The French Revolution of 1789 Essay
Why Did The French Revolution Fail Essay
French Revolution Essay
Nationalism In The French Revolution Essay
Impact Of The French Revolution
Persuasive Essay On The French Revolution
The French Revolution Essay
The French Revolution Essay
DBQ Essay: Causes Of The French Revolution
Enlightenment Influence On The French Revolution
Was the French Revolution Successful? Essay
The French Revolution Essay
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Essay On French Revolution
1. The French Revolution of 1789 Essay
There is no doubt that the French Revolution has had a profound effect on the world. The cause or
causes of it have been greatly disputed. Clearly the Revolution's primary cause was the presence of a
weak monarchy and a lack of a stable system of government. France's absolute monarchy had many
changes toward the end of the eighteenth century. King Louis XVI, in his attempts to consolidate his
authority and lessen the power of the aristocrats, had planned out an intendant system. The
intendants were like governors. They would oversee one constituency of the country. These
intendants could not govern the region in which they lived, and were chosen from other than the
aristocracy. This insured that their allegiance was pledged to the king and...show more content...
There were three divisions or classes in France called estates. The first estate, which was
composed of church officials, had immense authority and obtained enormous salaries. Church
officials obtained their salaries via taxes collected from church property. Therefore, since the
officials received their salaries from the church property, they did not have to pay taxes. The
second estate was composed mainly of nobility. They, too, were exempt from paying taxes. This
left the entire tax burden upon the third estate. The third estate consisted of some merchants and
entrepreneurs; however, the majorities were peasants. Corruption of the estates was causing much
frustration among the common people who composed 70 percent of the population. The
monarchy tried to make an attempt to give the third estate power by establishing the Estate's
General, but this too was corrupted. Unlike most legislative bodies, the Estate's General did not
vote by each person having a single vote. Rather, they let each estate have one vote each. Since
the first two estates were always in agreement, the third estate was always out voted. This is a
prime example of how the lack of a stable government had an immensely tragic effect on the people
of the country. If the monarchy had tried to make some reform or if Louis XVI had more backbone
to institute some tax reform to lessen the burden on the third estate, the Revolution may have been
avoided. The government is the backbone of any
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2. Why Did The French Revolution Fail Essay
Cameron Young World History Unit 5 Test February 21, 2017 Why do some revolutions work why
others fail Well there is a simple reason why the French Revolution didn't span out like the
American Revolution, it was because the French lacked the British tradition of representative
government. Before the revolution the French had one of the most powerful monarchies in history.
Meanwhile the British had a monarch but it was checked by parliament. The French people had a
very defined culture while America was diverse. The French never had a sense of voting. And in a
lot of ways the first settlers had to make decisions more democratically. Also the main leaders of the
French Revolution Voltaire, Montesquieu and Rousseau only gave the people theories. Trying to
adopt a new way of government doesn't come with instructions. The practical experience the was so
heavily lacking ultimately doomed the French Revolution to...show more content...
Now what made all of these successful was the domestic and international influences. The
international aspect of it came from previous revolutions which gave these countries a "blueprint"
to follow. These outside influences helped create a plan for the people to follow in order to
succeed. With the help of the international influence it created a domestic influence. Things like
rising expectations and increasing levels of literacy and education, mass mobilization, and a
growing influence of civic actors helped mold these revolutions to becoming a success with a strong
platform to go off with good intentions and knowledgeable political well–balanced leaders to put
them on the right path. The reason to these successful revolutions is the strong pre–existing
knowledgeable political foundation including ideal leaders (not theorist) with a nation that has
strong tradition of local
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3. French Revolution Essay
Why was there a French Revolution?
Between, 1789 ВЎV 1799, many events occurred in France that caused an outbreak within the
people thus leading to a revolution. This culminated in the France becoming a democratic
government. This essay will argue that the resentment of absolute government, financial difficulties,
the famine, rise of philosophes and the ongoing feud between the estates are all the major causes of
why there was a revolution in France.
Firstly before going into the topic, the word ВЎВ§revolutionВЎВЁ must be defined. ВЎВ§A
revolution is a relatively sudden and absolutely huge change. This may be a change in the social or
political institutions over a relatively short period of time, or a major change in its culture or
economy .ВЎВЁ...show more content...
If the king was interested in the opinions of the people, all he had to do go to the Estates General
and ask for their vote on any issue he put forth. The last time the Estates General had been in
meeting was in 1614, therefore it is evident that by the late 1700s, that the king was no longer
interested in the influence of the French people . This sort of ignorance to the people was a major
factor in why there was a revolution in France
The famine killed many people during the late 18th century and was caused by the other
underlining factors such as financial trouble and arguments between the estates. Different crop
failures in the 1780s caused these shortages, which of course led to high prices for bread and
other food substances. With the prices going up people grew angry with the government and
waged for a revolution . There were poor conditions in the countryside which made residents to
move into Paris, and the city was overcrowded and filled with the hungry and disaffected people
who desperately needed more food to live. The peasants, who were the worst of the lot, suffered
from the economic and agricultural problems . With all this added up, there was no other way to fix
these problems but to have a revolution
Another cause of the French Revolution was in the financial difficulties of the government. King
Louis XV and King Louis XVI both led extremely
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4. The period of 18th and 19th century is marked by the greatest transformations, reformations,
revolutions and many other critical events that ever took place in human history. The credit is given
to all these revolutions for enlightenment of mankind. The two most important revolutions were the
French revolution and the industrial revolution. One can feel that both of these revolutions mutually
reinforced each other and later became the back bone of all other revolutions. On the other hand,
both revolutions had totally different impacts and consequences at various economical, political and
social realms. The development of the industrialisation is outcome of the advancement of agriculture.
Agriculture has played very important role in the...show more content...
The high production lowered the cost of the food and raised the standard of life. On the other hand,
small farmer and peasant class was unemployed as they lost their land to rich landholders. There was
increase in the labour force. It seems that socially and economically England possessed everything
needed to fuel the industrial revolution. Also, the cottage industry of England was not able to fulfill
the demands of increasing population. The ratio of demand to supply increased tremendously as
population doubled in less than half century. Therefore, people began to focus on the ways to
improve the cottage industry. In 1765 cotton spinning jenny was invented by a carpenter named
James Hargreaves. At the same time, Richard Arkwright invented the water frame in 1768. These
two inventions triggered the production of the cottage industry and cotton became cheaper and
affordable to all classes. The real breakthrough comes when James watt invented steam engine in
1776 which made possible the establishment of coal and iron factories to more suitable areas.
Initially, steam engines were used for pumping water out of coal mines and in iron industry to create
draft in blast furnaces. Steam power was efficiently applied to transportation, agriculture, and other
technological sectors. In 1856, Henry Bessemer invented Bessemer Convertor that converted iron
into cheaper and durable steel. Steel production
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5. The French Revolution was a time of great social, political and economic tumult in the closing
years of the Eighteenth Century. The motivators pushing French citizenry toward revolution are
varied in scope and origin. They range from immediate economic woes to an antiquarian class
structure. Modern historians still debate the value of the changes that the revolution brought to
modern society. The middle class made gains that would never be rescinded, but do revolutions
always end in tyranny? In the years before the revolution citizens were rigidly constrained by the
estates of the realm. These social strata had been in place since the medieval ages. The people were
divided into three groups; clergy, nobility and everyone else. The clergy...show more content...
The high costs of maintaining the army and navy exacerbated the situation, along with the lavish
lifestyle of King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie–Antoinette. Louis appointed Charles de Calonne as
comptroller–general to solve France's financial crisis. Calonne knew that the only way to get
France out of debt was to fairly distribute the tax burden among the three estates. Of course, this
did sit well with the nobility and Calonne was dismissed after giving his presentation at the
Assembly of Notables. In a desperate act, Louis called the Estates General. The Estates General
was an ancient practice that had not been called since 1614. Events there would prove to be the
beginning of the revolution proper. France suffered under years of inept and self–serving monarchs.
Louis XVI was preceded by his grandfather, Louis XV. It was his loss of public opinion and war
spending that put his grandson in such a precarious position in the years after his reign. The rule
of Louis XVI would prove to be a doomed one. He was ousted after a comparatively short 17
years. The outdated political system gave way to a constitutional monarchy, and when that failed,
the French Republic. This Republic however would not prove to last. Feudalism was the whole of
existence for rural commoners in the time before the revolution. Farmers had no right to the land
they worked and lived on. Serfs were beholden to their manor lord
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6. Nationalism In The French Revolution Essay
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. Nationalism is
a widely debated ideology that differs based on the historian's definition. For example, Benedict
Anderson attempts to define nationalism as "an imagined political community [that is] imagined as
both inherently limited and sovereign"(Anderson, pg 6). Anderson also believes the main causes of
nationalism can be
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7. The French Revolution and the creation of the National Assembly
Introduction
The French Revolution was a critical era in the history of France and Europe that radically
transformed the social and political aspects of the nation from the ancient monarchy system of
government and feudal system, to the introduction of democracy. The French people drew their
motivation from the American people who had already achieved the democratic institutions. As
such, the Enlightenment age compelled individuals to fight against social and political injustices
perpetrated by the reigning king of the time. Before the revolution, the nation had three divisions.
The divisions comprised of the Clergy, the Nobility and the Commoner, with little representation of
...show more content...
The king's wife, Marie Antoinette was infamous for leading an extravagant life (Barnes 508). This
meant additional in taxation to the people. The king also proved to be ineffective and cruel, and
could not solve the predicaments of the people. The king faced criticism from his subjects and hence
the rise of the opposition.
The segregation of people into the three groups also served as a significant compelling factor to the
revolution. The Nobles and the Clergy represented only 3 percent of the population and were the
people with the largest representation within the governing institutions (Neely 70). The commoners,
despite being the majority, received little representation in the government, and this created an
imbalance within the people.
Impacts and achievements of the French Revolution – the National Assembly
The French Revolution had significant achievements, despite the widespread property and life loss.
The revolution sought to bring balance among the three groups of people within the nation. The
uniting factor at the time was the national assembly and the constitution. The national assembly and
the constitution significantly reduced the distinct gap between the three groups, and tried to unify
the political, economic and social disparities among the groups (Neely 69). The unification of the
three groups, though not fully, aided significantly in
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8. 3.1 Short Paper: Comparative Essay on the American and French Revolutions
1.) Why does the United States come out its revolution with a republic instead of a monarchy?
Why do the French wind up with an Emperor Napoleon but the United States does not have a King
George of the House of Washington? There are moments in our history where the citizens of the
world stand up and for their beliefs, their honor, and themselves. They come together to reform the
existing government that is holding them back from achieving their desired lifestyle. When this
occurs, most likely, war is inevitable to follow. When war comes to a country, death and destruction
is destined. Leaders and rules change, but the pride of its citizens prevails and becomes...show more
content...
When that monarchy went against the colonists, and regarded them a part of the empire, this was
not entirely how the colonist's wished to identify themselves. America and its colonists wished to
establish themselves as being independent from a monarchy and to have a say in how they were
ruled. After the revolution was over, Washington went back to Mount Vernon to retire, or so he
thought.
When Washington was asked by his fellow founding fathers to become the new King of theUnited
States, his reaction must have been priceless. After fighting the revolution for many long hard years,
to get away from a monarchy, and now they wanted to create another one. Washington had his
reasons why he did not wish to be king because, "He was driven by Ameri–can nationalism years
before independence was declared, and for eight long years after 1775 he sacrificed as a soldier to
bring the American na¬tion into being. He emerged from retirement to search for a means of
safeguarding a national Union imperiled by sectionalists and localists, and with considerable
misgivings he agreed to take on the presidency in an attempt to establish an energetic national
government and a robust and truly independent United States." Washington did not wish to be King,
he wished to have what he fought in the revolution for, a government that was governed by the
people not a monarch. America's founding fathers, were at the helm of the
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9. Impact Of The French Revolution
How the French Revolution Impacted the World
The French Revolution completely revolutionized France and the world around it. Not only did it
change the way people were governed, it spread the beliefs of nationalism and made average
citizens feel pride in their country again. The Revolution also enabled Napoleon to rise to power and
further spread nationalism and Enlightenment ideas across Europe. The revolution in France inspired
countries around the world to take belief into their own ideas and begin the process of demanding
representation.
Absolute Monarchy was a main form of Government in the world before the French Revolution, but
when the lower estates revolted people saw what could, and would happen if the common people
didn't...show more content...
Napoleon took advantage of the weak government and seized power in 1799, where he would then
help overthrow the Directory, setting up three–man governing board, called the First Consul. 1802
was the year where he would name himself consul for life. People looked up to Napoleon, he was
a strong figure in the military and the only battles they would hear about him would be victories.
Finally, in 1804 he would gain enough power to be able to crown himself emperor of France.
Napoleon loved to show how much power he had so he took the thrown from the Pope to show
he didn't look up to anyone. The French strongly supported Napoleon, even though he had
absolute power, but this time it was not a monarch, it was a democratic despotism. Napoleon
would continue to reform France, he would continue to keep power by strengthening the central
government. Napoleon was considered a good leader since he was all about equality and giving
everyone a chance. At 1812: France was at the peak of its dominance, Napoleon was such a
unique fighter every war, that no one knew how to defend him because every war he changed
strategies. By 1812 he controlled most of Europe. But in 1812 he was preparing to overtake Russia
with the "Grand Army" of 600,000 soldiers and 50,000 horses. The Russians were prepared and
would use the scorched earth policy, this would leave the French hungry and cold when winter came,
this would make the French retreat and the Russians
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10. Persuasive Essay On The French Revolution
Most could argue Charles Dickens best of times quote is falsely described but it is actually more
truthful than one may realize. The French revolution in the short term may have failed but
regardless has influence the future of France. It was a very dark time to be alive but many
advances came with the darkness. Napoleon was a powerful leader that connected with is soldiers
to get what he wanted. France was very much like how Charles described around 1789. While
many advances where taking place, corruption was also a problem at the time. Napoleon had many
enemies but stood tall for most of his life. While many could argue Charles incorrectly describe the
events, there are many examples of him being correct. So, what happened around 1789? The French
revolution was about to take and it would be last for about 10 years and ended with Napoleons
death. The point of the revolution was to overtake the monarchy. Napoleon was a big part of this
revolution later. Before Napoleon took charge, first the revolution had to remove the current ruler.
After a few years they have succeeded and executed king Louis XVI. With the removing of Louis,
all surrounding lands where now enemies with France. Napoleon would have to fight off many
army's larger than his own to save France. For the most part Napoleon could outsmart anyone who
attacked him. He was known to lead his men like he was one of them. He connected with his men
which lead them to believe in him as great leader. When Charles Dicken
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11. The French Revolution Essay
The French Revolution
The French Revolution last from 1789 to 1799. This war had many causes that began the revolution.
Its causes ranged from the American Revolution, the economic crisis in France, social injustices to
the immediate causes like the fall of Bastille, the Convening of he Estate–General, and the Great
Fear. As a result of this revolution there many effects , immediate and long term. The immediate
effects were the declaration of rights of man, abolishing of olds reign, execution of king and queen,
the reign of terror, and war and forming of the citizen–army. The long term effects were the rise of
Napoleon, spread of revolutionary ideas, growth of nationalism, and the conservative reaction.
The contributing factors to...show more content...
In this way the privileged classes had combined to outvote the third estate, which included more than
90 percent of the population. Another cause was the fall of Bastille. The falling of the Bastille
marked a turning point–attempts at reform had become a full–scale revolution. One of the causes
was the economic problems of many common people had become worse, because poor weather
conditions had ruined the harvest. As a result, the price of bread, the most important food of the
poorer classes had increased. Violence grew in both the cities and the countryside during the
spring and summer. While hungry artisans revolted in urban areas, starved peasants searched the
provinces for food and work. These vagrants were rumored to be armed agents of landlords hired
to destroy crops and harass the common people. Many rural peasants began to panic, known as the
Great Fear. They attacked the homes of their landlords to protect local grain supplies and reducing
rents on their land. Also Lewis XVI gave in so reluctantly, for example, taking months to approve the
Declaration of Rights, which made hostility of the crown only increased.
The immediate effects of the French Revolution Was the Declaration of the Rights of Man. This was
one of the most constructive achievements of the French Revolution. The Rights of Man said that
there would be equality of all persons before the law; equitable taxation; protection against loss of
property through arbitrary
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12. The French Revolution affected the social conditions of France because –1 it removed most nobles
from their high positions in society– –2 people were angry by the upper class so they stopped
interacting with them– –3 the french upper class separated themselves even more so from the
common people and left France–.
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13. The French Revolution Essay
The French Revolution was a period of time from 1789 to 1799 in France where there was political
instability. It officially began on the 14th of July, 1789, when the Bastille, which was a symbol of
the King's harsh policies, was stormed. The King, Louis XVI, the Queen, Marie–Antoinette and
about 40,000 people were all brutally murdered. But there was also a positive side, the Declaration
of the Rights of Man and Citizen was formally adopted on August 1789 and feudalism was
abolished. This essay will address the issues of the three estates system, food shortages and the
fiscal crisis. It will also be argued that the most significant cause of the French Revolution was the
social inequality that stemmed from the three estates system....show more content...
The majority were already struggling with the cost of living, and the addition of extra taxes caused it
to be near impossible for them to survive financially. This angered the third estate, and provided an
incentive for the revolution. Therefore, it is evident that the social inequality that derived from the
three estates system was the most significant cause of the French Revolution.
Secondly, the food shortages and prices were a highly influential cause of the French Revolution.
The third estate had to pay the gabelle, which was extremely expensive (Hetherton). Salt was an
essential commodity that was not only used for seasoning but to preserve meats and vegetables for
the cold season (Hills). When the peasantry could not afford the gabelle, they starved during the
winter. This was especially significant during the winters of 1769, 1776, 1780–1783 and 1788, when
there were heavy hailstorms and treacherously cold temperatures (Martin). This meant that there
were several crop failures that impacted foods such as corn and grain (Ashwell). As a result, the crop
failures caused prices of bread and vegetables to increase 9–fold and 6–fold respectively (Martin).
Furthermore, the glacial weather caused several supply routes to freeze and close down. For
example, the rivers Yonne and Oise were specifically used for supplying meat, so when they became
unavailable to merchants, the price of meat escalated 10–fold (Martin). This meant that only those
who could
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14. DBQ Essay: Causes Of The French Revolution
The French Revolution of 1789 had many long–range causes. Political, social, and economic
conditions in France mad many French people discontented. Most disaffected were merchants,
artisans, workers, and peasants. The ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers brought new views of
government and society. The American Revolution also influenced the coming of TheFrench
Revolution. Therefore, The French Revolution of 1789 had several causes not only due to political,
but also due to social and economic issues and problems as well that made France ripe for
revolution. The most important long–range causes of this revolution, however, were the ideas of the
Enlightenment, the unfair taxes, the gap between the rich and poor, and the American Revolution
...show more content...
There are very few members in the first and second estates, yet they owned the most land, while the
third estate made up most of the population, yet owned very little land. "First: Clergy – 1% of the
people owned 10% of the land. Second Estate: Nobles – 2% of the people owned 35% of the land.
Third Estate – Middle class, peasants, city workers 97% of the people owned 55% of the land."
(Document 2) There were high prices, high taxes, and people were listening to enlightenment ideas.
Louis XVI decided to tax the Second Estate. They called a meeting of the Estates–General – an
assembly of representatives from all three estates. (ROI) In addition, as a political cause, the third
estate had no privileges or say in the government,while both the clergy and nobles did. As mentioned
before, the inequality of taxes proved another gap in the social classes. "The Revolution had been
accomplished in the minds of men long before it was translated into fact.... The middle class...was
sensitive to their inferior legal position. The Revolution came from them–the middle class. The
working classes were incapable of starting or controlling the Revolution. They were just beginning to
learn to read." (Document 4) Estates– General was the first such meeting in 175 years. Met on May
5th,1789 in Versailles. In the Estate– General each estate had one vote. (ROI)
Finally, the influence of the American Revolution and
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16. Revolution? The major cause of the French Revolution was the disputes between the different types
of social classes in French society. The French Revolution of 1789–1799 was one of the most
important events in the history of the world. The Revolution led to many changes in France, which
at the time of the Revolution, was the most powerful state in Europe. The Revolution led to the
development of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism. It questioned the authority
of kings, priests, and nobles. The Revolution also gave new meanings and new ideas to the political
ideas of the people.<br><br>The French Revolution was spread over the ten year period between
1789 and 1799. The primary cause of the revolution was the disputes over...show more content...
However, there was another important factor during these times. France suffered from harsh
economic problems. Poor farm harvests by farmers hurt the economy, and trade rules from the
Middle Ages still survived, making trade difficult. However, the most serious problem was the
problem facing the government during this time. The French government borrowed much money
to pay for the wars of Louis XIV. Louis still borrowed money to fight wars and to keep French
power alive in Europe. These costs greatly increased the national debt, which was, at the time,
already too high.<br><br>When King Louis XVI came into power, he realized that these
problems existed. At first he did not know what to do, until he found a man by the name of
Robert Turgot. He eased the financial crisis of France, but he had difficulties when he tried to
introduce a major reform, that of taxing the nobles. He had such difficulties because the king
could not tax the nobles unless the Parliament approved of the new tax laws. The people in the
courts that voted on these laws were the nobles, called nobles of the robe, and therefore rejected
Turgot's reform. After Turgot was rejected, the king fired him from his office. This led Louis XVI
to summon the Estates General in 1789. The Estates General was the place where representatives
from each social class could be represented. Here, many issues would be discussed, and at this time
in
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17. The American Revolution and the French Revolution were two big things in history. One started a
new country and the one changed the way in life. The Americans fought for what they believed in
and the French were influenced by these actions. Here are the differences between them both.
One of the causes of the American Revolution was the stamp act. The stamp act was tax on
everything printed or materials that were needed regularly. This was because England was in debt.
Another reason was the 1774 intolerable acts. The king, George the third, shut down the Boston
ports and government. The ports in Boston were the biggest in all the colonies, so naturally this was
a big problem. In the French Revolution, one of the biggest reasons it started...show more content...
In 1783 the revolutionary war ended once England signed this paper. Also, this revolution inspired
many more including the French Revolution. Speaking of the French Revolution, one of the
outcomes was Napoleon Bonaparte taking over. Napoleon was one of the best military leaders to
ever live. Another outcome was France had three governments. The names of all three are The
Constitutional Government, New France and French Republican, lastly the Directory. In my
opinion, I think the American Revolution was a success. The colonist got what they wanted in the
end. The French Revolution was half and half. To get where they wanted to be it was a bumpy road.
They went through three governments then after Napoleon left and died, they got a king again.
They got right back where they started. These outcomes were total different. In the American
Revolution they were completely successful, not so much for the French. I say this because it wa
much harder for the French to find a stable government.
Overall, I think the American Revolution was much more successful than the French. This is
because the Americans didn't have many enemies or obstacles that cause huge problems. In
conclusion, I believe the American Revolution was more of a success than the French
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18. Enlightenment Influence On The French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of far–reaching social and political change in France that lasted
from 1789 to 1799. Before the revolution there was a period of time called the Enlightenment. The
Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in which followers considered that human reason
brought a move from theory to practice and criticism to reforming education, household
administration, social reactions and politics. Voltaire, a French philosopher and contributor to the
Age of Enlightenment, expressed these ideas utilizing his intelligence, wit and style to mark his name
as one of France's greatest writers. The Enlightenment influenced the French Revolution to a great
extent by introducing new ideas that encouraged questioning of authority and religion, advancing
people's outlook on commodities, and forcing citizens to compare their need with the Republic's
needs. This further brought an uprising of people wanting more such as equality and civil rights. In
the process to do so there were 250,000 casualties in the Reign of Terror followed the Thermidorian
Reaction which implemented an oligarchy government called the Directory. Royalist riots prompted
the Coup d'etat of Fructidor which brought Napoleon into Directory which he later overthrows and
creates an Authoritarian Republic.
The ideas of equality and rights to men which were stressed by Enlightenment philosophers are all
incorporated into documents 1,4 and 5. Society before the French revolution was
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19. Was the French Revolution Successful? Essay
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.
Before the French Revolution, France was a feudal kingdom. Louis XVI ruled the land, and...show
more content...
In this way, the French Revolution was extremely successful.
The French Revolution was based on an assortment of Enlightenment ideals. French philosophers,
including Voltaire and Rousseau led the revolution leading up to the revolution, so to speak, coming
up with progressive ideals as to government, social structure, and the nature of people. Indeed, the
ideals which the revolution was fought in the name of progressed throughout France and,
eventually, Europe. Though the revolution took wrong turns along the way, the ideals which it was
based on never wavered. Even during the heart of his Reign of Terror, Robespierre spoke of a state
where each citizen wants to do good by his country. This shows Robespierre with an unwavering
commitment to the state, an ideal which came out of the Enlightenment. Though he may have
carried out his beliefs in a gruesome and perhaps wrong way, his ideals were the same as the
Enlightenment philosophers: make the state better for all to live in.
After Robespierre and the Directory, Napoleon came to power. Though he is criticized for being a
militaristic dictator, Napoleon was able to spread Enlightenment ideals, in the form of the
Napoleonic Code, throughout Europe. This shows the progression of ideas throughout Europe, and
also that France succeeded in using the ideals that the revolution was based on. In this way, the
French Revolution was extremely successful.
The French Revolution tossed down the monarchy which
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