French Revolution
The French Revolution happened in France around the period 1789-92 (although these dates are disputed by historians), and resulted in the overthrow of the French monarchy and the Ancien Regime (the system of government). The monarchy in France had been established for many centuries, and the causes of the Revolution were deeply-rooted, including the problems with the Ancien Regime, the growth of nationalism, the influence of philosophers, and the example of the American Revolution. In the short term, there were other factors that precipitated the French Revolution, and these included the character of Louis XVI (the reigning French monarch at the time), the Bankruptcy of the French Crown, and, in the very short term, the economic and agricultural problems of 1788 and 1789. Of all the long term causes of the French Revolution, the Ancien Regime was perhaps the most deeply-rooted. The Ancien Regime was the old system of government, the old order of things, before the Revolution, and it divided French society up into three ``estates'': the nobles, the clergy, and the common people (ie. everyone else, which included both peasants and the middle classes). The first a
The upshot of this was that there no formal opposition to the government, and the masses had no say in government. '' 1 In the medium term, the bankruptcy of the French Crown contributed a lot to the causes of the French Revolution. Nationalism had existed previously to the Enlightenment, but before it had been tied in with religion and the monarch; now people wanted to cut it free from those discredited notions, and this resulted in a much more powerful fanaticism, one that was revolutionary rather than conserva!tive. The monarchy had the power to grossly misgovern the country; one of the causes of the Revolution. This was compounded by bad weather in 1788 which ruined harvests and resulted in famine. England's monarchy was different to the French monarchy in this respect; it was a constitutional monarchy, and so England's monarch was limited in his powers by a constitution, and by parliament, and was effectively only a figurehead. He later had to agree to a constitution when the third estate representatives occupied the royal tennis courts. In the short term, there were other factors that precipitated the French Revolution, and these included the character of Louis XVI (the reigning French monarch at the time), the Bankruptcy of the French Crown, and, in the very short term, the economic and agricultural problems of 1788 and 1789. everyone else, which included both peasants and the middle classes). The high taxation and bad conditions of peasants gave them the incentive to do away with the Ancien Regime. Lastly, a group called the Encyclopędists (a key figure of which was Diderot) attacked the Church and State, and aimed to compile an encyclopępedia critical of the government. England's monarchy was different to the French monarchy in this respect; it was a constitutional monarchy, and so England's monarch was limited in his powers by a constitution, and by parliament, and was effectively only a figurehead. Rousseau's (1712-1778) ``Social Contract'' put forward the case for direct democracy (as opposed to representational democracy), and, although this idea was never realised in France or America as it was more radical than! Montesquieu's ideas, the spirit of democracy inspired the French revolutionary leaders. Nationalism had existed previously to the Enlightenment, but before it had been tied in with religion and the monarch; now people wanted to cut it free from those discredited notions, and this resulted in a much more powerful fanaticism, one that was revolutionary rather than conserva!tive.
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