THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

 

CLASS- IX    HISTORY: INDIA AND THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD-I

 1. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Introduction:

The revolution of France began on 14 July 1789 with the storming of the fortress prison, The Bastille. It was suspected to find hoarded ammunition (quantity of bullets and shells). The Bastille is a fortress prison hated by everybody because it stood for despotic power of king. The fortress was demolished. The beginning of chain of events started by middle class affected and shaken lower class and led the execution of king in France followed by revolt against monarchy. This revolution put up the ideas of liberty, fraternity and equality.

Causes of French Revolution:

1. Social cause (French society during late 18^TH century)

The society was divided into 3 estates:

1^st Estate-Clergy

2^nd Estate- Nobility

3^rd Estate- Big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers etc.

                          Peasants and artisans

                          Small peasants, landless labour, servants

The members of first 2 estates i.e., Clergy and Nobility enjoy certain privileges by birth. They are exempted from paying taxes to the state. Nobles also enjoy feudal privileges which include feudal dues extracted from peasants.

The church extracts its share of taxes called Tithes from peasants. A direct tax Taille and a no. of indirect taxes are levied on everyday consumption articles like salt and tobacco.

2. Economic cause (The struggle to survive)

a)   The population of France increase from 23 million to 28 million in 1789 which led to increment in demand for food grains.

b)  Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops with fixed wages but the wages did not keep pace with rise in prices of food grains.

c)   This led to Subsistence crisis (extreme scarcity of basic means of livelihood) in France due to old regime.

3. Political cause:

a)   In 1774, Louis XVI becomes the king of France and faces empty treasury due to long years of war which drained financial resources and discontent within the society was increasing.

b)  He helped 13 American colonies to gain their independence from the common enemy, Britain. This war added more than 3 billion livres for which the moneylenders began to charge 10% interest on loans.

c)   To meet its regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army, the court, running government offices or universities, the state was forced to increased taxes.

 Role of middle class:

1. The 18^th century witnessed the emergence of social groups termed as middle class who may have means and programmes to carry out full scale measures to bring a change in social and economic order and being educated they believe that no group should be privileged by birth.
2. They earned their wealth through an expanding overseas trade, from manufacture of goods like woollen and silk textiles and professions as lawyers and administrated officials.
3. They were inspired by the ideas of different philosophers and spread the same through books and newspapers.

Such as: 

1. John lock – In his two treatises of government, lock sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.
2. Rousseau- Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a form of a government based on a social contract b/w people and their representatives.
3. Montesquieu- In the spirit of law, Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, executive and the judiciary.

Outbreak of French Revolution:

1. Louis XVI called an assembly of estates general (a political body to which 3^rd estate that their representatives to pass proposal for new taxes.
2. The first 2 estates sent 300 representatives each, while 3^rd one has 600 members who were more prosperous & educated. However, artisans, peasants & women were denied entry to assembly.
3. Voting is estate general has been conducted as according to past principle of each state – one vote but members of 3^rd estate demanded for each member one vote philosophy.
4. Due to rejection, they walked out of assembly in protest after this, they declared themselves a national assembly and drafted a constitution for France to limit powers of monarch, which was led by Mirabeau (a noble) and Abbe Sieye’s (a priest).
5. Due to the power of revolt, law 16 finally recognized the national assembly and accepted the constitution.
6. The assembly passed a law abolishing the feudal system of obligation & taxes (tithes) and the members of clergy were forced to give up their privileges.

France becomes a social monarchy:

1. The national assembly completed the draft of constitution in 1791 with its main objective to limit the powers of monarch. The powers were separated and assigned to different institutions-the legislature, executive and judiciary.
2. The constitution of 1791 gave the power to make laws in the national assembly, which was indirectly elected.
3. Active citizens were only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of laborer’s wage. The remaining men and women do not have right of vote.
4. The constitution began with a right of declaration of the rights man and citizen such as right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law etc.
5. Various political symbols used by illiterate people in 18^th century are:

• The broken chain: stands for the act of becoming free.
• The bundle of rods and fasces: shows strength lies in unity.
• The eye within a triangle radiating light: the all-seeing eye stands for knowledge.
• Sceptre: symbol of royal power.
• Snake biting its tail to form a ring: symbol of eternity.
• Red Phrygian cap: cap worn by a slave upon becoming free.
• Blue-white-red: the national colors of France.
• The winged woman: personification of law.
• The law tablet: the law is same for all and all are equal before it. 

France abolishes Monarchy and becomes republic:

1. Louis XVI had signed the constitution but also he entered into secret negotiation with the King of Prussia.
2. Rulers of neighboring countries were worried by the developments of France and made plans to put down their events. The national assembly voted to declare war against Prussia and Austria.
3. The patriotic song Marseillaise composed by the poet Roget de L’Isle as sung for the first time by volunteers as they march into Paris which is national anthem of France.
4. The revolution wars brought losses and difficulties to the people. The constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the rich people of the society. Political clubs became important from rallying point of view in which most successful club was that of Jacobins. Its leader was Maximilian Robespierre.
5. Members of Jacobin club were from less prosperous sections of society which includes small shopkeepers, artisans, printers, servants etc. they planned a revolt against people of Paris. Later the assembly voted to imprison the royal family and elections were held.
6. The newly elected assembly was called the Convection. In 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.

Reign of terror:

1. The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the regime of terror. Robespierre followed a policy of severe control and punishment.
2. All those whom he saw as being “enemies” of the republic-ex-noble and clergy, members of other political parties even members of his own party who did not agree with his method- were arrested, imprisoned.
3. If the court found them guilty, they were guillotined. Robespierre’s government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on wages and prices.
4. Meat and bread were rationed. Peasants were forced to transport their grain to the cities and sell it at prices fixed by the government.

A Directory rules France:

1. A new constitution was introduced which denied the vote to non-propertied sections of society.
2. It provided 2 elected legislative councils which later pointed a directory (an executive made of 5 members).
3. The directors often clashed with the legislative council, who then sought to dismiss them.
4. The political instability of the directory paved the way for the rise of military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Revolution of women:

1. Women were active participants in the events which brought about changes in French society. They hoped that their involvement would pressurize the revolutionary government to improve their lives.
2. Most women of the third estate had to work for their living. They worked as seamstresses and laundresses, sold flowers, fruits and vegetables at market.
3. Working Women also had to care for their families and children. They were disappointed that the constitution of 1971 reduced them to passive citizens.
4. The revolutionary government did introduced laws to improve their lives by making schooling compulsory for girls, not marrying against their will, making divorce legal etc.
5. During the reign of terror, the new government issued laws ordering closure of women’s clubs and banning political activities. In 1946 women in France won right to vote. 

Abolition of slavery:

1. Slave trade began in 17^th century; the colonies in the Caribbean- Martinique, Guadeloupe and San Domingo were important suppliers of commodities like indigo, sugar tobacco and coffee. The slaves were bought from local chieftains. This was met by triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa and America.
2. The slaves were packed tightly into ships for 3 month long voyage across the Atlantic to Caribbean and there to plantation owners.
3. The national assembly held long debates for the rights of man to be extended to all French subjects. But it didn’t pass any laws fearing opposition of business men whose income depends upon slave trade.
4. Finally slavery was abolished in French colonies in 1848.

Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

1. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself as emperor of France. He conquered neighboring countries, dispossessing dynasties and created kingdoms by placing his family members there.
2. He saw his role as modernizer of Europe. He introduced many laws such as protection of private property and uniform system of weight and measure provided by decimal system.
3. Many saw him as a liberator who would bring freedom for the people but soon his armies came to be viewed as an invading force.
4. Finally Napoleon was defeated at waterloo in 1815.

Legacy of French Revolution

1. The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of French revolution. These spread from France to the rest of Europe during 19^th century, where feudal system was abolished.
2. Colonized people reworked the idea of freedom from bandage into their movements to create a sovereign nation state.
3. Tipu sultan and Raja Ram Mohan Roy are 2 examples of individuals who responded to the ideas coming from revolutionary France.

 

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