase, the Montagnards controlled the convention. War and an internal rebellion convinced the revolutionary government to establish a Committee of Public Safety which exercised near dictatorial power. Consequently, the democratic constitution, approved by the convention on 24 June 1793, did not go into effect and the Convention lost its legislative initiative. The rise of Mountaineers corresponded with the decline of the Girondins. The Girondin party had hesitated on the correct course of action to take with Louis XVI after his attempt to flee France on 20 June 1791. Some elements of the Girondin party believed they could use the king as figurehead. While the Girondins hesitated, the Montagnards took a united stand during the trial in December 1792 – January 1793 and favored the king's execution. Riding on this victory, the Montagnards then sought to discredit the Girondins using tactics previously used against themselves, denouncing the Girondins as liars and enemies of the Revolution. The last quarter of the year was marked by the Reign of Terror, also known as The Terror, a period of violence incited by conflict between these rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of the revolution". The death toll ranged in the tens of thousands, with 16,594 executed by guillotine, and another 25,000 in summary executions across France. Most of the Parisian victims of the guillotine filled the Madeleine, Mosseaux, and Picpus cemeteries.
In the third phase, called Thermidor after the month in which it began, many of the members of the Convention overthrew the most prominent member of the committee, Maximilien Robespierre. This reaction to the radical influence of the Committee of Public Safety reestablished the balance of power in the hands of the moderate deputies. The Girondins who had survived the 1793 purge were recalled and the leading Montagnards were themselves purged, and many executed. In August 1795, the Convention approved the Constitution for the regime that replaced it, the bourgeois-dominated Directory, which exercised power from 1795 to 1799, when a coup d'etat by Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew it.

Moderate Phase: September 1792 – June 1793

Initially, La Marais, or The Plain, a moderate, amorphous group, controlled the Convention. At the first session, held on 20 September 1792, the elder statesman Philippe Rühl presided over the session. The following day, amidst profound silence, the proposition was put to the assembly, "That royalty be abolished in France"; it carried, with cheers. On the 22nd came the news of the Republic's victory at the Battle of Valmy. On the same day, the Convention decreed that "in future, the acts of the assembly shall be dated First Year of the French Republic". Three days later, the Convention added the corollary of "the French republic is one and indivisible", to guard against federalism.
The following men were elected for two-week terms as Presidents, or executives, of the Convention.
ImageDatesNameFate
20 September 1792Philippe RühlSuicide, 29/30 May 1795
20 September 1792 4 October 1792Jérôme Pétion de VilleneuveBotched suicide, guillotined 18 June 1794
4 October 1792 18 October 1792Jean-François DelacroixGuillotined with Georges Danton, 5 April 1794
18 October 1792 1 November 1792Marguerite-Élie GuadetGuillotined 17 June 1794
1 November 1792 15 November 1792Marie-Jean Hérault de SéchellesGuillotined with Georges Danton, 5 April 1794
15 November 1792 29 November 1792Henri GrégoireDied 28 May 1831
29 November 1792 – 13 December 1792Bertrand Barère de VieuzacDied 13 January 1841
13 December 1792 27 December 1792Jacques Defermon des Chapelieres20 June 1831
27 December 1792 10 January 1793Jean-Baptiste TreilhardDied 1 December 1810
10 January 1793 24 January 1793Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud31 October 1793, guillotined.
24 January 1793 7 February 1793Jean-Paul Rabaut Saint-Étienne5 December 1793, guillotined
7 February 1793 21 February 1793Jean-Jacques Bréard, dit Bréard-Duplessis2 January 1840
21 February 1793 7 March 1793Edmond Louis Alexis Dubois-Crancé29 June 1814
7 March 1793 21 March 1793Armand Gensonné31 October 1793, guillotined
21 March 1793 4 April 1793Jean Antoine Joseph Debry6 January 1834, Paris
4 April 1793 18 April 1793Jean-François-Bertrand DelmasDisappeared 19 August 1798
18 April 1793 2 May 1793Marc David Alba Lasource31 October 1793, guillotined with the Girondists
2 May 1793 16 May 1793Jean-Baptiste Boyer-Fonfrède31 October 1793, guillotined
16 May 1793 30 May 1793Maximin Isnard12 March 1825
30 May 1793 13 June 1793François-René-Auguste Mallarmé25 July 1835

At the end of May 1793, an uprising of the Parisian sans culottes, the day-laborers and working class, undermined much of the authority of the moderate Girondins. At this point, although Danton and Hérault de Séchelles both served one more term each as Presidents of the Convention, the Girondins had lost control of the Convention: in June and July compromise after compromise changed the course of the revolution from a bourgeois event to a radical, working class event. Price controls were introduced and a minimum wage guaranteed to workers and soldiers. Over the course of the summer, the government became truly revolutionary.

Radical phase: June 1793 – July 1794

After the insurrection, any attempted resistance to revolutionary ideals was crushed. The insurrection of 31 May – 2 June 1793 marked a significant milestone in the history of the French Revolution. The days of 31 May – 2 June resulted in the fall of the Girondin party under pressure of the Parisian sans-culottes, Jacobins of the clubs, and Montagnards in the National Convention. The following men were elected as presidents of the Convention during its transition from its moderate to radical phase.
PortraitDatesNameDeath
13 June 1793 27 June 1793Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois8 June 1796, deported to French Guiana, died of yellow fever
27 June 1793 11 July 1793Jacques Alexis Thuriot de la Rosière20 June 1829, died in exile
11 July 1793 25 July 1793Andre Jeanbon Saint Andre10 December 1813
25 July 1793 8 August 1793Georges Jacques DantonA moderate guillotined by the radicals, 5 April 1794
8 August 1793 22 August 1793Marie-Jean Hérault de SéchellesGuillotined with Georges Danton, 5 April 1794

After 1793, President of the National Convention became a puppet office under the Committee of Public Safety
The following men were elected as presidents of the Convention during its radical phase.
PortraitDatesNameDeath
22 August 1793 5 September 1793Maximilien Robespierre28 July 1794, guillotined during the Reaction
5 September 1793 19 September 1793Jacques Nicolas Billaud-Varenne3 June 1819
19 September 1793 3 October 1793Pierre Joseph Cambon15 February 1820
3 October 1793 22 October 1793Louis-Joseph Charlier23 February 1797
22 October 1793 6 November 1793Moïse Antoine Pierre Jean Bayle1812 or 1815
6 November 1793 21 November 1793Pierre-Antoine Lalloy16 March 1846
21 November 1793 6 December 1793Charles-Gilbert Romme17 June 1795, suicide prior to guillotine
6 December 1793 21 December 1793Jean-Henri Voulland23 February 1801
21 December 1793 – 5 January 1794Georges Auguste Couthon28 July 1794, guillotined during the Reaction
One of the few members of La Marais to be elected President
5 January 1794 20 January 1794Jacques-Louis David29 December 1825
20 January 1794 4 February 1794Marc Guillaume Alexis Vadier14 December 1828
4 February 1794 19 February 1794Joseph-Nicolas Barbeau du Barran16 May 1816, exiled in Switzerland during Bourbon Restoration
19 February 1794 6 March 1794Louis Antoine de Saint-Just28 July 1794, guillotine during Reaction
7 March 1794 21 March 1794Philippe Rühl29/30 May 1795, suicide
21 March 1794 5 April 1794Jean-Lambert Tallien16 November 1820
5 April 1794 20 April 1794Jean-Baptiste-André Amar21 December 1816
20 April 1794 5 May 1794Robert Lindet17 February 1825
5 May 1794 20 May 1794Lazare Carnot2 August 1823
20 May 1794 4 June 1794Claude-Antoine Prieur-Duvernois11 August 1832
4 June 1794 19 June 1794Maximilien Robespierre28 July 1794, guillotined during the Reaction
19 June 1794 5 July 1794Élie Lacoste26 November 1806
5 July 1794 19 July 1794Jean-Antoine Louis, also called Louis du Bas-Rhin

Reaction: July 1794–1795

In 1794, Maximilien Robespierre continued to consolidate his power over the Montagnards with the use of the Committee of Public Safety. By late spring, the moderate members of the Convention had had enough. They began to conspire secretly against Robespierre and his allies. The Thermidorian Reaction was a revolt within the Convention against the leadership of the Jacobin Club over the Committee of Public Safety. The National Convention voted to remove Maximilien Robespierre, Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, and several other leading members of the revolutionary government, and they were executed the following day. This ended the most radical phase of the French Revolution.
The following men were Presidents of the Convention until its end.
PortraitDatesNameDeath
19 July 1794 3 August 1794Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois8 June 1796
3 August 1794 18 August 1794Philippe Antoine Merlin, dit Merlin de Douai26 December 1838
18 August 1794 2 September 1794Antoine Merlin de Thionville14 September 1833
2 September 1794 22 September 1794André Antoine Bernard, dit Bernard de Saintes19 October 1818
22 September 1794 7 October 1794André Dumont19 October 1838
7 October 1794 22 October 1794Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès8 March 1824
One of the few members of La Marais to be elected President
Authored Napoleon's Civil Code
22 October 1794 6 November 1794Pierre-Louis Prieur, dit Prieur de la Marne31 May 1827
6 November 1794 24 November 1794Louis Legendre13 December 1797, died of natural causes
24 November 1794 6 December 1794Jean-Baptiste Clauzel2 July 1803
6 December 1794 21 December 1794Jean-François Reubell23 November 1807
21 December 1794 6 January 1795Pierre-Louis Bentabole1797
6 January 1795 20 January 1795Étienne-François Le Tourneur4 October 1817
20 January 1795 4 February 1795Stanislas Joseph François Xavier Rovèredied in 1798 in French Guiana
4 February 1795 19 February 1795Paul Barras29 January 1829
19 February 1795 6 March 1795François Louis Bourdon22 June 1798, after being deported to French Guiana
6 March 1795 24 March 1795Antoine Claire Thibaudeau8 March 1854
24 March 1795 5 April 1795Jean Pelet, also Pelet de la Lozère26 January 1842
5 April 1795 20 April 1795François-Antoine de Boissy d'Anglas1828
One of the few members of La Marais to be elected President
20 April 1795 5 May 1795Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès20 June 1836
One of the few members of La Marais to be elected President
5 May 1795 26 May 1795Théodore Vernier
26 May 1795 4 June 1795Jean-Baptiste Charles Matthieu
4 June 1795 19 June 1795Jean Denis, comte Lanjuinaisdied in 1828 in Paris
19 June 1795 4 July 1795Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvray25 August 1797
4 July 1795 19 July 1795Louis-Gustave Doulcet de Pontécoulant17 November 1764 – 3 April 1853
19 July 1795 3 August 1795Louis-Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux24 March 1824
3 August 1795 19 August 1795Pierre Claude François Daunou20 June 1840
19 August 1795 2 September 1795Marie-Joseph Chénier10 January 1811
2 September 1795 23 September 1795Théophile Berlier12 September 1844
23 September 1795 8 October 1795Pierre-Charles-Louis Baudin1799
8 October 1795 26 October 1795Jean Joseph Victor Génissieu27 October 1804

Presidents of the Committee of Public Safety

;Political parties:



Successor organization

The Directory

The Directory was the government of France following the collapse of the National Convention in late 1795. Administered by a collective leadership of five directors, it preceded the Consulate established in a coup d'etat by Napoleon. It lasted from 2 November 1795 until 10 November 1799, a period commonly known as the "Directory era". The directory operated with a bicameral structure. A Council of the Ancients, selected by lot, named the directors. For its own security, the Left resolved that all five must be old members of the Convention and regicides who had voted to execute King Louis XVI. The Ancients chose Jean-François Rewbell; Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de Barras; Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux; Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot; and Étienne-François Le Tourneur.
The Directory was officially led by a president, as stipulated by Article 141 of the Constitution of the Year III. An entirely ceremonial post, the first president was Rewbell who was chosen by lot on 2 November 1795. The directors conducted their elections privately, with the presidency rotating every three months. The last president was Gohier.
The key figure of the Directory was Paul Barras, the only Director to serve throughout the Directory.

The Consulate

House of Bonaparte, First Empire (1804–1814)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilTitle
Napoleon I, the Great
18 May 180411 April 1814Emperor of the French

Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor in 1804 following a referendum. He received the title Emperor of the French to differentiate himself from the previous monarchs. His rule saw the domination of France as it crushed the Prussians, Russians, Austrians and British alike. Napoleon's rule lasted from 1804 to 1814 when after many coalitions against him he was defeated by the combined might of the other powers of Europe. He would then be exiled to the Island of Elba off the coast of Italy. However he was given the island to run as the Emperor of Elba.

Capetian Dynasty (1814–1815)

House of Bourbon, Bourbon Restoration (1814–1815)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Louis XVIII11 April 181420 March 1815Grandson of Louis XV Younger brother of Louis XVIKing of France and of Navarre

House of Bonaparte, First Empire (Hundred Days, 1815)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorTitle
Napoleon I
20 March 181522 June 1815NoneEmperor of the French
Napoleon II

22 June 18157 July 1815Son of Napoleon IEmperor of the French

Capetian Dynasty (1815–1848)

House of Bourbon (1815–1830)

Revolution of 1830

For a few days during the July Revolution, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette held executive power and was offered the presidency of a Republic. He refused.
Louis XIX was technically king for 20 minutes on 2 August 1830, and his nephew Henri V for ten days after that.

House of Orléans, July Monarchy (1830–1848)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Louis-Philippe I the Citizen King
9 August 183024 February 1848Sixth generation descendant of Louis XIII in the male line
Fifth cousin of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X		King of the French

French Second Republic (1848–1852)

''De facto'' heads of state of regimes of 1848

;Political parties

President of the Republic

;Political parties

House of Bonaparte, Second Empire (1852–1870)

PortraitCoat of armsNameFromUntilRelationship with his predecessorsTitle
Napoleon III
2 December 18524 September 1870Nephew of Napoleon IEmperor of the French

French Third Republic (1870–1940)

President of the Government of National Defense

;Political parties







Acting Presidents

Under the Third Republic, the President of the Council served as acting president whenever the office of president was vacant.
The office of President of the French Republic did not exist from 1940 until 1947.

French State (1940–1944)

Chief of State

Provisional Government of the French Republic (1944–1947)

French Fourth Republic (1947–1958)

Presidents

Political parties:

Fifth French Republic (1958–present)

Presidents

Political parties:

Later pretenders

Various pretenders descended from the preceding monarchs have claimed to be the legitimate monarch of France, rejecting the claims of the President of France, and of each other. These groups are: