La Révolution française!

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What do you know about The Franch Revolution?

What is your opinion?

What book have you read about it?

Anything else would you like to talk about in your view of The Franch Revolution? Please tell! And I also have a little bit hope to collect the globel view of it.

I am so curious about the opinions from all of you!

P.S.

An interesting fact:

I found sometimes my opinion comes out easily after I read your discussions!

Let's inspire each other!

The monarchies couldn't stop trying to stamp it out. Then they put Louis XVIII on the throne.

The French revolution was a reaction to bad economic circumstances hurting the poor in the nation, as well as the limited opportunities for an emerging middle class in France, and finally due to perceived mismanagement on rulers. Basically, the problems in the nation were such that the three estates, clergy, nobility, and commoner were brought together to solve them. However, there was a conflict between these three estates and their power and so on. Because of that, the third estate, the commoners, seeing this as an opportunity to solve their problems, and to reorganize France under the ideology of the Enlightenment(which included the equality of all people) organized into a revolutionary force that tore apart French society.

Well, because the French revolution was so revolutionary, re-organizing the people after this revolution was painful. It involved a lot of blood as various powers vied for control, until finally the general Napolean Bonaparte organized the country as a "republic" which was really a state ruled by Bonaparte. This state then waged a massive war with other nations owing successes to Napolean's strategic mind, as well as the ability of the French to use a larger portion of their population for warfare due to the organization of their society.

Eventually Napoleanic rule was crushed and a new nobility was put into power.

The entire ordeal is often considered a lesson against revolutionary change. As, even though changes can work, the major fruit of the French revolution ended up being a lot of bloodshed more than almost anything else.

Ah, if you're ever interested, the last part of "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo takes place during the Revolution, if i recall correctly. The book overall is a rather good story. =P It was written around the time the French Revolution took place. (I'm a native speaker of French btw. )

The French Revolution was also largely motivated by the resentment of the lower and middle classes in France that they should fight a war to establish republican government in America and yet be consigned to autocracy at home. Enlightenment liberalism spread in the coffee houses, and managed to gain broad support among the general populace. Of course, it wasn't purely ideological- as we see today in the Arab Spring uprisings, revolutions against autocracy occur mostly when the economy is going to hell. Well-fed peasants do not often rise up against their feudal masters.

More significant, to my interests at least, is the Napoleonic reign following the Revolution and the re-shaping of European politics that resulted. The Napoleonic wars are what finally destroyed the Holy Roman Empire, leaving a power vacuum in which Germany would later rise.

as one of the oldest humans currently living on planet earth, a fighter of useless wars, witness to the bizarre history of mankind........i am reminded of the recurring theme of battlestar galactica. all this has happened before and it will happen again.

humans cannot learn from their mistakes. far future history will record--french revolution 2931-2933. wait to analyze that one.

I believe it was Chou Enlai (right hand man to Mao) who replied to the question "what is your opinion of the outcome of the French Revolution?" who said "its too soon to tell".


The immediate outcome of the French Revolution was the replacement of tyranny with tyranny because the revolution got hijacked by extremeist. Much the same thing happend when they overthrew the Shah of Iran in the 1970's.

This is why many compare the current wave of revolutions in the Islamic world to the French Revolution as a cautionary tale.

The arab spring could also be compared to the fall of communism in the 1980's or to the fall of Apartheid in the same decade- it could well be the real deal. Its too soon to tell.

Americans tend to view the French Revoution as a disaster. Inspired by our successful revolution (which did result in the world's fist modern democratic republic) the French rose against thier autocratic monarch and ended up in bloodbaths and in tyranny. But we forget that our own revolution had some unfinished business that got postponed until 1861- namely the question of slavery. When we finnally dealt with slavery we were plunged into a bloodbath of our own far worse than the war of Independence from Britian and comparable to the French Revolution. We didnt quillotine people, but we did fight each other in a civil war that killed two percent of our population and left the southern half of the nation devastated.

My question is why does "La Révolution française!" sound like a dish?

Yeah, i checked the wiki of the book shortly afterwards but thanks for the information, 91. =P

As for Vex, you're not really one to ask that when your avatar somewhat relates. :p (I know, it's supposed to be Che instead... Might i inquire where you found that btw? My anthropology department has this too and i thought we had the exclusivity. :p )

Attempt at a somewhat serious answer : maybe because the words come from "evolution" (as you've no doubt noticed, which references to a biological process) and i may be grasping at straws here but someone in your mind, that and the fact that it has a french adjective makes you think subconsciously that it sounds like a dish? =/

The French Revolution also influenced clothing.

According to the Persians, Romans, etc. and down the line, pants were considered womanly or barbaric. Royalty constantly wore skirts in Europe unless they were going to ride a horse. When the Revolution happened, the lower-class use of pants became more dominant, and that is at least part of the reason why men mostly wear pants instead of skirts today.

Yes, I agree.

But...Why do you have such profile? For our life is so cruel already ...

I suddenly feel hopeless after I saw it.

[quote="Orwell]Of course, it wasn't purely ideological- as we see today in the Arab Spring uprisings, revolutions against autocracy occur mostly when the economy is going to hell. Well-fed peasants do not often rise up against their feudal masters.[/quote]

Yes, It has actually happened before.

Good memory

Repeat myself ( quotation from Croce)

All the History is contemporary.

You make me thinking about the eruption of Laki volcano in Iceland in 1783 has contributed to the French Revolution

the ensuing destruction of crops and livestock brought famine and poverty that built up in France, triggering the Revolution which began in 1789.

Sorry for the off- topic!