Analysis
The French Revolution was such an important time history. Not only was it a massacre with many lives being lost, including that of Queen Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI, it was also a time of great political turmoil which would turn man against man that being the case of Edmond Burke and Thomas Paine. Edmond Burke a traditionalist who believed the people should be loyal to the king against his former friend, Thomas Paine a free thinker who believed in order for things to improve one has to have some sort of change. In a time where it seemed as though things changed over-night the only question is which political party would be left standing? In the following paper, I will attempt to analyze Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France against Thomas Paine’s Right of man and state the difference between the two. But before any analysis can be made I must first discuss in further detail the French Revolution.
The French Revolution first started in 1789, commoners were becoming upset with the lack of voice they had within the French Parliament. Although, they made up the majority of the French population, they always lost votes in a two to one landslide against the nobles and the aristocrats. Not only were they not having a voice, but they were also being forced to pay taxes for wars that lasted years, and the country was near bankruptcy, commoners could no longer look to their king for help. King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette lived a
The French Revolution began as a result of the French monarchy not caring about its citizens. The monarchy taxed the third estate 50% of their income and letting them starve as they give them little food and the food they do give them was expensive. While the second and first estates paid little to no taxes and lived a lavish life. When the French citizens learned that the king was going to send his army to Paris the citizens were done with their unjust government and attacked the bastille, starting the
America and France are two of the most famous countries on earth. They are first-world nations sitting at the forefront of this century. In order to achieve this, both had to endure periods of revolution and social restructuring. The American and French revolutions took place within forty years of each other, giving rise to these changes. A major catalyst for both revolutions lay in the philosophy of the Enlightenment. People of all social classes were beginning to protest the weight of absolute monarchy. From these two country’s revolutions came three documents that attested to these ideas. America’s Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States, and France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen cried that all of Mankind was equal. No man should rule with unconditional authority. These two revolutions had much in common, including the eventual outcome of the revolutions. The differences between the two lay in geography, social changes, and the actions the revolutionists committed.
The French revolution started in 1787 and ended in late 1799 with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This was also known as the Revolution of 1789, the reason it is called that instead of the Revolution of 1787 is because the climax was 1787. Some of the reasons for the French revolution are; international, political conflict, the Enlightenment, social antagonisms among two rising groups: the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, the weak ruler: Louis XVI played a big part in it and economic hardship. The revolution seemed necessary for the idea of the enlightenment era. The main people who the French were trying to meet the ideas were Montesquieu, Voltaire, or Rousseau.
For my book review, I have read and evaluated Sylvia Neely’s history book entitled A Concise History of the French Revolution published in 2007 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Neely’s purpose is to gives an overview of the French revolution with the most important events, the most prominent people and the essential terms. We can see that the author proved her thesis by explaining the background causes of the revolution such as the ancient regime with Louis XVI. Also she described all important events in chronological orders which made it easier for the reader to understand. Neely’s book is at the same time an history book, but also an kind of encyclopedia because she included all essentials terms which were use during that time period, such as “dérogeance”, which means the loss of nobility.
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.
To begin with, the French Revolution was partly caused by the economic crisis. The French Revolution began in 1787, but up until 1743, France, or at least the nobles of France, was in an extremely comfortable position. From 1713 to 1743, France was in the Thirty Years’ Peace, a period during which overseas trade was extremely profitable. However, after this period, the economy slowly began to crumble. At this
The French and American Revolution do have some similarities although, ultimately, the two wars are completely different. One of the main differences is that the American Revolution was sparked by the American people who were unhappy with the way the British were controlling them. As a result, the Americans were looking for independence.The French Revolution, on the other hand, was centered on putting an end to the monarchy and implementing a new style of government while also changing the social structure which favored the hereditary elites. Another difference is in relation to how the revolutions were fought. The Americans elected representatives who assumed powers of government and created their own currency which effectively cut off payments to Britain while the US organized an official army (495). The American Revolution initially put together two military powers which fought throughout the thirteen colonies. Although the British won most of the battles, the Americans would be able to form a competent military, with civilian support networks, that provided supplies and financial support (495). Although this was not quite enough, it took until the French intervened, as allies to the Americans, the British finally surrendered granting independence to these colonies.
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.
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.
The French revolution was a period in French history when the 3rd estate became the National Assembly. These people of the National Assembly were fascinated by the enlightenment ideas of the new world. (Document 1) They were advocates for a non-monarchy. They created a document called the Declaration of the Rights of Man which was their laws that they abided by.(Document 5)
French Revolution was a horrifying event that was from 1789 to 1799. The revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic and created political chaos. The french revolution started because most people were denied basic rights because the King and Queen cared only for themselves, the economic crisis in France, and social injustices.
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.
The French Revolution was a failure because after all of the blood shed, the laws, civil rights, and codes did not get instituted effectively and did not represent the values that the citizens fought for, examples of this were the Napoleonic Code, Declaration of Rights of Man. Another reason it was a failure was because during the revolts and reforms more than 40,000 men and women died, this enormous massacre of people went against Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, all of which the national assembly declared were every man's right. Much of the killing can be related back to Robespierre and King Louis XVI. Although it was mostly a failure, some achievements can be seen through the revolution, the French revolution helped the french people become a more equal and socialist state, this showed Europe that the french
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
At the tail-end of the 1960s, the world was exploding. There were revolutions and uprisings on nearly every continent. In America, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famed “I Have a Dream” speech, which was pivotal in the fight for civil rights. In Prague, two men set themselves on fire in the famed Wenceslas Square to protest the Prague Spring. And in Paris, there were student-led riots that lead to four fifths of the country, or about 10 million people, to go on strike (Revolutions) while thousands protested in the streets, starting a revolution complete with barricades and human chains. Even though it may seem to have been a complete failure to the untrained eye, the anarchist May-June revolt accomplished what was thought of as impossible,