French Revoluyion Origins

Modern Western Civilization

Class 10: The French Revolution - Origins

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I. Introduction

So far we have looked at people and ideas, at social history and intellectual history. Not at what a lot of you might have expected as history, but we are looking at how the modern world came about in all its complexity.

Now however, we are going to look at the series of events which make up the French Revolution. Today we are going to look at causes and origins, at how previous intellectual, social and political elements all contributed to it.

Importance of the French Revolution

It brought the People to the forefront of politics

set the model for later revolutions, and

changed the political map of Europe forever.

Chronology - Sketch of Events

1788-89 French State undergoes a massive revolution in politics but also in society and the way people think. The calling of the Estates General in 1789 was the catalyst for the Revolution.

1789-1792 - Liberal Revolution

1792-1794 - Radicalization

1795-1799 - Ineffective Reaction

1799-1815 - Napoleon - did he destroy or establish the FR?

Causes of the French Revolution

Intellectual

Social

Political

II. Intellectual Causes

A. Liberalism

[See classes on Enlightenment!]

The Enlightenment: scientific and philosophical thought had been generalized in the 18th Century. There was now a much larger intellectual class with the political ideas that the Enlightenment had spread around Europe.

What was later called Liberalism was popular.

Liberty - Human Rights/Natural Rights.

The sovereignty of the people.

Equality - meant equal rights for all under the Law.

Liberals also wanted freedom from a state-controlled economy. Property was seen as sacred. These were middle class property owners by and large.

B. Assessment of Intellectual Causes

Intellectual causes are difficult to quantify in terms of their effects, but they are nonetheless important in effecting actions and ideologies of participants.

After Montesquieu, a republic as regarded as at least theoretically noble and possible.

Rousseau had an effect during the long but, as we shall see, most of the unrolling of the Revolution came in response to events; actual actions were often intensely pragmatic.

C. The American Revolution

The economic effects will be discussed later. Be aware here of the mythic effects of a free republic.

France had helped Americans vs. Britain and many Frenchmen, such as LaFayette, were to be important in both revolutions. Victory for the new USA was in 1783.

III. Social Causes

We have very good sources for the social problems before the Revolution: the Cahiers des doleances [Notebooks of Grievences] of 1788.

A. The Estates System

First Estate: The Clergy

1% of pop, with 10% of land.They had wealth, land, privileges and they levied a tax on the peasantry, the tithe, which generally went to some remote bishop or monastery rather than the local parish priest.

The First Estate was perhaps 100,000 strong. But note that there were many poor clergymen in this Estate, and they were going to support the Revolution.

Second Estate: The Nobility