Ways in Which the French Revolution had a Lasting Impact on France

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.

BBC News, What next for Marine Le Pen’s National Front?, News Europe, cited 15 Apr 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17824436

France stood as the center for the Enlightenment because it was in a constant dichotomy between “the desire to censor dissident ideas and the desire to appear open to modernity and progress” (Hunt, 4098). Parliament hindered the monarchy’s reform efforts by using their own words of Enlightenment influence against them. This was a paradox that showed how the Enlightenment affected all levels of French life, but was applied to achieve different results. While the American Revolution and the resulting new republic was regarded as a successful application of the Enlightenment, the unstable, failed attempts at change and reformation in France led to early signs of revolution as revolts “in the name of liberty” from 1787-1789.

Nationalism was used by Napoleon to make France a great power in Europe. Nationalism helped France to develop a national language which was taught in schools to replace local dialects. This unification of language helped the people of France to feel closer to each other, with

The extent the ideas and objectives of men and women who participated in the French Revolution changed dramatically over time. People's thoughts were greed, anger, and the pridefulness they got when they created a new France. Especially because at this time they were recovering from the revolution which meant the people were more important than ever before, and it also meant that many new changes had to come. People were also prouder of the things they had done in the revolution and were also determined to make sure they got the equality they deserved as well as make sure they had no enemies to threaten all they had accomplished.

Many historians credit the French Revolution as being the beginning of modern politics. The revolution single-handedly crushed the monarchical way of politics, the aristocratic domination up to that point in France, and the dominance of the church in French politics. The revolution abolished the feudal system and was one of the biggest steps towards modernity throughout history. The French Revolution was a successful endeavour on the part of the French people because it reformed social tradition and the hierarchy of French aristocracy by making all men equal, the Enlightenment ideals which the revolution was based on came through to a great extent.

In many revolts and reforms the people were fighting for three things Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. These rights of every frenchman fueled the revolution so well that it ended up burning up. The achievement of uniting hundred of thousands of people for a ideologies is still unimaginable in today's world. Even though some of these ideologies did more harm than good does not make the achievement of unitation null because success is only a measurement that every person has their own definition for. An example of this is when the national convention abolishes the monarchy and declares France a republic. Although this is than overruled by napoleon it still shows how france united under one main cause. The abolishment of the monarchy makes every man closer to Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity because it gives everyone a chance to voice their opinion to a representative instead of being ignored by one superior being. All in all the french revolution was a minor success due to the improved socialistic ideologies and abolishment of the three

One of the earliest forms of nationalism in the 1700’s in Europe show many of the positives of Europe. Europe during this time was still a feudal society run by an absolute monarchy. With only the monarchy and the nobility with political power the largest part of the populations had not political control over their lives. The idea of nationalism was to make these different classes equal all having the same rights. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was a law adopted during the French revolution which was an early example of a human rights declaration. Article one said that all men were born with the rights of Life, Liberty and fraternity. This means that all men were born with rights that could not be violated by the government. Article 6 of the declaration it said that all citizens were able to participate in government activities “All citizens were equal before the law and were to have the right to participate in legislation directly or indirectly.” (Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2011) Unlike the previous government all people have the equal right to participate in government. Disregarding the past where you social rights were decided at birth by what class you were born into. Now every man was born with the same rights and they are unalienable.

The French Revolution directly affected the nineteenth century through the creation of many ideologies, one important one being nationalism. Nationalism is a very controversial ideology because of the many diverse approaches towards its true definition. A broad definition of nationalism could be perceived as a strong devotion towards the culture and identity of a nation. As well as the idea that nations will benefit more from acting as an independent nation opposed to multiple states working together as a collective. Its emergence completely changed the political map of Europe and resulted in the birth of many new nations. There are many different views towards the true reason for the emergence of Nationalism in Europe. Many historians believe the emergence can be credited to the French Revolution and later the continuation of ideas under Napoleon Bonaparte. While others believe the Industrial Revolution held more importance for the widespread arrival of nationalism. It seems better to encompass both and argue that the emergence of nationalism in Europe was caused by the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule, and the Industrial Revolution.

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 political and social conditions of Europe before the onset of the World War I were extremely unstable and undergoing a rapid transition that was driven by national interests of different nations living in the region. Nationalism was endorsed to promote patriotism among masses and to achieve political objectives that were in alignment with the national or political interests of countries. As the time passed, the growing influence of imperialism and the ideology of nationalism manifested multifaceted

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.

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.

On June 28th, 1914, the Belle Époque came to a halting ending when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. Because of the new technological advances such as tanks, aircrafts, and submarines, WWI was unlike any other. However, one of the greatest weapons of war Europe had created was nationalism (Shevin-Coetzee, p.98). Nationalism is the concept where one feels that their country is superior to others, it is taking patriotism to another level, and it was fostered during the Belle Époque. In France, this patriotism was centered on the Church, so much so that the denominations banded together to enhance the patriotism. In The Great War and the French People Jean-Jacques Becker states, “We have ceased dividing ourselves into Catholics, Protestants, Socialists and Jews. Suddenly something more basic has emerged, something all of us share: we are Frenchmen”(Shevin-Coetzee p.105). While this seems like a sentimental moment for the people of France, this was a weapon of war in the development of WWI because every country held some sort of nationalism and that was the fuel that kept the fire burning.

The French Revolution began as an expression of rebellion against centuries of absolute rule in France. After an interim of experimental liberalism under the rule of Jacobins and Girondins and then the infamous reign of terror, the people of French were drawn to a man who promised them a return to stability, and  honor through the expansion of empire. France and it’s people had long yearned for this sens eof honour, it had seemed, and could finally sens eit in a lasting rpesence under the rule of their prodigious, unbeatable general, Napoleon Bonaparte. He would soon take the reigns of civil government as well and become yet another Absolutist ruler, yet this