Revolutionary period with good end but not beginning (8)
I believe the answer is:
germinal
'revolutionary period' is the definition.
'Germinal' can be an answer for 'period' (Germinal is an example). I'm not sure about the 'revolutionary' bit.
I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for germinal that I've seen before include "a month after the French Revolution" , "Rudimentary" , "Relating to earliest stages of development" , "In a sort of cell" , "In the earliest stage of development, like new ideas" .)