Impacts of the French Revolution on European Systems - Essay Example

Impacts of the French Revolution on European Systems INTRODUCTION It is quite evident that the French revolution did shape the world as it is today. The period that lasted between 1789 and 1799 saw the monarchy rule overthrown. The Roman Catholic Church on the other hand was forced into radical restructuring. The rebellion rose to the task and forced King Lois XVI out of power. As if that was not enough the King and the Queen were executed. The rebellion was mainly led people from the middle class who had risen and were no longer under the rule of the old regime. Before the revolution, France was led a group of the privileged mainly nobles and also the clergy. On the other hand the subjects who were also the most productive were living under excruciating circumstances of poverty were highly taxed by the government in order to pay for external wars, fund the monarchial governance among other unnecessary requirements. The French economy was sick so was the political sector. The Roman Catholic Church demanded tithe from the poor people and in collaboration with the monarchial government it was an obligation for every person to pay tithes. Impacts on France The French revolution is considered to be the turning point to modern democracy and nationalism. The rebellion from the French citizens mainly the peasants saw a wind of power change from the so called nobles. The most notable thing about the French revolution is that the impact was long term particularly in the rest of Europe. In France, the impacts were immediate. Philip (2004) The revolution had major impacts and effects on both European nations and the rest of the world as a whole. In France, the long-term impacts were great; political stability, social stability among other aspects of the French people. As this happened, the neighboring nations also experienced the impacts of this revolution. To many, the revolution seemed a failure. In actual sense, the revolution was stopped in 1815. But the fact is that the impacts were tremendous and changed Europe as a continent. The immediate effects were negligible in Europe but the long-term effects were far much greater. France experienced the most of the impact from the revolution. Other nations like Italy and Switzerland were equally affected. After the revolution, the leader was Napoleon who decided to deploy dictatorial system of governance. This was move that would him curb rebellious groups and ideologies from the revolution. The revolution also helped the French public have other victories like the fact that the revolution was a warning to any leader came to power after the revolution were careful not to misuse public assets or gain for personal interest. The taxes were reduced unlike in the previous monarchial governance. The new system ensured that everyone paid taxes in accordance to how much wealth and individual had. In addition to that, the public was relived of high tithes paid to the church. This included other expenses incurred and imposed on the public by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Monarchial government. After the revolution there was the introduction of the principal of legal equality. This saw the fall of the once powerful, mighty and wealthy Catholic Church. The church was reduced to an agency controlled by the government. Young men were conscripted to the new army and the power became more centralized within Paris. The French politics completely adopted a new face. There were two opposing groups of people. On the left were the supporters of the principles of the revolution while on the right were the opp0sers. Impacts on the Rest of Europe According to Klaits & Haltzel (2002) after the French revolution, Europe had changed politically, socially and economic. The changes experienced in Europe were caused by three main factor; influence of French citizens to the rest of citizens in the European nations, the invasion of the revolutionary armies into European nations and finally the taking over of Napoleon from the monarchial governance in France. All the three factors worked together in bring the transformation in Europe. After the French revolution, the rest of the European governments felt unsecure. After 1799, most European leaders felt that the effect of the French revolution could easily be replicated to their nations. The French people got powers through the revolution. There were reductions in taxes and establishment of new policies that ensured they lives were better than before. The European leaders feared that their subjects could easily do the same. Before the French revolution, there has been other internal revolution in several nations in Europe but none was even close to how massive the French revolution had been. The French revolution literary gave the French citizen power to rule themselves. In the 1790, the French revolutionary armies invaded other European nations around France mainly Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Western parts of Germany and Italy. The armies brought tremendous changes to theses nations. The changes were economic, political and social. The legal institutions from these countries were transformed in ways that would benefit the citizens. Later after that, when Napoleon took over France, he helped consolidate and expand the earlier benefits gained by the French armies. Prior to the end and beginning of the French revolution, feudalism had picked level high in most European Nations. By the end of the 18th Century, most nations had abolished it but its remnants were still evident in some parts of Europe. Serfdom, one of the key aspects of feudalism was still active. Serfdom is a system where peasants are locked to the land and cannot actively participate in other commercial activities including giving labor, without formal approval from the land owners. This system was very common in Eastern Europe, With the absence of the typical feudalism, most of Europe was largely dominated by two kinds of oligarchies; those that owned land in agriculture and those based in urban areas. The urban based mainly controlled commercial activities. The European nations invaded by the French Revolutionary armies had been under powers of oligarchies made up of aristocracy and clergy just like it was back in France before the revolution. The French invasion greatly destroyed these systems and installed their own institutions. After the revolution, France introduced policies that saw citizens empowered and laws that were seen as being injustice overruled. One such rule was exemption from taxes by people who considered themselves nobles. The French made sure that such policies were also implemented in the rest of European countries that they invade. After the first war elapsed in 1792, there rebellious groups surprisingly emerged winners and formed the new Republic. There were serious organizational challenges. This changed gradually especially after the huge conscription in August 1793. This gave the French a military advantage over other European nations. (This is even before the leadership of Napoleon.) This military dominance and superiority encouraged and convinced the Republics leadership to expand their borders. The main aim of doing this expansion was to create an effective buffer between the New Republic and the unwelcoming leadership in Prussia and Austria. The French seized Austrian Netherlands (partly todays Belgium) and the Netherlands. After this, the French army continued to seize other European nations as means of expand her borders and getting her power effective in Europe. Modern nationalism in Europe can greatly draw its original from the French Revolution. It is argued that nationalism is actually the main drive behind the French revolution whose effects traversed across Europe. The impact of the French Nationalism was great and profound. Leaders like Napoleon who rose from the French Revolution became a heroic symbol of the French nation. The neighboring nations could not get away from this influence. Nations like Germany and small states around the region were easily influenced both negatively and positively by the revolution. Britain at that time was the leading industrial power in Europe. The French revolution received minor support with majority especially the elite going against the revolution. As a matter fact, the British funded some of the coalitions fighting against the French. The Germans were impressed by the French revolution as it started. As the revolution escalated, things seemed to change. The Germans started opposing the activities of the revolutionary army. The revolution brought democratic ideas, economic freedoms and legal reforms. This impressed the Germans. But soon the French got ideas for boundary for boundary expansion. This was strongly objected by the Germans as this put them under threat French invasion. The French revolution greatly affected Europe’s institutional structures. There were those radical changes which were brought mainly by the invasion of the revolutionary armies. Some of this changes included abolishment of remaining aspect of serfdom, quasi-feudal land agreements, and position of clergy in economic and political power among others. In Belgium, the French legislation took over in 1795 replacing the clergy and the nobility who for a long time enjoyed the benefits and privileges. In the 20 years of French rule, Belgium was vested with equality before the law. In the Netherlands, the institutions were more of the urban oligarchies. The French effectively expropriated this systems and considerable set up Batavian Republic along French lines. The Germans who were initially impressed by the French revolution were also affected by the revolution. The Rhineland is the only area that was affected by the French revolution in Germany. The French changes in Rhineland still remain controversial. In Italy a number of new republics were initiated and established by the French revolution. The new republics were made up of French system of governance, parliament, and more effective and efficient administrations. The extensive and manipulative privileges were abolished and the aspect of equality for all people before the law was introduced. CONCLUSION The French revolution might not have had much of immediate effects on the rest of Europe. Nonetheless, France itself had redeemed itself from very powerful hands of the clergy and the nonracial governance. The overall impact in the rest of Europe was realized later and this helped transformed the whole world. The French revolution extensively affected the whole world including the Americas and the Middle East. The military and political impact caused the French leader Napoleon was seen through invasions and later influence the implementation of liberal ideas and the typical use of revolutions and rebellions. In the Americas, the revolution was also experience. When it started, the American government just like the Germans supported the idea. However this changed after the execution of the King. President George Washington declared America would remain neutral in European affairs. Hampsher-Monk, (2005) Reference list: Hampsher-Monk, I. (2005). The Impact of the French Revolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Klaits, J., & Haltzel, M. H. (2002). Global Ramifications of the French Revolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres. Philip, M. (2004). The French Revolution and British Popular Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More