Symbols Of The French Revolution

The initial impulse of the French revolution was destructive. For those who lived through all, or even part, of these vast upheavals, the shock was overwhelming. Maximilien Robespierre was a proud disciple of the enlightenment and declared that no political writer had foreseen this revolution. Robespierre (1758-1794) was one of the leaders of the Committee of Public Safety, the effective governing body of France during the most radical phase of the revolution. The leaders of this revolution attempted, perhaps more than any other revolutionary leaders before or since, to totally transform human society in every way. (Supreme Being) Although Robespierre began with patriotic intent he still was the face of the Reign of Terror and was viewed as being a radical person.

Bastille was a symbol of the king’s power, but fall of bastille by the ordinary people showed king’s inability to maintain the kingdom. It became the symbol of revolution to the French people. Since then Bastille Day has been recognized as a national holiday in France. The storming of the Bastille was the begging of the French revolution.

Just about any country that one can name has some history of civil unrest, class issues, rioting in the streets, and outright warfare. These patterns of behavior are common denominators for most civilization in the world. The names, faces, and places may change, but the motivations are generally the same, because of the need for change and the willingness to do whatever is necessary to achieve it. In contrast to the United States, which was in the process of freeing itself from British colonial rule, France was working to free itself from royal absolutism. This period is historically known as the French Revolution. Many scholars do not agree on the chronology of the French Revolution; some scholars suggest that the Revolution took place between 1789 to 1799 while others feel that it did not end until Napoleon lost power in 1815. To better understand the history of the French Revolution it is necessary to discuss the causes, major events, significant figures, and the outcomes associated with these political developments. Without this uprising, that changed the face of the entire country and influenced local political life in many countries in Europe, in all likelihood the France we know today would never have existed.

Bastille Day celebrates a turning point in the French Revolution, the storming of Bastille Prison in 1789. In America, we celebrate Independence Day, or the day when the colonists declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. Both are celebrated in similar ways, with the French and Americans celebrating with fireworks and parades. Also, both points in the war were one of the riskiest moves both countries made. Declaring independence was treason, punishable by death, and storming Bastille could have caused the King to have a violent attack on the citizens. Therefore, both are similar.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” (Desmond Tutu). There have been countless instances of people rebelling for change for the perceived greater good. Injustices such as the merciless monarchy, abuse of the government, segregation, or discrimination, strike a movement and longing for change. In most cases, change -or at least a compromise- is met and betters history.

Symbols of aristocratic authority in Miss Julie, facilitate societal discussion on ethically acceptable behaviour as sexual, gender and class conflicts emerge through individuals having challenged hierarchal structure despite having internalized distinct ideological frameworks. Strindberg utilizes uncertainty and the reveling Midsummer atmosphere to justify aristocratic need for isolation in order to maintain a guise of dominance. Julie’s failure to embody submissive characteristics and conform to social paradigms by alienating herself from the servitude, threatens the hierarchal structure, using social structure to dictate ethical behaviour within society. Hence, Julie’s death is justified as necessary to reinstate social order through isolating and subjugating the proletariat. Liberation and freedom are impossible to obtain due to the anxiety producing agency of the Count, symbolizing the omnipresence of repressive Capitalist dictates due to the impact on psyche as a product of nurture.

The recently established constitutional monarchy no longer had a reigning monarch. The new National Convention soon after came into power. The Convention was far more radical than the Assembly; in its first meeting, the Convention declared France a republic. Not long after, it executed Louis XVI, demonstrating its removal from monarchical government as well as its drive to protect the liberty of the people and the security of the state. The Reign of Terror began In March of 1793, when the dictatorial Committee of Public Safety began executing so-called 'traitors', or anyone who disagreed with the new regime. The Convention believed they had created a “republic of virtue,” which was largely founded on ideas from Rousseau’s Social Contract. Civic virtue, the sacrifice of oneself for the good of a republic, was to replace selfish aristocratic and royal corruption. It was in the name of common good that the Committee of Public Safety carried out the policies of the terror. These policies became increasingly violent and cruel as the revolution went on. The guillotine became a popular way to quiet those who didn’t agree with the new regime (doc. 9). Maximilien Robespierre embodied this republic of virtue defended by terror. Robespierre believed that the republic of virtue meant wholehearted support of the republican government and the protection of the state

One of the major problems with the old regime was the Nobles, Clergies and Aristocrats owned all the money and land, they did not have to experience what 98% of the population of France is experiencing – Starvation. They did not take in an account of the lives of the lives of those majorities either, which caused a shift in their perspective towards the absolute monarchy. This shift perspective has separated the first and second Estates and the third Estates into two separate “nations” in terms of the social aspect. During the period of the first war of Coalition, people was often blinded by the fact they’re trying to overthrow an old regime – the king, and form an equal society, but they did not think for themselves, the definition of patriotism was not clear. At the time being patriotic does not simply mean to support the French revolution, but to be willing to die for the French Revolution, even if an individual is against the ideas. For instance, neighbours was spying on neighbours, and friends was bailing friends out; it was not enough to just support the idea of French Revolution but to be a radical like Marat and

However, it is not the 18th century that nationalism began to be a recognized. Due it's overwhelming feeling of belong and sense of purpose. Nationalism is thought to be an ancient emotion; however, it's revolutionary because the American, and French revolutions can be linked to the manifestations of nationalism.

Law could no longer be changed or reinvented on the spot by members of government for their own benefit. Now, it could only prohibit actions which were hurtful to society. These new concepts brought fourth during the revolution would greatly influence not just France, but the entirety of Europe and its direction in the decades to come. Perhaps the most important of these new concepts was Nationalism which encompassed the ideas of pride in one’s nation, fair, nonbiased law, comradery, and a still skewed, but, better version of equality. Nationalism would also bring fourth the concept of legitimate violence which was essentially the thought that war was ok and murder was not. This important concept would be the driving force behind the Napoleonic Wars to come. While the concept of nationalism was most definitely progressive, highly influential, and constructed of good intentions and values it did not always play out as such in soldiers and citizens daily lives during the revolution. Far too often nationalism turned away from its pure ideals and instead lead to prejudice in all types of different people, which was not its conceptual

The French Revolution (1789-1814) was a period that affected the outcome of world history tremendously. This is considered a major turning point in European history which has led to dramatic changes in France and other regions of the world. Various social and political issues led to the start of the revolution. Politically, France suffered under the rule of Louis XVI, who ruled by absolute monarchy. Many people had their natural rights renounced and weren’t able to have a political voice. Socially, France had divided its population within 3 estates (classes). French citizens took it upon themselves to remodel their country 's’ political structure. The French Revolution had encountered both positive and negative effects. However, many Europeans viewed the Revolution as much more than just a bloody massacre. The French Revolution was used to demonstrate new ideology that would emphasize the principles of liberty and equality throughout Europe.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité was the cry of freedom that countless people used to propel them through, and to the end of the French Revolution. This long period of social, political and economic change in France lasted 10 years, starting in 1798 and ended with Napoleon Bonaparte. The French Revolution greatly affected all of Europe at the time and continues to represent the embodiment of revolution to this day. This constant struggle between the heavily taxed, burdened, and unrepresented third estate and those higher created an environment of monumental change for everyone. In the years leading up to the French Revolution, new beliefs and ideas were reaching every corner of Europe creating the thought that men should live free of oppression. However, in France the leader Louis XVI lead like a tyrant leaving the people impoverish and angry. Through the analysation of numerous circumstance present during the Ancien Régime, such as an inferior fiscal leadership, massive debt, and the forthcoming of new ideas during the Enlightened period, it can be concluded that the means for this revolution were justified as it is in our essence to revolt for a change.

Revolutions are a common occurrence throughout world history. With the amount of revolutions in history, there are those that get lost and those that are the most remembered or well known. One of the well known revolutions is the French Revolution which occurred in the years 1789 to 1799. Before the French Revolution, France was ruled by an absolute monarchy, this meaning that one ruler had the supreme authority and that said authority was not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs, a definition given by wikipedia.com and the feudal system, which was a system that said a peasant or worker would receive a piece of land in return for serving under a king, a definition given by vocabulary.com. Those who opposed the, then

Nationalism is the idea that a people who have much in common, such as language, culture and geographic proximity ought to organize in such a way that it creates a stable and enduring state. Nationalism is tied to patriotism, and it is the driving force behind the identity of a culture. Nationalism had many effects in Europe from 1815, The Congress of Vienna and beyond. In the following essay I will describe many of the consequences of nationalism on European identity, as well as some of the conflicts that it created.

Edmund Burke published the Reflections on the Revolution in France in 1790; after the Bastille had been stormed by the Paris mol. He reflects upon about how France was very chaotic. Burke opposed the values of his contemporary revolutionaries; and he predicted that the French revolution would cause problems of fear and chaos to the country. Burke also believed that the revolutionary leaders were more interested in themselves and that they wanted power, however; and really did not care about the well-being of the French people. He believed in the concepts of liberty, equality and the right for everyone; he argues that people should have the opportunity to own their private property. Furthermore, Burke viewed the revolution as a violent takeover of the government, emphasizing that citizens should not have the right to do this. He also argues about importance of tradition in that tradition is what holds society together.