Was the French Revolution Successful Essay - 891 Words

Many historians credit the French Revolution as being the beginning of modern politics. The revolution single-handedly crushed the monarchical way of politics, the aristocratic domination up to that point in France, and the dominance of the church in French politics. The revolution abolished the feudal system and was one of the biggest steps towards modernity throughout history. The French Revolution was a successful endeavour on the part of the French people because it reformed social tradition and the hierarchy of French aristocracy by making all men equal, the Enlightenment ideals which the revolution was based on came through to a great extent. Before the French Revolution, France was a feudal kingdom. Louis XVI ruled the land, and†¦show more content†¦In this way, the French Revolution was extremely successful. The French Revolution was based on an assortment of Enlightenment ideals. French philosophers, including Voltaire and Rousseau led the revolution leading up to the revolution, so to speak, coming up with progressive ideals as to government, social structure, and the nature of people. Indeed, the ideals which the revolution was fought in the name of progressed throughout France and, eventually, Europe. Though the revolution took wrong turns along the way, the ideals which it was based on never wavered. Even during the heart of his Reign of Terror, Robespierre spoke of a state where each citizen wants to do good by his country. This shows Robespierre with an unwavering commitment to the state, an ideal which came out of the Enlightenment. Though he may have carried out his beliefs in a gruesome and perhaps wrong way, his ideals were the same as the Enlightenment philosophers: make the state better for all to live in. After Robespierre and the Directory, Napoleon came to power. Though he is criticized for being a militaristic dictator, Napoleon was able to spread Enlightenment ideals, in the form of the Napoleonic Code, throughout Europe. This shows the progression of ideas throughout Europe, and also that France succeeded in using the ideals that the revolution was based on. In this way, the French Revolution was extremely successful. The French Revolution tossed down the monarchy whichShow MoreRelatedFrench Revolution Was Successful Or Not?951 Words   |  4 Pagesthe entire country. Politically, economically, and socially, France was losing their peoples trust with ineffective governing choices made by Louis XVI. As a young ruler, Louis XVI lacked a sense of maturity and decision-making skills that would lead France and its people to suffer (Hunt). Like most revolutions, there are goals and hopes to be accomplished. While many historians argue whether the French Revolution was successful or not, eventually the people of France received what they believedRead MoreSuccessful, Enlightened, But Excessive1197 Words   |  5 PagesJosephine Joliff 11/23/15 Period 5 Ms. Green Successful, Enlightened, but Excessive Throughout history, revolutions have occurred for many different reasons all around the world, in many different ways. But, there is always a certain extent to which each revolution can be successful, and also enlightened. The word successful is defined by Oxford Dictionary as accomplishing an aim or purpose, and enlightened is defined as having or showingRead MoreFrench and Hatian Revolutions Similarities and Differences941 Words   |  4 PagesDouglas Tong Essay corrections Between 1750 and 1870, countries such as France and Haiti experienced dramatic economic, political, and social changes through Revolutions. A revolution occurs when change is desired by people who were mistreated and for this reason, the French and Haitian revolution occurred, leading to many different governmental changes such as the first republic of France and the rule of Napoleon, and the free republic and independent nation established by Haiti. They also ledRead MoreThe American Revolution Set up Equality and Power for America621 Words   |  3 PagesChristopher Hitchens claims that â€Å"†¦ the American Revolution is the only revolution that still resonates†and this claim is valid because the American Revolution led to democratic ideals and governments being spread across the world, it set the precedent of equality in our country, and it set it up to be the world power it is today. America’s Revolution gave birth to real applications of Enlightenment ideals, and in doing so spurred movements of independence and democracy around the world duringRead MoreRevolutions Of The French Revolution1139 Words   |  5 PagesRevolutions are often characterized under two dominant schools of thought, either the structural or the cultural viewpoint. The structural approach favors causes that are of inherent forces in the system of sovereign nations, whilst the cultural view favors individuals actions and ideas as rudimentary to revolution. Skocpol and Trimberger’s essay Revolutions: A Structural Analysis modernizes the ideas of Karl Marx and reconciles them with the modern revolutions that have occurred to form a new viewpoint;Read MoreSimilarities And Similarities Between The American And French Revolution897 Words   |  4 Pagesthere were many revolutions taking place around the world. The biggest revolution that took place was the American and the French revolution. There were many similarities and differences between them. The first similarity being that they both wanted to escape their government. The second similarity being that they both started an uprising of people against their own government, due to unfair taxing. The French peasants were not represented by the government because most of it was mainly composedRead MoreEssay on Revolution as a Product of the Enlightenment Period1070 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is a revolution? Revolution is defined, is the overthrow of one government with replacement of another. We are all familiar with the phrase â€Å"history repeats itself† over and over each in very different situations. The same can be said about the American and French Revolutions however these two revolutions end in very different situations. Both the American Revolution, (1775 -1783) and the French Revolution (1789 -1799) were the products of Enlightenment ideals that struck a large populationRead MoreThe Rise O f The Enlightenment1577 Words   |  7 Pageslife could be. The Enlightenment was a collection of ideas from various philosophers in Europe to question old views of society and use reason to create a better society. The enlightenment ideas focused on the people and their needs, prompting for governments to protect people’s basic rights to liberty, life, and equality. France, at the time, was suffering under the weak leadership of King Louis XVI, which created turmoil in all of France. In addition, there was bad blood between the three estatesRead MoreThe French Revolution By Edmund Burke Essay1538 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the most critical moments for human history, the French Revolution transpired amongst a slew of issues which caught France at a point of near destruction. Historians have debated for centuries whether the country has truly benefitted from this ten-year war within itself or the consequences of the bloody revolution, which includes the killing of thousand s of people, were actually necessary. The outcome of the French Revolution did not immediately bring about the destruction of the monarchyRead MoreThe Revolution Of The Haitian Revolution1385 Words   |  6 PagesMany times throughout history, we can see the effects of independent thought. There was the revolt of the slaves in Rome led by Spartacus, The Zanj Rebellion in the Middle East, and The Civil War in the United States. However, The Haitian Revolution is one of the most effective and swift Slave revolts of all time. The causes of the Haitian Revolution were quite simple and was similar to any other kind of slave revolt. Many ideas carried around by slave traders at the time such as treating slaves