The Radical, And Thermier: Ten Years Of The French Revolution

As France traversed its revolutionary years, it endured a decade of intense struggle and complex advancements. These developments, though extreme, morphed France into its current state. All that transpired in the ten years of the Revolution can be analyzed and philosophized. Therefore, it can be inferred that these stages exemplified each segment of the transformation. During the French Revolution, which ranged from 1789 to 1799, three phases existed: the moderate, the radical, and Thermidor.

From its inception, the moderate phase of the Revolution spanned across three compact years (1789-1791). Although the date of its conception lies prone to debate, tensions surely spiked with the fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Before the Storming of the Bastille occurred, the 3rd estate, or the commoners, were relatively subdued to the monarchy. But afterwards, the moderate phase flourished, and the commoners began to revolt against their government. In a short amount of time, France evolved from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.

This large group of delegates was comprised of the third estate, which represented over 90 percent of the French population. After the Assembly established itself due to unrest during the meetings, they took a Tennis Court Oath, which transpired three days after the Assembly's construction. This Oath symbolized defiance and was intended to make sure that the National Assembly create a constitution. In Jacques-Louis David's painting, The Tennis Court Oath, the third estate congregates. This reiterates the notion that this moderate phase of the Revolution is in effect and that something profound is about to