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Factors of the French Revolution

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Submitted By mike15058
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Michael Warne
Revolutions
Spring 14
French Revolution Factors

The French Revolutions

The French Revolution was a long, bloody ordeal faced by the French populace in the late 18th century. There were a number of factors which led to the outbreak of this particular conflict. The factors which led to this particular revolution were first pointed out by James Defronzo, in Revolutions and Revolutionary Movement. Defronzo writes how a few different factors typically lead to the outbreak of a revolution. These factors are; mass frustration, dissident elites, severe state crisis, international context and unifying motivation. I will address each one of these factors and clarify how they correlate to the French Revolution. It is imperative to understand what exactly leads to revolution, and how we can use what we already know to prevent violence and social strife in the future.
First of all, France was plagued by mass frustration following hundreds of years of unjust monarchal rule. Mass frustration is when the majority of the populace is dissatisfied by the government. In the case of French citizens in the late 1700s, they understood how badly they were being treated by their own government. They also understood, however, that they deserved better. Due to the recent “Enlightenment Age,” an increasing number of people were becoming aware of their societal status. During the enlightenment period, people began to turn away from everything they thought they "understood" about life. In late 18th century France everything people knew, they were told by the church and monarchy. People lived in terror, for challenging these so called "truths" would most certainly result in severe punishment or even death. It was almost unheard of to challenge the teachings of the catholic church The French people understood the Rights of Man and would die fighting until

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