Citizens were not permitted to vote as individuals. Instead one vote was given to each of the three estates, the clergy (first), aristocrats (second), and everyone else excluded from the first two, who were most commonly peasants and the working class (third) (Roberts et al. 646). Unsurprisingly, the Third Estate was outvoted and citizens within became furious. They, “…insisted that those who worked [for low wages] and pay taxes were the nation…” (Roberts et al. 646) Shortly afterward, the National Assembly was born and was determined to take France’s future into its own (Belloc, 93).
Both the American and French revolutions were focused on liberty and equality. America was trying to gain freedom from the rules, unfair taxation, War debt, and lack of representation from the British. The French Revolution on the other hand wanted to abolish the French monarchy and create a better government in which people could have more of a say in society, and also had similar causes as the American Revolution. They were similar in their causes because both of them were caused because of unfair taxation, war debt, and lack of representation. However, “The American Revolution involved a colonial uprising against an
← Doyle, William. The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. 2001
A revolution is not an event that comes around every few years. In fact, for an event to be considered a revolution that event must bring about significant political, social, ideological, religious or even technological change. Throughout history there have been some very noteworthy revolutions such as the Agricultural Revolution, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution. Of all the revolutions in history, it is perhaps the French Revolution that remains the most romanticized in the minds of the people. The French Revolution was, at its core, a revolution of the masses, for the masses. It was a long, violent affair, lasting from 1787 to 1799. Like most periods of historical importance, the French Revolution was not caused by a single, specific event in history. It was rather the result of the accumulation of many events spread all through the 18th century. Some of the most important causes of the French Revolution were the economic crisis, the rising tensions between the social classes, the shortcoming of the rule of Louis XVI, and the Age of Enlightenment.
However, the source is limited because as a French writer, his views on the French monarchy may be unduly influential. This book was published almost two hundred years after the revolution. This implies that the sentiment towards the monarchy may have evolved over time and would not precisely display the true emotions of the French people from about two centuries earlier.
Since 1789, increasing discontent for food shortage and dire living conditions in France triggered massive protests against the Old Regime. By overthrowing Louis XVI and absolute monarchy, French citizens began to march toward democracy. However, the desire for participating in political decisions became so radical that fueled by internal and external conflicts, people shifted away from the principles they drew up. To restore stability and enforce laws, the government turned more centralized. Unlike what the revolution intended initially, its ending with Napoleon’s dictatorship totally resembled what it was like before. Such turmoil throughout the revolution merely undermined democracy despite its original aim to increase the public voice in politics.
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 published letter of the king’s reasoning for departure also served the public with rage, and, “equally significant for the future of the Revolution was the dramatic change in attitude toward the king…everything was transformed by the king’s flight.” (Tackett, 101) People in the streets of Paris were throwing out their portraits of the royal family and were seeing the king, the one they praised a week ago, as a deserter and conspirator to their newly-formed and praised government. The use of rumor and newspapers by members of The Cordelier Club also helped spread certain radical ideals in which prompted the idea of turning France into a republic, and of dissembling the monarchy and the king altogether. It was this power in the streets of Paris that would soon grow with every day after the king fled, as, “Outside the Legislative Assembly, however, the more radical revolutionaries had managed to hold the loyalty of most of the provincial club network, giving them a powerful propaganda tool.” (Popkin, 58) The National Assembly was still strong in its number of members favorable of this new constitutional monarchy, but it was in the streets and with the people that the actual aspect of the Revolution was shifting. Members of the National Assembly were getting restless
Jules Ferry and Georges Clemenceau were two of the greatest proponents of the Third Republic in France. They had been active even before the fall of the Second Empire, with Ferry writing articles against the Empire in Le Temps (Encyclopædia Britannica, 1998) and Clemenceau founding several Republican journals, and even being present at Léon Gambetta's proclamation of the Third Republic in 1870 (Monnerville, 2016).Whilst it is clear that the two men were both staunch supporters of a republic in the sense of government delegated ‘to a small number of citizens elected by the rest’ (Madison, 1787) their views on many aspects of the state as a republic frequently clashed. This essay will break down the key differences in Ferry and Clemenceau's positions,
Our country emerged triumphant from the Thirty Years War while our enemies fell defeated into the blood of their comrades. In that year of 1643 we defeated the Spanish forces at the Battle of Rocroi. But if France erupts with riots and chaos, we will not be so lucky. Each and every one of you should run from the French Revolution. Rebelling against our leaders will only lead to bloodshed, quarrelling, and a worse condition than before. I saw the American Revolution as well as you, and how they gained their freedom. But, these people gained independence at the cost of close to 25,000 lives. Risking that many lives for a cause that will ultimately fail is ridiculous.
The Radical Period of The French Revolution By the end of 1971, Europe was preparing to witness the end of a seemingly triumphant revolution in France. The country was restructuring its government in a forceful and bloodless manner, while the tyrant King Louis the XVI agreed to the demands of
Many historical events do not have distinctly clear endings, and the French Revolution is a prime example of this. It is a topic which has been thoroughly debated among historians for decades, and yet still there is no clear-cut answer as to when the end of the Revolution truly came about. There was no single defining moment to silence the revolts of the French people. The termination was a much more gradual event, taking into account that which proceeded the height of the rebellions. When faced with debate on when the end of the Revolution transpired, three separate years are commonly brought up: 1799, 1815, and 1880. Despite the continuing discrepancies, this essay will attempt to piece together the standing information in support of finding
I really enjoyed reading your post. I agree with you. When revolution takes place usually there are always people who look at radical changes and compare it to how their country used to be. During the French Revolution, radical changes occurred, for example: the government was changed so that the power was no longer entirely in hands of the nobility, the power of the monarchy was reduced, changes to the divorce laws (women could divorce abusive husbands) etc.
Many Historians have come to the decisive conclusion that the French Revolution, an event that characterises Modern European History, has changed Europe. It was a time period that took place prior to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, between 1789 and the late 1970s. it denotes a time period in which the French civilians were aroused unanimously in overturning the traditionalistic “institutions” such as the monarchy and the feudal system. Though the causes of such an event remain inexplicit, intriguing arguments can be drawn in considering an array of reasons that initially sparked it. One plausible assumption has been that it was merely the result of the assumed divine power that King Louis XVI had that ignited the civilians’ revolt. This is particularly acceptable, seeing that this event was draped in the uprooting ideals of Enlightenment. From this pivotal event in Modern History, Historians have gained an insightful scope of not only the evolution of peasantry and lower-societal revolts against an usurping power (i.e nobility) and in some occasions their demise, but have also gained insights into the unnoticed power of the working class. Ultimately the major havoc-inducing factor that led to the crisis of the Ancien Regime can be a derived from a state of hierarchal power. The division of class and the prestigious stance of the nobility helped rouse the