The French Revolution Of 1789

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.

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 was also a result of the discontentment of the social structure in France. King Louis and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were very unpopular among the French because they did not care about their subjects.

The American Revolution was undeniably the most pivotal time period in respect to United States History, but who was really to blame for initiating the conflict? While both the British politicians and American colonists shared the blame for the kindling of the revolution, one party was certainly more at fault than the other: the British. Through short-term causes of taxation and incommodious trade acts, and long-term causes of salutary neglect and involvement in the burdensome French & Indian War, the British politicians proved to ultimately be the most responsible for igniting the Revolutionary War.

The American Revolution was triggered, by many laws that were passed between 1763 and 1775 that controlled trade and taxes. This legislation caused pressure between colonists and imperial officers, who had made it clear that the British Parliament would not address American complaints relating that the new laws were “too difficult”. The British unwilling participation to react to American demands for modification allowed colonists to argue that they were part of an increasingly corrupt and oppressive empire in which traditional liberties were threatened.

a. Burdened by debt from the Seven Years’ War and French support for the American Revolution, King Louis XVI needed to raise taxes, so he agreed to convene the Estates General, which met in 1789 at Versailles. Led by the Third Estates —those outside the aristocracy or church— a new national assembly was declared on June 17, 1789. Its members swore, in the Tennis Court Oath, to

The American Revolution was much more than an insurrection against British tariffs and patronage decree. Rather, it was a bureaucratic catastrophe in which colonists from the thirteen American colonies denied the British sovereignty, eradicated the jurisdiction of Great Britain and established the United States of America. The upheaval was a primitive modern revolution in which generality traversed for liberty in the statute of law, constitutional privilege and supremacy. Ensuing years of contention and maltreatment, the colonists adjudicated to take action for what they postulated was ethical. The colonists were able to win the American Revolution against the British, despite the fact that they faced numerous disadvantages, by their

The first two estates held the majority of the wealth but the minority of the people, containing the nobles and clergy. In 1789, Louis XVI, King of France at the time, held a meeting to try to solve the major debt the country had incurred. However, only the first two estates were invited to the meeting. Although the Third Estate was not invited it was decided they would become liable to cover the taxes to rebuild the economy. Following this, the Third Estate declared themselves, the National Assembly. King Louis XVI was unhappy about this and locked the Third Estate from Versalles, weeks later the Third Estate storm the Bastille and overthrow the government. King Louis XVI was sent to the gutone by the National Assembly. The Third Estate, having been manipulated by the ruling power, took a stand against the rulers. They too were influenced by the Enlightenment, as with the Enlightenment they became more educated on their

After helping the colonists defeat the British in the American Revolution, France faced incredible debt. The king looked to an Assembly of Notables for help in repaying this debt, but they refused to aid him. Out of options, the king called the Estates General so that they would levy taxes in France. The Estates General was formed by members from each of the three Estates: the 1st Estate, which was comprised of the clergy; the 2nd Estate, which was comprised of the nobility; and the 3rd Estate, which was representative of everyone else in France. Excited by the prospect of getting involved in government, the 3rd Estate representatives did not just want to levy taxes for the king. The representatives from the 3rd Estate wanted to become a permanent fixture in government, so they broke off from the Estates General and called themselves the National Assembly. The National Assembly took an oath -- the Tennis Court Oath -- to not disband until they had created a constitution for France. They established a constitution and the legislative assembly convened, and they were in charge for about a year. However, once the National Convention abolished the monarchy and the King was executed, the government faced being controlled by radicals who would implement a Terror. The Terror officially began when the Convention declared it, but some events leading up to the Terror that could be considered a part of it happened before that declaration. The purging of the Girondins from the National

The American Revolution, one of the chief events in U.S. history, was an event that had its origins planted long before the fighting began. With the time period of the Enlightenment overlapping that of the revolution, ideals of society and humanity flooded colonial society. Although some may argue that the acts of the British were for the colonists’ well-being, I will explain why they were in fact hindrances. Colonists decided to overhaul the system of monarchy because they felt that it did not respect their rights as Englishmen, they thought that they were being unfairly taxed, and they were influenced by the influx of radical enlightenment thoughts.

The calling of the Estates General by King Louis XIV surprised many people, because the last meeting that occurred was over nearly 175 years ago. The bankruptcy sparked an idea for the King to summon the estates, they could discuss their financial situation. At first, King Louis proposed the idea of imposing tax on all land to gain money, but the nobles did not agree with it. King Louis XVI was a weak king and was not strong enough to oppose the nobles so that proposition did not happen. King Louis XIV finally decided to hold a meeting in Versailles where the three estates voted if they should change the ways of taxation and the structure of the government. The First and Second Estates each had 300 members in the Estates-General while the Third

During the eighteenth century there was one central political cause for the French Revolution. King Louis XVI was a weak ruler who endured a lavish lifestyle. He disregarded the people’s needs, leaving much of the French population in discontent. Prior to the revolution the form of government was Absolute monarchy led by Louis XVI. The problem with absolute monarchy was that people were denied basic rights, and a say in government because the divine right theory was abused. The King ruled by the divine right of theory which

The source in question is a political cartoon published in February of 1789; just months before the beginning of the French revolution. It depicts three fat men, representing the first and second estates of France at the time, riding an impoverished and chained third estate. there are many details in the painting, such as a scourge and bridle in the hands of the fat judge, that imply great cruelty towards the third estate. The nationalist perspective of the source is clearly sympathetic to the oppressed third estate’s growing outrage at the acts of the rich first and second estate. It reflects the sentiment that many of the third estate felt at the time, which was the desire to rise up against the incredible injustices apparent in the current

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.

France’s 1789 revolution marked a turning point for the nation as it became both a symbol of the resistance against tyranny for France as well as social change for the better. The first revolution gave both left wing and right wing political groups inspiration on how to make France better moving forward. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy, France went through several smaller revolutions and rebellions all inspired by the first revolution from left wing groups. In the wake of the Third Republic’s defeat at the hand of National Socialist Germany, a new revolution started, this time from the right, called the National Revolution. Looking at its ideology, politics and political structure, and society’s