French Revolution

 The French Revolution  

Hello everyone ....

This blog is based on the thinking activity, assigned by Megha Ma'am . This blog provides you a brief information about the biggest revolution of the Romantic era : " The French Revolution".

Introduction:

History has seen many revolutions. Some of the revolutions got lost in time, and some became a reason to shape the contemporary world. Europe has seen many revolutions on its land. The French revolution is one such historical revolution that changed the cause of the world. 

So , Let's dive into it...

What is the French Revolution?

The French Revolution started in 1789, and dethroned the then-existing political institutions, removed the French Monarchy, and cemented a just, responsible government. The siege of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 led to the France revolution. It ended with Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power.

In the year 1789, French Revolution started leading to a series of the events started by the middle class. The people had revolted against the cruel regime of the monarchy. This revolution had put forth the ideas of liberty, fraternity as well as equality.

The start of the revolution took place on the morning of 14th July 1789 in the state of Paris with the storming of the Bastille which is a fortress prison. The Bastille stood for the repressive power of the king due to which it was hated by all. The revolt became so strong that the fortress was eventually demolished.

What led to the French Revolution? 

At the close of the 18th century, France had been long involved in the American Revolution and the extravagant spending of King Louis XVI led France to bankruptcy. Additionally, the common people of France were caught in a vicious cycle of poor harvest, cattle disease, and the increasing prices of bread. This led to widespread discontent and made the people revolt against the monarchy.

# Main causes of the French revolution ?

Firstly let's discuss about main causes of the French Revolution :

● Social issues  :

In France in the late 18th century, socioeconomic conditions were highly uneven and oppressive. The first two Estates, which included the nobility and clergy, represented the most privileged segments of French society. They were exempt from making tax payments to the State. On the other hand, the Third Estate, which was made up of farmers and labourers, made up the bulk of the populace. They were assessed exorbitant levies and denied access to social and political rights. They were therefore utterly unhappy.

● Political issues  : 

Louis XVI, the French Bourbon king, was a tyrannical ruler with a weak will who lived in outrageous luxury. This caused a great deal of disillusionment among the populace, who were then living in abject poverty and experiencing widespread famine.

● Intellectual awakening :

 The 'Divine Rights Theory' was consciously rejected by French thinkers in the 18th century, which was notable. Philosophers like Rousseau promoted the ideas of human equality and popular sovereignty while rejecting the idea of absolute monarchy. They were crucial in highlighting the flaws in the ancien régime's political system and expressing the anger of the general public.

● Economic concerns :

As a result of numerous wars waged by Louis XVI the State coffers were empty. The situation was made even more complex by France’s involvement in the American War of Independence and the faulty system of taxation. While the privileged classes were excused from paying taxes the Third Estate was more and more burdened with them.

# Phases of the French Revolution :

■ Estates General Meeting :

To gain support for these measures and quell a rising aristocratic insurrection, the monarch convened the Estates General, a gathering of France's clergy, nobles, and middle class, for the first time since 1614.

The meeting was scheduled on May 5, 1789; in the meantime, delegates from each of the three estates would collect lists of grievances to bring to the monarch.

■ The French Revolution Begins 

Now, the French Revolution finally began. The said National Assembly continued to meet at Versailles when at the same time, fear and violence was rampant in Paris.

On 14th July 1789, out of fear that King Louis XVI was about to arrest France’s newly constituted National Assembly as they stood firm with their demands at the nearby indoor tennis court, this led a crowd of Parisians (people of Paris, France) to successfully surround the Bastille, an old fortress that had been used as a state prison since 1659. 

This event marked the beginning of the French Revolution. As this event became a symbol of revolutionary struggle, so this led to a peasants revolt that saw many homes of tax collectors and aristocrats being burnt. 

This revolution caused the country's nobles or aristocrats to flee from the place. This period came to be known as the Great Fear, and the old order had finally ended.

■ Reign of Terror :

This revolution witnessed more twists and turns when a group of insurgents (ones fighting against the King or aristocrats, or the government of the country) attacked Paris's royal residence and arrested Louis XVI on 10th August 1792.

The next step was that several people accused of being the ‘enemies of the revolution’ were massacred in Paris. The National Convention replaced the Legislative Assembly, which announced the establishment of the Republic of France and the abolition of absolute monarchy.

On 21st January 1793, King Louis XVI was condemned to death and executed for treason. His wife, Marie Antoinette, followed him nine months later. So, the execution of the king marked the beginning of the most violent phase of the French Revolution, hence, the Reign of Terror.

The extremists of the National Assembly Maximilien de Robespierre took full control of the National Convention and so under him, thousands were executed for suspected treason and counter-revolutionary activities. The Reign of Terror finally ended with Robespierre’s own execution on 28th July, 1794.

Robespierre’s death started a moderate phase during which the French people or Parisians revolted against the brutalities committed during this Reign of Terror. This was called the Thermidorian Reaction.

■ End of the French Revolution : 

On 22nd August 1795, the National Convention which now comprised of the moderates who successfully survived the excesses or brutalities of the Reign of Terror approved the creation of a fresh constitution which created France’s bicameral legislature. The power was vested in the hands of the Directory, a 5-member group appointed by the Parliament instead of any extremist or monarch, a good step indeed. Any opposition to this group was eliminated through the efforts of the army, which was then led by a successful general, Napoleon Bonaparte. 

As this Directory took control in 1795, the internal political system was yet unstable, four years passed with the failure of the Directory and on 9th November 1799, frustrated with their leadership Bonaparte staged a coup d’état & appointed himself as the “first consul or first leader”. 

Hence, the French Revolution was over and the beginning of Napoleonic era. Napoleon ruled for 15 years and got defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on 18th June, 1815. 

The battle was fought between Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army & a coalition led by the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Blücher. 

The decisive battle ended French attempts to dominate Europe, and completely destroyed Napoleon's imperial power.

☆ Timeline of French Revolution:

● Conclusion :

So we can say that French revolution has a very important place in European history. The revolution brought about significant changes in the political landscape of France and uprooted the age-old traditions in France.

Thank   you  😊