First Republic (September 21, 1792 – May 18, 1804)
The first democratic constitution was passed on September 3, 1791. The king was henceforth merely "King of the French" rather than "King of France" and the French First Republic was proclaimed on September 21, 1792, during the French Revolutionary Wars. France was invaded and defeated in the War of the First Coalition (1792–1797) and the Second Coalition (1798–1801). Napoleon took power in a coup d'état (the Coup of 18 Brumaire) on November 9, 1799, and ruled as First Consul of the French Republic until being proclaimed Emperor of the French on May 18, 1804, thus ending the First Republic. After Napoleon's defeat in the War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814) and his abdication on April 6, 1814, the Bourbon monarchy was restored.
Second Republic (February 25, 1848 – December 2, 1852)
The February Revolution of 1848 in Paris led to the collapse of the July Monarchy, forcing Louis-Philippe I to abdicate and flee the country. The Second Republic was declared on February 25, 1848. On December 10, 1848, Louis Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon I, was elected president of the French Second Republic. His supporters staged a coup d'état exactly four years later on December 2, 1852, which initiated a period of transition to the Second French Empire, which began with his enthronement as Napoleon III on December 2, 1852.
Third Republic (September 4, 1870 – July 10, 1940)
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 led to the collapse of Napoleon III's Second Empire in September 1870. The Third Republic was proclaimed by the Government of National Defence on September 4, 1870, and survived until the Fall of France to Nazi Germany on June 22, 1940.
Fourth Republic (October 27, 1946 – October 4, 1958)
The Fourth Republic was established on October 27, 1946, following the referendum of October 13, 1946, which rejected Charles de Gaulle's draft Constitution of the Fourth Republic. The Fourth Republic began in a climate of high optimism, especially because the country had emerged victorious from World War II. However, it soon faced a multitude of challenges, including the First Indochina War (1946–1954), the Korean War (1950–1953) and the Algerian War (1954–1962). Internal political instability and economic difficulties led to the collapse of the Fourth Republic on May 13, 1958, during the Algerian Crisis, and the establishment of the Fifth Republic on January 5, 1959.