The French and Russian Revolutions

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During the French Revolution, about 1,800 people were beheaded by the Guillotine. The Guillotine was a device used to execute individuals by the government of France. Oftentimes, the executions were public spectacles during what was known as the reign of terror. The reign of terror lasted 10 months, most of the killing happened because Robespierre was ordering them (Reign of Terror1). “You cannot make a revolution with silk gloves” (Joseph Stalin) is a powerful statement that shows the mindset that results in a violent revolution.

During the French revolution, the storming of the Bastille occurred on July 14, 1789. The Bastille was a state prison and symbol of repression. Its fall marked the triumph of "liberty over despotism” (Pernoud and Flassier1). The storming of the prison was one of the most violent incidents during the revolution. The civilian population was frustrated with the king and they wanted to take action. An angry mob marched to Bastille looking for gunpowder and citizens that King Louis XVI had imprisoned. The mob also marched to the Bastille because they were nervous about all soldiers in the streets. The king also replaced popular advisors with more relevant ones . The people also knew they could get weapons from the Bastille. Once the aggressive mob got to the Bastille, it was chaotic. The soldiers were ordered to fire, killing hundreds of people. The storming of the Bastille got the revolution going and made the king aware of the problem.

During the Russian revolution bloody Sunday happened on January 22, 1905. The workers wanted better working conditions, personal freedom as well a legislative branch. 200,000 workers marched peacefully to the winter place. The soldiers fired at the crowd, more than ...

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...erful statement resulting in a violent revolution.

Works Cited

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"Primary Sources for the French Revolution." Primary Sources for the French Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. .

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HIstory in the Hour. "Russia’s Bloody Sunday, 1905." History in an Hour. N.p., 22 Jan. 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2013. .

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