The Velvet Revolution Essay example

Between 1789 and 1814 the French Revolution astonished and impacted the world. The Revolution has been talked about for years because of its contributions and the way it affected the world. The significant figures from the Revolution also played important roles in history and in areas outside of France. King Louis’ absolutism and the unfair treatment between classes were political, social, and economical causes of the French Revolution. This Revolution impacted the people of France by terrorizing and affecting their rights, yet at the same time the French Revolution served as a template for other countries when it came to radical changes and Revolutions.

The French Revolution was caused by social inequality, economic depression,mistreatment from the monarchy, and the new idea of the Enlightenment Era.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia were now able to own their own businesses. They could move freely for jobs and homes. The countries are now able to vote as they wish. They did however change their language. All countries in the Soviet Union used to speak German. Now Czech is spoken in the Czech Republic and Slovak is spoken in Slovakia. The national anthem changed, both countries now have their own. In the Soviet Union the religion was Atheism, and now Czechoslovakia is free to believe whatever they want. The soviet Ruble was the currency in the Soviet Union and then it changed to the Czechoslovak Koruna and finally, when Czechoslovakia split, it changed to Czech Koruna in the Czech Republic and the Euro in Slovakia. The government in the Soviet Union was dictatorship. Now, a Parliamentary Republic is the form of government in Slovakia and Czech Republic. Although life after the Soviet Union collapsed was free, some people say it was easier to live in the Soviet Union because everything was already set and organized for you. They were not making many of their own decisions. However, when Czechoslovakia became free, the people realized that they had more freedom. They had to make decisions on their

What is curious to note is that the main bulk of the revolution centered around the interests of the common worker; it was a revolution deeply rooted in the age-old class struggle. This particular revolution occurred not long after Marx and Engels issued their COMMUNIST MANIFESTO, which outlines the rights and abuses suffered by the working classes. The campesinos (peasants) were fighting against the wealthy land owners, who, at the time, controlled the means of production. This was a very Marxist revolution.

During The French Revolution, many citizens (mostly the 3rd estate) were not treated the way they should have been. The French Revolution was the cause of the rebellions and difficult economic situations that many citizens had to endure. During the reign of King Louis XIV and Queen Marie Antoinette, many citizens (especially the 3rd estate) were livid about how poor they were being treated.

First, before the Second World War, the nation of Czechoslovakia had been a strong democracy in Central Europe, but beginning in the mid 1930s it faced challenges from both the West and the East. Until the Soviet’s invasion where they installed a whole new communist government in Prague. For the next twenty

Prior to gaining its independence, America endured various controlling methods brought on by the Crown that were focused on directly benefiting Britain, rather than Britain providing much-needed support and assistance to the colonists attempting to settle the new rugged land. While attempts to control every aspect of daily life in the colonies was nothing new, the most critical and obviously selfish move was The Stamp Act of 1775 (Tindall & Shi, 2010). This tax, proposed by Chief Minister of Britain, George Grenville, and enforced by King George III, was the first law or tax passed without allowing any voice or opportunity for repeal from the colonists. The Stamp Act was proposed by Grenville as part of his strategy to raise revenue not

Within France in the late eighteenth century, men and women are attempting to constitute a new government that would allow liberty, equality, and fraternity. Throughout the French Revolution, there were many objectives and ideas produced by men and women that were drastically adjusted according to the phase of the revolution. The modification of ideas and objectives seen throughout the revolution were internal social and political change; moral changes; and appeals to nationalism.

verthrow of Antonescu, a struggle for power took place between the democratic parties, which held fast to the Western political tradition, and the Communist Party, which was committed to the Soviet model. The communists, though they had few supporters, came to power in the spring of 1945 because the Soviet Union had intervened forcefully on their behalf. The decisive factor was the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s approval of a seizure of power, which he gave during a visit to Moscow in January 1945 by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, the leader of the so-called “native” faction of the party (composed mainly of ethnic Romanians)

Before World War II, Soviet troops occupied most of Eastern Europe. Stalin promised to hold “free elections” in these Eastern European nations. Later he broke that promise. By 1948, Communists controlled the governments of every Eastern country except Yugoslavia. In each country the Soviets placed dictators.

The French Revolution evokes many different emotions and controversial issues in that some believe it was worth the cost and some don't. There is no doubt that the French Revolution did have major significance in history. Not only did the French gain their independence, but an industrial revolution also took place. One of the main issues of the Revolution was it's human costs. Two writers, the first, Peter Kropotkin who was a Russian prince, and the other Simon Schama, a history professor, both had very opposing views on whether the wars fought by France during the Revolution were worth it's human costs. Krapotkin believed that the French Revolution was the main turning point for not only France but for most

“Ultimately, for Jefferson, it made no difference whether Indians were removed to the Rocky Mountains, 'extirpated from the earth,' or allowed to remain in the United States. Indians as Indians could not be tolerated in the republican civilization the American Revolution had created. The new nation must have a 'homogeneous' population.”

to get all the power of France. It should also be said that not all the nobles

The French Revolution was a period of time from 1789 to 1799 in France where there was political instability. It officially began on the 14th of July, 1789, when the Bastille, which was a symbol of the King’s harsh policies, was stormed. The King, Louis XVI, the Queen, Marie-Antoinette and about 40,000 people were all brutally murdered. But there was also a positive side, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was formally adopted on August 1789 and feudalism was abolished. This essay will address the issues of the three estates system, food shortages and the fiscal crisis. It will also be argued that the most significant cause of the French Revolution was the social inequality that stemmed from the three estates system.

The National Salvation Front (FSN), led by Ion Iliescu, comprised the new provisional government. Iliescu gained popularity by proclaiming his role in the death of Ceauşescu and championing a new “one party democracy” (Wolchik and Cury 318). Ceauşescu’s legacy and the lack of political competition in Romania led the citizen’s of Romania to believe in the empty promises of reform made by the FSN and Iliescu. The National Salvation Front promised to be a transitional government and to offer free and fair elections (Wolchik and Cury 317). In May 1990, they offered free, but unfair elections in which Iliescu won the presidency with over 85% of the vote and the FSN won a majority of parliament with 66% of the vote (Vachudova 41). Iliescu quickly proved to be anti- Ceauşescu, but not anti-communist. Immediately after his election in 1990, Iliescu began to concentrate his power by appointing communists to government positions, ousting non-communists, and taking control of the media (Vachudova 45). Anti-Iliescu demonstrations in Bucharest began in response and Iliescu sent miners to violently oppress the demonstrations (Linz and Stepan 361). Iliescu continued to demonstrate that he would not allow a strong opposition. A small number of opposition groups managed to exist in Romania; however, they were small and fragmented.