Great Event in European History: The French Revolution - Essay Example

FRENCH REVOLUTION With the outbreak of the French revolution, "European history merges into the history of one nation, one event and one man; the nation is France, the event is the French revolution and the man is Napoleon." (Tulsian 27) Europe on the Eve of - French Revolution That Great Event in European History Europe was organized aristocratically. Thos was true not only on the case of monarchies bit also on the case of Republics. The republic of Venice was governed by an oligarchy and the same was the case with Switzerland. Even in England where parliament was strong, the power rested not with the people but with the landed aristocracy. Parliament itself was controlled by big landlords. The man in the street still did not count. If this was true of England, the same was the case in other European countries like Austria-Hungry, Prussia, Russia, France, Spain, Poland etc. In most of the European countries, the rulers were depots although during the 18th century they were called enlightened despots. The people had no hand in the administration of the country. They did not enjoy any personal liberty and everything depended upon the whims of the rulers. Serfdom prevailed almost everywhere in Europe. European rulers at that time were dishonest and unprincipled. International morality reached its lowest ebb during the 18th century. A man like Frederic, the Great, did not hesitate to annex Silesia in spite of his promises to Charles VI, the father of Maria Theresa. Russia, Prussia, and Austria conspired among themselves to put an end to the very existence of Poland. There was a general craze for territorial expansion at the expense of the weaker neighbors. "No consideration was paid to race limits or national boundaries," In the words of Professor Holland Rose, " That respect of dynastic rights and treaty obligations which generally held sway when Christendom was more than a name, now gave place to a state policy which avowedly aimed at little else but gain of territory or markets." Prof Hazen says, "The old regime in Europe was disloyal to the very principles of which it is rested" and those principles were respect for the established order and regard for regality and engagements (Mahajan 1) All over Europe there were privileged classes which were completely or partially exempted from taxation and the burden of taxation fell on the unprivileged classes. The rich paid less to the state and the main burden fell on the poor. European society was organized on a feudal basis and the landlords acted like petty sovereigns in the localities. The serfs were attached to the land and most of the proceeds from land went into the pockets of the landlords. The conditions of the serfs were miserable. To quote, "the great substructure of European society was an unhappy, un free, unprotected, undeveloped mass of human beings, to whom an opportunity for growth and improvement was closed on every side." While a few enjoyed privileges, the others suffered. Inequality in every field weakened the very foundations of the social systems. There was hardly any awakening among the masses of Europe and thus the system continued. (Mahajan 21) As regards the religion condition of Europe, western, western and central Europe were roughly divide between a Protestant North and a Roman Catholic south. In the centre people of Switzerland and Savoy were Protestants. The people of Ireland and Poland were Catholics. In Eastern Europe, the orthodox of Greek Church held sway over Russia and the Balkans. The Jews were found all over Europe. In some places, they were tolerated, while at others persecuted. Europe was not free from religious strife but religious toleration was making headway. It was felt that persons of different faiths could be the loyal subjects of the state. The growth of humanitarianism also played its part. The spread of the spirit of scientific inquiry made for tolerance. There was the decline of dogmatic religion. Causes of the French revolution The French revolution was a great event in the history not only of France and Europe but also of mankind. It gave to humanity new ides of liberty, equality and fraternity which have found their way in every nook and corner of the world. It was much a war of bayonets as that of ideas and it seems desirable to refer to some of its important causes. 1. Social cause. The most important cause of the French revolution was the social cause. "The revolution of 1789 was much less a rebellion against despotism, then a rebellion against inequality." There was too much of inequality in French society on the eve of French revolution. French society was divided into two parts: the privileged and the unprivileged. The privileged part consisted of the nobility and the clergy. Both of them formed a small minority of the total population of the country. In the total population of 24 millions, there were 150,000 nobles and 13000 clergymen. Roughly there combined strength was about one percent. In spite of their smallness in size they excelled all others in the matter of rank, possessions and privileges. A noble was addressed as "My Lord", "Your Grace" etc (Tulsian 33). The man in the street was required to salute him as his superior. Ordinarily, his coach was decorated with an ancestral coat of arms. The best seats were reserved for him both in the church and in the theatre. He was not expected to marry below his class. He had a monopoly of practically all the jobs in the army and the church. Every noble left to his son either a castle or a mansion and also a lot of territory from which he could collect taxes. Like the nobles, the clergyman also occupied a privileged position. They competed with worldly men in the field of riches, lands and luxuries. The clergymen had castles, cathedrals, places invaluable pictures, golden chalices, rich vestments and rentals from land in the form of tithes. The condition of the lower clergy was most wretched. They wee treated as plebiens. They managed to keep their body and soul together with difficulty. They were discontented and indignant against their superiors who neglected and exploited them. However, it is the lower clergy notable those of the towns, who were alive to the reforming movement of the day. They subscribed to the Encyclopedia. They read Plutarch and Rousseau. It is when the priest joined the representatives of the people in June 1789 that the church felt like the Renaissance Papacy for ever. The peasant owed a large number of dues to the lord, the church and the king. Ordinarily he had to work three days a week on the land of the lord. During the harvest days he had to work five days a week. Double rent was to be paid on the death of the peasant. If the farm was sold, one-fifth of the price went to the landlord. There was great distress among the peasants. The feudal system of land tenure in France was oppressive and the peasants opposed all movements which deprived them of their common rights. The opposed the enclosure movement and the division of the village commons as the large proprietors gained at their expense. They also suffered on account of the rise in prices during the 18th century 2. Rotten administrative system. Another cause of the French revolution was the rottenness of the French administrative system. The king was the head of the state and he acted in an arbitrary manner. The king did not go on tours to visit the various parts of the country and consequently lost his personal touch with the people. He had no knowledge of the sufferings and aspirations of the people. 3. Successors of Louis XIV. Another cause of the revolution was the incapacity of the successors of Louis XIV. The Grand Monarch left a legacy of financial bankruptcy for his successors. Louis XVI (1774-93) became king at the age of 20. His helplessness to manage the state of affairs can be judged from the following statements made by him: "It seems if the universe is falling on me." (Tulsian 39) 4. French philosophers. Another cause of the French revolution was the effect of the French philosophers; Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau were the three intellectual giants of the age. Montesquieu (1689-1755) criticized the abuses of the church and the despotism of the state. He suggested by comparison with England the need for liberty and equality. He exposed by implication the detachment of a botanist. 5. Financial condition. Another cause of the French revolution was the condition of the finances of the French Government. It has rightly been pointed out that "the revolution was precipitated by the economic factor and the train which had been laid by philosophy was fixed by finance." The fiscal causes lay the root of the revolution. The wars of the Louis XIV had upset the finances of France. The financial condition of the country was deplorable when the Grand Monarch died. Although he advised Louis XV to improve the finance and desist from wars, the latter did not care for the advice. He not only wasted a lot of money on places and mistresses, but also had the audacity to take part in many wars (Mahajan 10) The financial system of the France was deplorable. The nobility and the clergyman who owned about 40% of the total wealth of the country did not make any contributions towards the state exchequer. No wonder the burden of taxation fell on the unprivileged classes. That in itself created bitterness. The national debt had increased tremendously. Necker, a banker of Geneva, was appointed in 1776 as the successor of Turgot. Necker had risen from poverty to power. He had to face a lot opposition while effecting economies. He was the first person to publish a financial report which showed the annual income and the expenditure of the state. Real makers of the French revolution While it is admitted that the French Revolution originated with the Third State, there is difference of opinion as to whether the peasantry or the middle classes took the initiatives. It is pointed out by some writers that the oppressed peasantry of France, goaded by the extremity of their sufferings, was driven to revolution. But some argued it is enlightened middle class which led the way and the peasants merely followed them. The middle classes had brains. They had money and influence. They were the persons who were deeply influenced by the philosophies of the French philosophers. No wonder, the middle classes were the real makers of the French revolution. Why revolution broke out in France It is pointed out that monarchical absolutism and oppression of the peasantry existed in most of the countries of the Europe. There was nothing exceptional in the grievances of the people of France. In spite of that, the revolution stated in France and not in any other country of Western Europe. There are man reasons for this. In other countries there were feudal privileges and duties. The feudal lords not only enjoyed certain exemptions from taxes but also performed certain duties. While in other countries, the feudal system was a reality, it had lost all its vitality in France. No wonder the privileges of the nobles in France were irritating to the people of the France .The whole system had become an anachronism and consequently it was condemned. The discontentment against the nobility burst out in the form of the revolution of 1789. Another reason was that there existed in France an enlightened middle class which was not to be found in other part of Europe. The members of this class were well-to-do persons, but the still belonged to the unprivileged class. They have wealth and brains and consequently were not in a mood to put up with the inequality with the Ancient regime imposed on them National constituent assembly Storming the Bastille The king was determined to intimidate or suppress the national assembly and regain the ground lost by him. A large number of soldiers were brought to Versailles and Paris and on 11 July 1789 Necker and his colleagues who were in favor of reforms were dismissed. Necker was also ordered to leave the country. The people of Paris did not approve of the dismissal of Necker, their popular minister. It was feared that the king was determined to use force to suppress the national assembly. Under these circumstances there was a riot and the Bastille, which was considered to be the symbol of the ancient regime, was stormed. It was captured on 14 July 1789 and razed to the ground. The fall of the Bastille was considered to be the triumph of liberty in the country. Although the king removed the troops, reinstated Necker and recognized the National Guard, the people were not contended. National Guards were organized in all the towns. On the countryside, the peasants revolted, plundered the castles of the nobles and took special pains to destroy all the documents of titles of the nobles. Nobles were killed and their castles were razed to the ground. Early in October 1789, rumors reached Paris from Versailles that a banquet was given to some of the crack regiments which had been summoned there. On that occasion the tricolor was stamped upon. Threats were held out against the national assembly. The queen, by her presence there, sanctioned those outrages. The women of Paris marched to Versailles drawing cannon with them and brought the king, the queen and their child shouting on the way: "we have the baker and the baker's wife and the little cook boy- now we shall have bread." (Mahajan 36) Work of the National Assembly 1. The most important work of the national assembly was the abolition of feudalism, serfdom and class privileges. 2. The second great work of the national assembly was the declaration of the rights of man on 27 August. This document reflected the spirit of Rousseau's philosophy and incorporated some of the provisions from the constitutional laws of England and the U.S.A. It became the platform of the French revolution and influenced the political thought during the 19th and 20th century. 3. The National Assembly set up a uniform system of administration all over the country. The old provinces, governments, intendancies, pays d'etat, pays d'election, parliaments and bailliages were abolished (Mahajan 41).The country was divided afresh into 83 departments. These departments were uniform in size and population and were named after natural features such as rivers or mountains. Each department was divided into cannons and communes. The heads of the local divisions were to be elected by the people and not nominated by the executive. Provisions were made for local councils which were to be elected by the people. A new system of courts was provided for the country. The judges of these courts were to be elected by the people. Attempts wee made to simplify and unify the legal system of the country but the work could not be accomplished till the time of Napoleon as first Consul. 4. The National Assembly also tried to tackle the problem of finance. The state treasury was practically empty and no wonders the assembly restored to extreme measures to meet the situation. In November 1789, the church property in France was confiscated. That property was valued at many hundred million dollars. With Church property as security the National Assembly issued paper currency known as Assignats (Tulsian 52) 5. The National Assembly framed a new constitution for France and that is why it is also known as the constituent assembly. This constitution was completed in 1791 and ate the signatures of the king became the law of the country. It was the first written constitution of the France. It was based on the principle of separation of powers which was propounded b Montesquieu and embodied in the American constitution of 1787. 6. The judicial system was completely revolutionized. Formerly, the judges used to buy their position which carried with them titles and privileges. They had also the right to pass on those positions to heir sons. All that was abolished. In future, all judges were to be elected. Their terms of office were to vary from 2 to 4 years. July system was introduced in criminal cases. Conclusion French Revolution, proved to be the main transformation of the society and political system of France. France temporarily transformed from monopolized powers and monarchy king rule to a republic of theoretically free and equal citizens. The effects of the Revolution were widespread, both inside and outside of France. The French Revolution ranks as one of the most significant events in the history of Europe. Works Cited French Revolution, Encarta.msn.com. Available at Mahajan V D, History of Modern Europe since 1789, S Chand & Company LTD, 1999, 1-45 Tulsian S D, The French Revolution, Kalyani Publishers. 2004, 27-56 Read More