MINI PAPER #1:
2. The French Revolution.
Take a hard look at the French Revolution. What do YOU see as its basic causes? Where did it go wrong? Where did it go right? Lasting impacts?
Introduction
There are some events in history that both inspire and intimidate mankind. Emerging from the fractured society of France, the conditions of the time lit a match to spark a revolution of both reality and thought. Shortly after the American Revolution, French citizens were being backed into a corner. The state of France was being pushed to a dangerous point; spending was out of control, taxes were unfair or biased, the government was unfair and citizens were being informed of enlightenment ideas. The revolt shook the foundations of France and did enact some change, however a period of darkness overtook the country. The course of history was shifted due to the French Revolution, and we continue to learn lessons from its occurrence.
Causes
The overall state of France slowly crumbled on top of itself as the needs of the people were overlooked. Citizens became increasingly frustrated with the idea of an absolute monarchy and were infuriated by overspending by the government in general. France was entering into costly wars and funding was coming out of the 3rd Estate’s pockets. The tax system was rigged against the majority; aristocrats and priests were exempt from paying taxes, leaving the burden on those with far less. All these factors mixed with an overwhelmingly disproportional class system created a recipe for disaster. As time went on, ordinary citizens were forced to pay unnecessary taxes and their main food source, bread, became unaffordable. The climate of the time was very bleak, and citizens left with no other opt...
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...ntry is rotting, while all the effort is being put into the cities.
Conclusion
While some basked in the glory of the Industrial Revolution, the working class, which provided the manpower factories needed to function, were greatly deprived of basic rights. The essential qualities needed to survive were basically denied to workers during the 19th century, which drove individuals and families into dire straits. The trails experienced by the laborer I pretended to be were extremely common during this time. Laborers had little to no say at their jobs and worked under life threatening conditions. Those who lived during this time were working towards a goal they were not promised to see completed. Today we still struggle with similar issues and along with those that stem from this time period. Perhaps time will tell whether it is in fact a curse or a blessing.
The French revolted due to political, economic, and social injustices. Politically, the government was a mess. An absolute ruler can only be beneficial to the people if they cater to
the French Revolution. Hunt, Lynn & Censer, Jack. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press (2001)
...s on who should have power. Rebellions broke out across France and turned the nation against itself. The major revolutionary revolt was The Storming of Bastille. The third estate demanded for a republic. King Louis was killed, along with his wife Marie Antoinette to pursue the ideas of changing society. Maximilien Robespierre ordered their deaths by the violent and horrific machine, the guillotine. He was also killed shortly after, but provided the Jacobins a leader in his efforts to overthrow the monarchy. Napoleon was the last to save the revolution as it came to a close. The French Revolution has changed history and the lives of everyone in France up to today. Many people sacrificed themselves to change the country for others today. This revolution was life changing and inspired many others around the world to stand up for their beliefs and fight for a democracy.
Beginning in mid-1789, and lasting until late-1799, the French Revolution vastly changed the nation of France throughout its ten years. From the storming of the Bastille, the ousting of the royal family, the Reign of Terror, and all the way to the Napoleonic period, France changed vastly during this time. But, for the better part of the last 200 years, the effects that the French Revolution had on the nation, have been vigorously debated by historian and other experts. Aspects of debate have focused around how much change the revolution really caused, and the type of change, as well as whether the changes that it brought about should be looked at as positive or negative. Furthermore, many debate whether the Revolutions excesses and shortcomings can be justified by the gains that the revolution brought throughout the country.
The factory system was the key to the industrial revolution. The factory system was a combination of Humans and new technology. New technology was arriving every day. The greatest invention during this time was the steam engine. The creation of the steam engine was credited to James Watt. There had been other steam engines before James Watt’s but none of them were efficient. Watt’s engine was the first efficient engine that could be used in a factory. The steam engine had the strength of ten thousand men.(Pollard) This was not the only invention that helped the factory system evolve. Textiles were a major product of the Industrial Revolution. Production was slow at first in the factory. In 1764, a British inventor named James Hargraves invented the “Spinning Jenny.” This lowered production time which enabled the factory to produce more per day. In 1773, John Kay, an English inventor, created the “flying shuttle” which lowered the production time even more.(Encarta) If production had not been speed up, the Industrial Revolution would have not had that big of effect as it did in North America.
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 other countries as well. On the other hand, Schama viewed the French Revolution as unproductive and excessively violent.
The Real Cause of the French Revolution For hundreds of years historians have tried to find out the real cause
For one, the monarchy was making decisions not in the favour of its people and inevitably leading the French to its death. The wealthy didn’t have to pay taxes that were unfair and brought down the middle class. 97% of French were middle class and struggled to survive. In Europe the quality of life was determined by the status you held, and to get an upper class status you had to be born into it. You couldn’t earn a higher status no matter how hard you tried.
This oppression of the Third Estate along with the financial problems that fell on the common people would lead to the French Revolution. Overall, the people of France revolted against the monarchy because of the unsuccessful estate system and the inequality it led to, because of the new enlightenment ideas that inspired them, and because of the failures of the monarchy.
During the eighteenth century, France was one of the richest and prosperous countries in Europe, but many of the peasants were not happy with the way France was being ruled. On July 14, 1789, peasants and soldiers stormed the Bastille and initiated the French Revolution. This essay will analyze the main causes of the French Revolution, specifically, the ineffectiveness of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the dissatisfaction of the Third Estate, and the Enlightenment. It will also be argued that the most significant factor that caused the French Revolution was the ineffective leadership of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The first and main reason for the French Revolution was the terrible leadership of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.
The essential cause of the French revolution was the collision between a powerful, rising bourgeoisie and an entrenched aristocracy defending its privileges”. This statement is very accurate, to some extent. Although the collision between the two groups was probably the main cause of the revolution, there were two other things that also contributed to the insanity during the French revolution – the debt that France was in as well as the famine. Therefore, it was the juxtaposing of the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy as well as the debt and famine France was in that influenced the French Revolution.
On July 14, 1789, several starving working people of Paris and sixty soldiers seized control of the Bastille, forever changing the course of French history. The seizing of the Bastille wasn’t caused by one event, but several underlying causes such as the Old
In order to understand the causes of the French Revolution we must first understand the separations within the French society at the time. The population was divided into 3 states, the Clergy and the Nobility which were the first and second Estates, both of whom did not have to pay taxes and were given privileges such as high positions in the army and civil service. The Third Estate consisted of everyone else, the pheasants, farmers, landless labourers, serfs and the emerging middle class called the bourgeois. 80% of the population was rural and were very highly taxed by the king, like the rest of the ...
Nardo, Don. A. The French Revolution. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999. Print.
The bad living conditions of France and its depressed economy was one of the primary drivers for the French Revolution. The people of France were so poor that they had no shoes to wear and no food to eat. The poverty of France breaks its economy at its root. The economy got so bad that “By December 1788, there was a nationwide revolt against food shortages and rising prices, which continued to spread till the summer of 1789, when there was another bad harvest”(Todd 528). One ...