French Revolution
Nearing the end of the 18th century, the French Revolution began and was considered to be a political gathering with consequences affecting boththe social and cultural aspects of Europe. Between the years of 1789 and 1815, many French people sacrificed their lives to benefit their country. The unrest that the French Revolution caused never completely ended, but integrated into today's political conflicts and beliefs. The many lives that were lost during the French Revolution were worth the gains that the French people received. In the twenty-six years that the French Revolution went on for, the amount of lives that were lost was worth the equality, liberty and fraternity that were gained. Throughout the French Revolution many positive effects arose. One of those effects was the gain of equality. Prior to the French Revolution, citizens were being treated unfairly as they were being afflicted with taxes, shortages of food, health and money. Once the French Revolution took off, French citizens were beginning to be treated with respect, consideration and were no longer being burdened with issues that they could not handle such as unfair taxation. The third estate demanded fairer taxation
The Declaration of the Rights of Man was a IIdocument written for the people, setting forth the laws and principles of the new state. In France, the only government that was known was the King; he made all of the decisions while the French people had to watch their country slowly sink into dept. This declaration stated that taxes could only be approved by the people and no longer by the King, it asserted the political and social equality of all men, and it recognized that the "old regime" or old ways and the privileges of the aristocracy that it supported were to be abolished. These demands of the third estate were met as soon as the Declaration of the Right of Man, and the Napoleonic Code were justified. In the beginning, Napoleon only brought his new ideas into the countries that he conquered; later his ideas flourished in these countries in his reaction to his rule and conquest. The political spectrum consisted of radicals; people seeking change, liberals; people willing to accept new ideas and change, moderates; people who are generally in the middle of most issues, conservatives; people who seek to maintain tradition, and the reactionaries; people wanting the "status quo" and willing to use violence to accomplish what they want. This code or egalitarianism was the right for all French citizens to be equal before the law, to have freedom from arrest, to have equality of taxation, the right to choose ones work and ones religious beliefs. This large group of people made up the political group and contributed their leadership and ideas to many of the events that took place in France. Even though the National Assembly only lasted a short while, it contributed to some major changes in France. Some of these major changes included the end of the feudal system, the church lands were given to the state and sold to the peasants at low prices, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy; where the clergy in the future was to be elected and put under state control, and the Constitution of 1791; where the army, clergy, and the local control of governments was taken away from the King, as his powers were no longer absolute and he like any other French citizen had to obey the constitution. Napoleon's thoughts about the French Revolution were spread throughout Europe and he strongly believed in equality, liberty, and fraternity and he put them to use. Thus, the decisions of the country were made by the citizens and no one else. The French Citizens gained equality as the Napoleonic Code became effective and as the Declaration of the Right of Man became apparent. IV In years past, the French people were not bonded together in any way, shape, or form and had no reason to be. The time period of 1789-1815 was known as the French Revolution and the development of equality, liberty, and fraternity became apparent and continues to be apparent in France today.
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