On what date did the Coup of 18 Fructidor take place?

The Coup of 18 Fructidor took place on 4 September 1797, corresponding to 18 Fructidor Year V in the French Republican Calendar.

The coup was organized by three republican members of the five-man Directory—Paul Barras, Jean-François Rewbell, and Louis-Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux—with military support. They acted after elections strengthened royalists and conservative republicans in the legislature, creating fears that the monarchy might be restored.

General Charles-Pierre Augereau led troops into Paris with support associated with Napoleon Bonaparte. The operation arrested prominent royalist figures, including Charles Pichegru and the newly appointed director Barthélemy. Lazare Carnot, another director, escaped. The government then annulled election results in dozens of departments and removed many monarchist deputies.

The event helped preserve the republic but weakened constitutional government by showing how readily the Directory could use the army against elected representatives. It also created a precedent for later military intervention in politics. The best-known calendar name, 18 Fructidor Year V, and the Gregorian date, 4 September 1797, refer to the same coup.