The French revolution started
peacefully as an internal revolt but as it progressed, it drifted from a
peaceful reform movement to a violent movement and ended up affecting
Europe and America. The revolution came up with new principles that were
either exported by the French armies or adopted by the oppressed
peoples due to similar conditions. These principles affected the entire
socio-economic and political structures of Europe as can be seen below.
POSITIVE EFFECTS
1. Rise of revolutionary political parties
The
rise of political clubs in France influenced radical reformers to
organize similar political parties in a bid to pressurize the existing
governments for reforms. By 1792, constitutional information clubs had
been organized in almost every district of England and Scotland. Society
of the friends of the people and the corresponding society were also in
place. Members of these societies were from the lower middle class.
These societies had strong solidarity with the French political clubs
and the French national assembly.
Their operations were secret for fear of government repressive machinery.
MB.
The role played by French clubs during the reign of terror made Britain
to regard political clubs as a threat and suppressed them in order to
have strict control over its people.
2. Chain reaction
The
French revolution of 1789 acted as a springboard for revolutions in
Europe. Subsequent revolutions like the 1830 and 1848 revolutions in
Europe were inspired by the great French revolution of 1789. In the
words of a Greek fighter for independence T. Colocrolos;
The
French revolution and Napoleon opened the eyes of the entire world.
Before it the people were really ignorant and thought that the kings
were the Gods on earth. Whatever they did, people had to praise them.
The change brought about by the French events had made it difficult now
to rule people.
Before the French revolution, the
oppressed masses of Europe and America could not take the law in their
hands. However, they learnt from the French revolution that power
resides in the oppressed people and that violence or terrorism can bring
the biggest political change. This is partly why the 1820's, 1830 and
1848 revolutions became inevitable.
3. Unification of Italy and Germany.
The
French revolution laid foundation for the unifications of Italy and
Germany; France conquered and re-organized the Italian and German States
in 1796 and 1807 respectively. French soldiers who liberated
Italians
and Germans preached the revolutionary ideas of equality, liberty,
fraternity and nationalism. It inspired Italians and Germans with a high
spirit of unity and independence against foreign domination. Italians
for instance started fighting for unity and independence in 1809 against
France and continued against Austria from 1815. This foundation
combined with other factors to lead to the unification of Italy in 1870
and Germany in 1871.
4. Abolition of feudalism and serfdom
Feudalism
and serfdom in Europe were also abolished as a result of the French
revolution. The revolutionary ideas of equality, liberty and fraternity
influenced the abolition of feudalism and serfdom first in France and
later in other European States like Prussia, Hungary, Italy, Germany and
Spain. Land was nationalized and given to peasants, which ended
monopolization of Land by the Church and the nobles. By 1917, feudalism
and serfdom were nowhere in Europe except in Russia. Even then, it was
also abolished after the outbreak of the Bolshevik revolutions of 1917.
5. Abolition of social class system
The
French revolution also influenced the abolition of the discriminative
social class system that existed in Europe. The revolutionary ideas of
equality, liberty and career open to talents influenced the oppressed
peasants and middle class in other States to pressurize their
governments to end social class discrimination.
This
influenced hitherto (until then) conservative states like Russia, Spain
and Prussia to abandon social class division and grant equality between
the nobles, clergy, middle class and peasants. For instance, there were
equality of taxation, access to education and fair trial before the
law, which were not the case before the outbreak of the revolution.
6. Rise of new States men
There
was the rise of new States men in the politics of Europe. The
destruction of the segregative social class system and the revolutionary
ideas of equality offered opportunity for talented men like Napoleon I
in France, Mazzinni and Cavour in Italian States and Bismarck in German
States to rise to positions of importance in their respective States.
These were liberal men who fought for freedom and independence of their
nationals/ people. However, others like Metternich took advantage of
unity of Europe against the threats of the French revolution to dominate
European politics after the downfall of Napoleon i.e. from 1815-1848
7. Rise of new forces of change i.e. Liberalism, Nationalism and Socialism.
The
French revolution led to the rise of new forces of change i.e.
Liberalism, Nationalism and Socialism in Europe. The revolutionary ideas
of equality, liberty and fraternity undermined the old order of Europe
that was characterized by conservatism and despotism. It opened way for a
new political order dominated by the forces of liberalism, nationalism
and socialism. The new forces were consolidated in Europe by Napoleon
Bonaparte I. However, confrontation between the new forces and the old
forces led to revolutionary movements in Europe in 1820's, 1830 and
1848. This was because of attempts by conservative Statesmen like
Mettemich to suppress the new forces of change.
NB
i)
The development of socialism brought antagonism and tension that led to
the cold war in the 20th century. It was because socialism later
dominated Eastern Europe arid "started challenging Western Europe that
was dominated by capitalism. This divided Europe into two hostile and
antagonistic camps that made the outbreak of cold war inevitable.
(ii)
Nationalism has continuously influenced world politics up to today For
example; it has led to the collapse of USSR and Yugoslavia. It has also
been-responsible for the decolonization of Africa and some parts of
Europe like India that were formally under foreign rule.
8. Constitutionalism
Revolutionary
ideas led to the rise of constitutionalism as a check and balance to
despotism in Europe. Political movements sprung, up demanding for
liberal constitutions examplifiably the Carbonari in Italy. Indeed, the
U.N charter on Human rights (1948) has borrowed a lot from the
declaration of the rights of man and citizens in France.
9. Diplomatic alliances / understanding
The
revolution initiated the idea of diplomatic co-operation in handling
European and world affairs. Alliances against revolutionary France that
started from 1793 were gradually transformed into the concert of Europe
after the defeat of Napoleon 1 at the battle of Waterloo. This inspired
the rise and existence of subsequent international organizations like
the congress system, the League of Nations and the U.N
The French revolution that started
in 1789 brought fundamental social, political and economic changes in
the history of France. The changes caused by the revolution were both
positive and" negative. One should note that the classical/lasting
changes brought by the revolution in France and Europe explain why
historians have regarded the revolution as the most important event in
the history of Europe during the 18th Century.
1 Destruction of social class system
The
French revolution destroyed the discriminative social class system in
France and declared equality for all by nature. Segregation in terms of
birth, religion, sex and class against peasants and middleclass were
brought to an end. The revolutionaries came up with the idea of equality
and career open to talents where promotions and appointments to any
position in the society were based on talents and abilities. This led to
the rise of the middleclass who had better education to positions of
responsibility as opposed to incompetent nobles and clergy who dominated
such positions before the revolution. However, peasants remained
spectators inspite of their massive participation in the revolution.
2 Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
The
French Revolution contributed to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte 1 to
power, without which he would have died a common man. It destroyed the
segregative social class system and offered opportunity for talented
peasant men who used to be discriminated like Napoleon Bonaparte to rise
to power. Revolutionary changes and events like theT793 and 1795
uprisings gave Napoleon opportunity to exploit his talents and maneuver
his way to power by 1799.
3 Declaration of the rights of man and citizens
The French revolution led to the declaration of the rights of man and citizens. The Constituent
Assembly/parliament
in 1789 deliberated and came up with a document of on the rights of man
and citizens. It granted political liberties like; freedom of speech,
press, worship, association and ownership of property. Although these
were abused especially during the reign of terror, they nevertheless
became the foundation of people's rights and freedom.
4 Revolutionary ideas of equality, liberty and fraternity
The
revolution gave birth to revolutionary ideas of equality, liberty and
fraternity. These ideas were consolidated in France and spread to other
states such as Italians and Germans. Such ideas promoted equality,
freedom, democracy and good governance. They were also used by the by
the revolutionaries to dominate other nations. Above all, such
revolutionary ideas glorified France and made her a prestigious nation
in Europe.
5 Destruction of the Bourbon monarchy
The
Bourbon monarchy that had ruled France for over 400 years was brought
to an end by the French revolution. The revolutionaries declared the
monarchy abolished in 1792 and replaced it with a republican form of
government. Henceforth, France adopted a republican government that was
the first of its kind in the history of -Europe. Although the. Bourbon
monarchy was restored by the great powers after the downfall of Napoleon
in 1815; it could not survive beyond 1830 because the monarchy was
already weakened due to changes caused by the revolution.
6 Political pluralism
France
became a multiparty state as a result of the 1789 revolution. The
freedom of association led to the rise of different political parties
such as the Feuvillants, Girondins, Cordilliers and Jacobins that
competed for power. These Parties kept the government under checks and
balances by criticizing the unfair policies and programs. However, these
parties became institutions that promoted the reign of terror as they
embarked on violence to eliminate rival political groups. This made them
to destroy themselves to the extent that none of them existed beyond
1795.
7 Parliamentary democracy
The French Revolution consolidated parliamentary democracy in France. The national assembly
(Parliament)
that was called by King Louis VI in May 1789 was maintained by
successive revolutionary governments. France had a functional parliament
where different parties were represented. For instance in 1792, the
parliament had 120 Girondins, 50 Jacobins and 60 Independent members.
Thus, the Frenchmen were able to participate in governing themselves
through their elected representatives.
8 Constitutionalism
The
French revolution introduced the rule of law in the history of France.
Before 1789, France had no constitution to safeguard people's rights and
freedom. However, in 1791 the parliament enacted a constitution that
was amended in 1793 and 1795. The constitution clearly separated the
powers of the executive, judiciary and legislature (Parliament). It
reduced the King's excessive powers and guided the government in
planning, policy making and implementation.
9 Land
The
French revolution brought a lasting change on land ownership in France.
Before the revolution, land was dominated by the clergy and nobles who
exploited peasants through feudalism and serfdom. However, the
revolutionary government came with reforms that revolutionized / changed
the land tenure system in France. The revolution brought the idea of
private ownership of land where everybody had the right to own land.
This provided peasants with a chance to own land for the first time and
brought an end to feudalism and serfdom in the history of France. The
civil constitution of the clergy nationalized church Land, which was
sold to peasants at a give away price. Land that formerly belonged to
absentee land lords were nationalized inl790 and given to former tenants
who were peasants.
10 The Catholic Church and the clergy
The
revolution undermined the power and influence of the Catholic Church in
France. Before the revolution, the Catholic Church was the most
powerful and privileged institution in France. However, the
revolutionary government through the civil constitution of the clergy
destroyed it's power, privileges and influence. Church influence on
state and education were stopped. Freedom of worship was granted and the
catholic religion was no longer a state religion. Church privileges
were terminated to the extent that Bishops and Priests were made civil
servants on government payroll. The Pope's influence in French politics
also ceased to exist. However, this later caused conflict between the
church and state on one hand, the French government and the rest of the
catholic states on the other hand.
NB. The poor
relationship between the church and the state in France was corrected by
Napoleon I when he signed the concordat (an agreement) with the pope in
1801. Nevertheless, Napoleon I later worsened the poor relationship in
1808 when he imprisoned the pope for failure to implement the
continental system.
11 Socio-Economic changes
The
revolutionary government enforced some reforms in the social and
economic structures of France. In trade, a uniform metric system of
weights and measures was introduced to avoid exploitation. A minimum
price for bread was also fixed and a new currency (assignats) was
introduced to control inflation. In the field of industrialization and
labour, polytechnic institutions to train skilled man power were
established and the right to work and receive fair payment was
guaranteed. The education system was liberalized and the church's
influence on education was terminated. Agriculture was boosted by
introduction of better farming and scientific methods. Taxation was
reformed to include the privileged classes.
NB.
Most of the above Socio -economic changes created were undermined during
the reign of terror and the directory government. Achievement in the
fields of agriculture and transport were not so much Inflation persisted
during the reign of terror and the directory government worsened it by
over printing the Assignats. Exploitation of peasants continued through
over taxation, discrimination in employment and fraudulent weights and
measures. However, reforms in the social and economic fields survived
and became permanent benefits of the revolution after the reign of
terror.
12 Formation of the National Guard
There
was the formation of the National Guard that replaced the royal guard
of the Bourbon monarchy. The National Guard was a local militia
force/revolutionary army that was made up of volunteers whose role was
to protect the achievements of the revolution. By the end of 1793, there
were about 700,000 well trained and disciplined soldiers in the
National Guard. They defeated the first coalition and exported
revolutionary ideas to countries like Belgium, Italian and German
states.
13 Creation of the revolutionary Tri-colour flag
The
French revolutionaries created the tri-colour flag to replace the white
flag of the Bourbons. The three colours in the flag represented the
three revolutionary ideas of equality, liberty and fraternity. It was a
symbol of changes that France went through from the ancient regime to
the new revolutionary government
1 Loss of lives and destruction of property
There
was massive loss of lives and destruction of property most especially
during the reign of terror. There were heavy massacres of the nobles,
clergies and their sympathizers by diehard revolutionaries key
personalities like Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Danton, Marat and Robes
Pierre; all lost their lives during the French revolution of 1789.
Important places like Hotel De Ville, Bastiilles and Mansions of the
nobles and clergy were demolished. Properties belonging to exiled nobles
and clergy especially land were confiscated and sold cheaply to
peasants.
2 The reign of terror and revival of despotism
The
French revolution that initially started as a peaceful reform movement
in 1789 resulted into the reign of terror from 1793-94. There was total
breakdown of law and order, heavy massacres and extreme dictatorship
especially under the leadership of Robespierre. These were made worst by
internal resistance to revolutionary changes by the privileged class
and foreign war.
3 Displacement and exile
The
French revolution led to displacement and exile of dissatisfied nobles
and clergy to countries such as Austria, Prussia and Russia. Persecution
and confiscation of property forced the wealthy clergy and nobles to
exile. This led to capital flight which had negative effects on the
economic development of France.
4 General economic decline
The
revolution led to a general decline on the level of economic
activities. Progress in agriculture, trade, industries, transport and
communication were hindered and seriously undermined especially during
the reign of terror. These led to unemployment, inflation, poverty,
famine and starvation. The women's march to Paris in demand for food
arid the role of the mob during the revolution is a testimony of the
desperate economic condition created by the revolution.
5 Conflict between the Catholic Church and the state
The
revolution led to a serious conflict between the Catholic Church and
the state. Before the revolution, the Catholic Church and the state were
in a perfectly good relationship. However, the negative changes created
by the revolutionary government against the Catholic Church created a
serious rebellion by the clergy and fanatic Catholics. The scrapping of
church privileges, appointment of the clergy by the government and
nationalization of church land brought an end to the formally cordial/
good relations between the state and the church.
6 Loophole/weakness of the rights of man and citizens
The
rights of man and citizens that was declared by the revolutionary
government had some loopholes. It emphasized only the rights of man and
ignored the duties of man towards the slate. It left the Frenchmen
Ignorant of their duties to the extent that some of them started evading
taxation. Above all, it made the Frenchmen irresponsible and crazy
under emotional excitement of freedom that led to the outbreak of the
reign of terror.
7 Loophole of the constitution
The
constitution also had some loopholes. In the first place, it
disqualified majority Frenchmen from voting by making property
qualification the basis of voting. Secondly, it still left Louis XVI
with power to veto/reject the resolutions of the parliament, which he
stubbornly used to block reforms proposed by the parliament. This made
the Frenchmen to lose confidence in the constitution and resort to
lawlessness that led to the reign of terror.
8 Diplomatic relations
The
French revolution led to poor diplomatic relations between France and
other European states. The changes caused by the revolution and the
threats of the revolutionaries against their neighbours forced states
like Austria, Russia, Prussia, Britain and Italian states to ally
against France in 1792. This caused war between revolutionary France,
and, other powers in Europe. France therefore lost her citizens and
resources in an attempt to preserve and export revolutionary ideas to
her neighbours.
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