So called Revolution, the most powerful tool where, people bringing forth something to change the faith of struggle to betterment of living. One of the quotes by Revolutionist Ernesto describes “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe, you have to make it fall”. Yes! That’s the way revolution had come upon, right!
In this way, the revolution that taught us the rights of man is Revolution of 1789, which introduced the term Nationalism to the world. Okay, let’s go for a short story that enforced equality, liberty, economic stability and voice against Monarchy.
It lasted for a decade from 1789 to 1799. It began from July 14, 1789 when revolutionaries attacked a prison called the Bastille, came to an end in 1799 when a general named Napoleon overthrew the revolutionary government and established the French Consulate (with Napoleon as leader), which paves for second phase of French revolution.
But how this long aggression broke out..? There should be some sudden impulse right! Yes, the lack of political and economical stability which imposed huge tax burden on 3rd estates (commons). Now who were those 3rd estates.. They are nothing but commons like peasants, labors, herders, etc.. Whereas clergy and nobles where first two estates who were under the King’s umbrella.
There were many impulses that triggered revolutionaries. Some of them are,
• Unequal dividend of votes among 3 estates. That is each estate was given 1 vote even 80% of population were commons.
• French’s participation in American revolution (1775 CE -1783 CE) which broke its economic side.
• King Louis XVI – tax reforms that entirely crushed 3rd estates. For example tax was imposed even for standing on soil, dressing, etc..
• Increased cost of bread which was the only food of commons.
Initially, the commons fought for constitutional and political stability. The American war of independence inspired them to become Republican and to introduce people’s rule. The first republic was established on 1792 CE which stripped down all the powers of king and nobles. At the time of revolution, there was one more notable period after it’s first republic. During 1793 CE- 1794 CE, Reign of terror which was executed violence in guillotine for its own people who perceived to be against revolution. This bought away the lives of more than 17,000 peoples apart from uncounted deaths. The architect of the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror is Maximilien Robespierre, a lawyer and politician.
French revolution was a period of deep political and economical upheaval in France that ended the monarchy but eventually replaced it with a military regime led by Napoleon Bonaparte. At the end, one of the great revolution of the world found a leader, and the great era of France begins under him. France began in 1799 following the fall absolute monarch of Louis XVI with the military dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte. The event marked the end of the French Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic era, in which France would come to dominate much of continental Europe.
Do you think this revolution succeeded? But how Napoleon is again a dictator right! But with some equality to commons, stability and liberty. It bought out many new concepts which includes concept of Nationality. Before Napoleonic rise from 1799, some radical measures undertaken by National constituent assembly done the job for peoples. The assembly constitutes elected peoples came into existence from June 12, 1789. On Aug 4, they abolished the concept of feudalism and that’s where the revolution succeeded. On the same day, the assembly adopted the declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen, the statement of democratic principles grounded with philosophical ideas of High Enlightenment (1730 CE – 1780 CE) philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau.
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