The French Revolution and the Freedom from Feudalism - Term Paper Example

 The French Revolution and the Freedom from Feudalism French society at the time of the Revolution, the last decades of the 1700s, was very similar to most of the other countries of Europe of the period in that it had an absolute monarchy that followed much the same pattern of rule that had been established by Louis XIV in the early 1700s. As a part of this system, there was an aristocratic class that held most of the status and wealth of the nation in a feudal-type system and a merchant class called the bourgeoisie that, at times, held enough wealth to rival the nobles, but had none of the political clout. There was “a vast peasantry accounting for one in seven or one in eight of the population, most of whom were legally free but bound to their seigneur … by a myriad of services and obligations surviving from the medieval past. … And, in cities, … a great urban population of innumerable crafts and occupations, for the most part poor and depending for survival on cheap and plentiful bread” (Rude 1995). When they rose up against their king, overthrew their monarchy and established a new social order, the French did something no other country on the European continent had done, which had a profound effect upon the other European nations who sat watching to see what would happen. This small war completely contained within the country and lasting only 12 years would send ripples throughout Europe and have consequences that would reach as far as North America and the Dutch East Indies (Taylor, 2006). The changes brought about by the French Revolution were cultural, social and political. As the rumors spread regarding the fall of the Bastille, people in twenty-eight of the largest thirty cities in France were reported to have staged uprisings and hundreds of thousands of peasants in the rural areas attacked lords’ manors and destroyed other symbols of the seigneurialism system throughout the summer of 1789. This gave rise to a wide-spread wave of mass panic, known now as the “Great Fear”, in which the people pulled down the old system of French feudalism “and the state machine of royal France lay in fragments” (Hobsbawm 1969) as the bourgeoisie drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen and limited the King’s power. “Between 1789-1791, the victorious moderate bourgeoisie, acting through what had now become the Constituent Assembly, set about the gigantic rationalization and reform of France … its policy for the peasantry was the enclosure of common lands and the encouragement of rural entrepreneurs, for the working-class, the banning of trade unions, for the small crafts, the abolition of guilds and corporations”, but “[i]t gave little concrete satisfaction to the common people” (Hobsbawm 1969). Of most importance, the uncontrolled economic system that arose “accentuated the fluctuations in the level of food prices … The price of bread registered the political temperatures of Paris with the accuracy of a thermometer” (Hobsbawm 1969). Just as this system was working itself out into a more republican arrangement, the Revolutionary Wars between the French Revolutionary Government and Austria began followed immediately by the Napoleonic Wars. The Great French War, as these conflicts are collectively known, was fought in the years between 1792 and 1815 and was responsible for spreading the new thought throughout much of Europe. The French Revolution provided ample opportunity for French citizens with talent and ambition, such as Napoleon Bonaparte, to rise to recognition and gain practical experience in all matters pertaining to war. Rising quickly from the rank of common army cadet to the rank of General as he led the French army through Europe, Napoleon stretched France’s boundaries to their greatest extent by 1810, with the country reaching from Spain to Poland before he was finally turned back. By the time these wars were over, Great Britain, Prussia, Spain, the Russian Empire and Sardinia had become involved as they struggled to maintain the precarious European balance of power (Padbury, 2007). As the French expanded into new territories, they had significant influence on the way the rest of Europe viewed itself. Culturally, the French Revolution changed a great deal of how the world measured itself, literally. In addition to changing the French flag, having an effect on how other countries defined themselves (Velde, 2002), the culture of the Frenchman has reached to the ends of the earth. Anything of any artistic merit found anywhere in the world was immediately claimed by Napoleon to have had French origins, particularly in the form of fashions and customs (Effects, 1998). As the conquering nation, France was seen to have the end decision in all things fashionable, a perception that continues into the modern day as French designers still dominate the runway and Paris is still considered the center of the fashion world with such big names as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Hermes and Yves Saint-Laurent among others. However, perhaps in deference to harder times or in hopes of greater security, the fashions of the day drastically changed as the Revolution heated up. Citizens of all classes began to dress in more modest styles, hair was kept short and the wealthy male population began appearing on the city streets wearing the same sort of beggar clothing typically reserved only for the poor. Women were also reverting to simpler fashions, adopting styles that “imitated the thin gowns of the ancient Pagan Greeks” (Effects, 1998). Finally, as a means of standardizing rations and other supplies, the French instituted nearly worldwide adoption of the metric measuring system (Corzine, 1995). Only the United States, Myanmar and Liberia remain adamantly against the conversion (Nelson, 2000). In terms of strategy and military tactics, the French wars “inaugurated the era of modern, total warfare” (French Revolution, 2001-2004). This is because they completely reorganized the way in which soldiers were promoted. According to Taylor (2006), the new army of France was different from armies that had come before primarily because they didn’t assign rank based on class, but rather worked on promoting as a result of ability and talent. In addition, the French under Napoleon’s leadership created “the modern army by combining units as supply, intelligence and communication within combat units” (Siddle, 2006). This change in structure also placed a great deal of emphasis on the “importance of good staff work especially in logistics, tactics and strategy” (Siddle, 2006). Opening up the possibilities available for men who were willing to think ‘outside of the box’, Napoleon’s army worked out the advantages of the artillery barrage, with which he was able to reduce walled fortresses to rubble without remaining vulnerable in any of the traditional spots (Siddle, 2006). As a result, he was able to take walled cities who had little to no effective defenses to bring against him with a minimum of collateral damage to his own troops. This type of strategy has proven important in every conflict fought since Napoleon’s army marched across Europe, particularly during the two World Wars. As was mentioned previously, the beginning of the French Revolution is typically associated with the forced signing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man. This was a revolutionary document on the continent as it provided French men with the rights and freedoms they’d been lacking since the country’s foundations. With this new power, the voting public ushered in many social changes that would also affect the rest of the world. For example, the old system of feudalism was eliminated, never to return, beginning to suggest a new means of valuing a man. With the swift fluctuations of fortune occurring during these years of strife, it was no longer possible to maintain the fiction of a clearly defined society. Instead of the strictly layered society in which each layer was expected to know and adhere to a specific set of instructions and expectations, the French society was forced to adopt a more open approach to social order. Any qualified individual who showed a degree of talent, a measure of knowledge, an ambition and an interest was able to apply for, and retain employment in any profession regardless of birth status. The innovation, excitement and possibility this new form of social organization introduced was difficult to resist, especially as the revolution itself introduced a new and “most influential model of popular insurrection” (Kaiser, 2006) when it confronted and defeated the monarchy. This example was so effective that both the events of Tiananmen Square and the Russian Revolution were directly inspired by this revolution. Following the Declaration on the Rights of Man, the Napoleonic Code began to codify the ideas that emerged as important points of the revolution. This code was introduced by Napoleon in 1804 (Padbury, 2007). According to Trueman (1969), the Napoleonic Code included several of the same ideals upheld by America’s recently adopted Constitution. Some of these ideals include freedom of conscience and work, equality of all men before the law and a clear separation between church and state (Trueman, 1969). Although it didn’t provide women with the same kinds of equality granted to the men, the Napoleonic Code did extend them personal and property rights. Interpretation of the Napoleonic Code reveals a deep concern with allowing all men the ability to develop to the best of his ability for the benefit of the country. Trueman (1969) considers the code the single most influential effect of the Napoleonic Era upon the course of European and world history. Elements of the code can be traced through the law structures of numerous nations, particularly non English-speaking nation’s laws (Padbury, 2007). This wide reach makes the Napoleonic codes one of the most influential documents in history. Despite the importance of the Napoleonic code and other documents that emerged from the Revolutionary era, the French also invented the idea of Nationalism, bringing it out not only in their own nation, but encouraging its development in many other countries as well. The foundational premise of Nationalism held that the country existed for the good of the people rather than that the people and the country existed for the whims of the king. With a greater investment in their community thanks to relaxed social rules that allow an ambitious and talented man to move forward while allowing a well-born but lazy man to fall behind, the people of France began to take pride in their homeland. This included a new interest in the country’s language, history and cultural heritage to a degree that hadn’t been considered to this time at any point in the European countries. Disagreements arising between peoples were less and less about personal differences between kings but instead about ideological differences between nations (Pratt, 1970). As the French conquered other nations, their growing pride in their own identities and culture established France as socially more advanced than the other countries, as has been previously discussed. However, this also awakened in the conquered peoples a sense of indignation and pride in their own languages, cultures and histories. The significance of this impact is realized as neither Germany nor Italy was entirely unified during this period in history but were instead loose connections of states. After the French Revolution and the country’s subsequent expansion across the continent, both of these nations began to solidify to a much greater extent (Taylor, 2006). At the same time that regions were attempting to solidify into well-defined nations, small groups of minorities recognized their uniqueness and the opportunity to organize themselves into their own independent nations as a means of achieving true equality (Siddle, 2006). This process completely transformed the way the people viewed themselves. Instead of believing themselves to be merely a part of the dirt around them, the people began to recognize that they were the definition of their country and began to take pride in the power of who they were. As the emergence of Nationalism begins to suggest, perhaps the greatest effect of the French Revolution upon the nations of the world was the unequivocal abolition of the monarchy in favor of a people-oriented republicanism through the adoption of the Constitution of France. More than simply diffusing the balance of power among different individuals, this switch delivered the governance of the nation from the single whims of a monarch selected by accident of birth to the hands of the people through a collection of interested and diverse male residents. France was the first large nation of the continent to convert to such a degree of republicanism, most of the others retaining some semblance of monarchy. The Constitution of France, drafted in 1791, established “the precedents of such democratic systems as elections, representative government and constitutions” (French Revolution, 2001-2004). Much like the United States Constitution, the Constitution of France divided the power of government among three primary branches with the position of monarch or primary leader existing as something in the nature of a figurehead. The Republic of France only existed for roughly 12 years, about the same length of time as the French Revolution itself. It was ended in 1804 with the establishment of the Napoleon dictatorship. However, with its mere existence, the possibilities for a new and better world order were introduced onto the world stage, providing proof and foundation upon which future systems could be constructed. Finally, the French Revolution also introduced the first conception of a United Nations organization. The Congress of Vienna was an attempt among the various nations of continental Europe to reset the national boundaries of Europe back to their pre-war locations. As a group, the Congress was able to peacefully resolve territorial changes and disputes while also abolishing such abominable social practices as slavery. At the same time, the Confederation of Germany was formed, creating a new country on the world map (Bloy, 2002). The agreements reached during this Congress not only made the nations safer and more equally balanced the power structures of Europe, but it also served to set forth guidelines to prevent further war from breaking out for nearly 100 years. While the French Revolution remained relatively contained in France throughout its 12 year history, the effects coming out of this internal war had widespread global repercussions. Through the various legal documents produced to keep France together both before and after the monarchy had been abolished to the influence of Napoleon as he marched his troops across the continent, the French people had a tremendous impact upon how people defined themselves and others. Proud of their accomplishments and exultant about their ability to aspire to whatever dreams they might hold, the French were not shy about praising the great nation they had become when they encountered individuals from other regions. The subsequent changes in political policy, military advancement, social structure, cultural awareness and conceptions of national identity would eventually infect every nation on earth to some degree or another for years to come. Works Cited Bloy, Marjie. “The Congress of Vienna, 1 November 1814 – 8 June 1815.” Victorian Web. (2002). November 9, 2007 Corzine, Phyllis. The French Revolution. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1995. “Effects of the French Revolution.” St. Joseph Messenger. 1998. “French Revolution.” The Columbia Encyclopedia. (6th Ed.). New York: Columbia University Press, 2001-2004. Hobsbawn, E.J. The Age of Revolution. New York: Praeger, 1969. Kaiser, Thomas. “French Revolution.” Msn Encarta Encyclopedia. 2006. Nelson, Robert A. The International System of Units: Its History and Use in Science and Industry. February 2000. Applied Technology Institute. November 9, 2007 Padbury, Michael. “Effects of the French Revolution.” Helium. Andover, MA: 2007. Pratt, N.S. The French Revolution. New York: John Day Company, 1970. Rude, G. Ideology and Popular Protest. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 1995. Siddle, Robin. “Revolutions.” Windsor: Riverside Secondary School, (October 6, 2006). Taylor, George V. “French Revolution.” Encyclopedia Americana. New York: Grolier Publishers, 2006. Trueman, Schaffter, Stewart, and Hunter. Modern Perspectives. Canada: Mcgraw Hill Ryerson Limited, 1969. Velde, Francois. “Flags in Old Regime France.” Heraldica. (October 2, 2002). November 9, 2007 Read More