Premium Essay

The French Revolution: A Major Turning Point In World History

Submitted By
Words 523
Pages 3
Doran Fogle

The French Revolution, which included Napoleon’s reign, is considered a major turning point in world history. This revolution led to major changes in France and other nations and regions worldwide, inspiring and acting as a catalyst to many more movements across the world. Social, political, and economic circumstances in France contributed to the disapproval felt by many French people, especially those in the third estate, who paid most of the taxes. The unfair power of the king, unfair taxation, new ideas, and stories of people who had it better frustrated this third estate and brewed deep in France, with no attention from the king his cauldron boiled over.

King Louis XIV and Louis XVI had extravagant lifestyles which caused many political concerns. France was spending more money than it was …show more content…
The french society was divided into three social classes, the Clergy, the Nobles, and the common people. The clergy belonged to the the first estate, full of the rich corrupt people of france, they managed the churches, monasteries and educational institutions of France. They did not pay any tax to the king. The nobility were part of the second estate in France. They also did not pay any tax to the king. The Nobility was also divided into two groups, the Court Nobles and the Provincial Nobles. The court nobles lived in luxury and did not attribute towards the problems of the common people. However the provincial Nobles did aid in the problems of the common people. Then there is the third estate, The farmers, cobblers, sweepers and other lower classes belonged to this class. The working conditions of the farmers was very horrible.They paid all the taxes to the monarch including takes to the other classes in forms of Tithe and Gable. These unfair classes and neglection of the king under the influence of the First and second estate, therefore empowered the third estate to carry a

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Was the French Revolution Worth the Blood Shed

...The French Revolution began due to unrest and tension between the different social and economic classes in France. The confirmed beginning of the Revolution was on July 14, 1789, with the storming of the Bastille.("French Revolution timeline") The Revolution went on to see many bloody battles and the eventual passage of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the execution of the King, and the formation of French First Republic. The French Revolution evokes complex emotions and perspectives depending on who is speaking about it, and it's significance on France and the entire world is undeniable. Simultaneously, the French gained freedom and experienced a dramatic revolution, while also suffering numerous human casualties. Peter Kropotkin, a Russian prince, and Simon Schama, a history professor, gave us opposing views on whether the outcomes of the French Revolution were "worth" the amount of lives lost. Kropotkin believed that the French Revolution was a major turning point for not only France but many other countries. Conversely, Schama considered the French Revolution less productive than most assume and excessively violent. Peter Kropotkin, a revolutionary Russian prince and anarchist, believed the French Revolution paved the way for expansion and democratic growth. (Kropotkin 22) One of his first arguments expressed in the text is that the French monarchy, before the Revolution, deprived the lower class citizens of food and necessities. France was experiencing...

Words: 975 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

French Revolution Dbq

...Revolutions such as the American Revolution and the French Revolution are often referred to as major turning points in history. These revolutions have left lasting impacts on countless nations and regions worldwide. Revolutions represent major changes in a society, government systems and the economic lives of the people impacted. The French Revolution, which began in 1789 and lasted until 1814, set into a motion a course of revolutions that impacted not only the people of France but other groups around the world seeking independence and changes in their government. There were many causes of the French Revolution. One cause of the French Revolution was that King Louis the XVI could imprison anybody for however long he felt, and did not have...

Words: 664 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

French Revolution Dbq Essay

...The French Revolution, which lasted from 1789-1814, is considered to be a major turning point in world history. The revolution led to major changes in France and other nations around the world. I will discuss the political, economic, and social causes of the French Revolution, I will also discuss how the revolution affected the people of France and it’s impact on the world outside of France. A political cause for the French Revolution was the control of speech and press under King Louis XVI, according to Document A “ he controlled the expression of thought by a strict censorship of speech and press.” An economic cause for the revolution would be the amount of taxes the Third Estate was forced to pay, as seen in Document B the Third Estate paid all taxes and in Document A it states “He (King Louis XVI) levied taxes and spent the people’s money as he saw fit.” The social cause for the revolution is shown clearly on the first two graphs in Document....

Words: 491 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

French Revolution

...The French Revolution began due to unrest and tension between the different social and economic classes in France. The confirmed beginning of the Revolution was on July 14, 1789, with the storming of the Bastille.("French Revolution timeline") The Revolution went on to see many bloody battles and the eventual passage of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the execution of the King, and the formation of French First Republic. The French Revolution evokes complex emotions and perspectives depending on who is speaking about it, and it's significance on France and the entire world is undeniable. Simultaneously, the French gained freedom and experienced a dramatic revolution, while also suffering numerous human casualties. Peter Kropotkin, a Russian prince, and Simon Schama, a history professor, gave us opposing views on whether the outcomes of the French Revolution were "worth" the amount of lives lost. Kropotkin believed that the French Revolution was a major turning point for not only France but many other countries. Conversely, Schama considered the French Revolution less productive than most assume and excessively violent. Peter Kropotkin, a revolutionary Russian prince and anarchist, believed the French Revolution paved the way for expansion and democratic growth. (Kropotkin 22) One of his first arguments expressed in the text is that the French monarchy, before the Revolution, deprived the lower class citizens of food and necessities. France was experiencing...

Words: 315 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Coffee Scientific Revolution

...Originating in the Arab world and sweeping westward within half a century, coffee, a caffeinated drink sobered up great minds and initiated a turning point in history, known as the Enlightenment. Although coffee had...

Words: 698 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Haitian Revolution Effect on Slavery

...uprising of nearly 100,000 slaves in Saint-Domingue from 1791-1804 was the largest insurrection of slaves in history. The Haitian Revolution resulted in the creation of the first successful independent freed slave state in the world, a fact that rocked the socio-political, economic, and moral foundations of the Caribbean.[1] However, in the period following the Revolution, there is a noted increase of slavery in the Caribbean as a whole. Did the success of the Haitian uprising merely serve as a lesson for Caribbean planters and reinforce the slave society? To answer this question one must examine the factors that led to the Revolution’s success both externally, in the European metropoles, and internally, in the psychological and socio-political dynamics of Caribbean societies. Therefore, the Haitian Revolution appeared to impede abolition in the Caribbean in the short term because it reinforced white stereotypes of African savagery and inferiority, convinced planters of the danger of liberal and abolitionist ideals, and created a large void in the coffee and sugar markets which other colonies quickly filled by introducing more slave labor. While these effects should not be minimized, they were merely the logical aftershock of the tumultuous events in the established racial hierarchy. Ultimately, the Haitian Revolution was a major turning point in abolitionist history because it restructured the balance of power in the Caribbean thereby allowing a political gap for British...

Words: 1961 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Religion

...The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a fundamental impact on French history and on modern history more broadly. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[1] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles of Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity). The royal houses across Europe were horrified and led a countercrusade that by 1814 had restored the old monarchy, but many major reforms became permanent. So too did antagonisms between the supporters and enemies of the Revolution, who fought politically over the next two centuries. Amidst a fiscal crisis, the common people of France were increasingly angered by the incompetency of King Louis XVI and the continued indifference and decadence of the aristocracy. This resentment, coupled with burgeoning Enlightenment ideals, fueled radical sentiments, and the French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in June, the assault...

Words: 946 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cause and Effect of the French Revolution

...The French Revolution The book that was reviewed is titled “The French Revolution: William Doyle”. It addresses some of the causes of the French revolution and the effects it had. The French Revolution is known as one of the most significant events in the world’s history. Its impact hardly can be overvalued due to globally caused implications. Therefore, it is considered as generally valid birth of civilized principles. Appropriate analyzing requires plenty of items considering. However, there is the try to outline the most significant causes and effects of great historical event. Let’s start with the causes of the French Revolution. A major cause was social injustice and class inequalities. 18th century in French history was the time of feudal abutment. Naturally that is accompanied by different rights and duties for its members. The division of French society members was provided by Estates. In fact, prerevolutionary France experienced three of them: first, second and third estate respectively. The contrast between them was too significant and frustrated the lowest class. The first most privileged Estate was for about 2 percent of the entire population. At the end of scholastic influence era, the power of the Church was unrestricted. As for corresponding benefits, the Estate was out of tax duty. Moreover, the Church was authorized for income tithe claiming. Curiously enough, this minority owned more than 15% percent of France’s lands. The second Estate was nobility. As well...

Words: 1411 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

The Influence of the French Revolution on British Romantic Poets

...THE INFLUENCE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION ON BRITISH ROMANTIC POETS English Literature III Vítor Moura Introduction The French Revolution marks a turning point in world history and it is often said that it changed politics forever. Therefore, it is no surprise that its importance also reached the main literary movement of that time. Although not all of the poets were directly influenced by the Revolution, some of them were affected indirectly by the mood that ran across Europe. In this essay I will show that connection, influence and involvement between those writers and the revolutions; the one that happened in France and the one that could have happened in England. First Generation Romantic Poets First of all, it is essential to understand what the French Revolution was and why it happened. Without going into the details, we can say that it started in 1989 in an attempt to overthrow the monarchy in France and replace it with a republic. After a period of three years of tension and indecision, a republic was proclaimed in 1892 and in the following year King Louis XVI was decapitated. This was followed by the dictatorship of Robespierre and the Jacobins, the Directorate, and culminating in Napoleon Bonaparte’s dictatorship. The Revolution shook Europe all over defying order and everything old; it gave birth to new ideas that inspired European society, from music to philosophy and literature. Meanwhile, on the other side of the English Channel, the empire was being...

Words: 2276 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Why Is the French Revolution Regarded as Such an Important Event in Modern International History?

...upheaval in the 18th century, the French Revolution. It was one aspect of a broader pattern of change that, since the Renaissance and Reformation, has set the West on a different path of development from that of the rest of the world. This pattern included the individualism and, in the end, the secularism, that was the Protestant legacy. It also included the rise of science, as a method and as a practice. This culminated in explosive events toward the end of the 18th century. The French Revolution ‘was a phenomenon as awful and irreversible as the first nuclear explosion, and all history has been permanently changed by it.’ The French Revolution is largely regarded as an important event in modern international history because of the way it has had international impact and continued to have international repercussions and influences on society and thought today. This essay will look at different aspects of the French Revolution and discuss how the different components of the revolution have affected the world and the impact of these at the time of the event. For the purposes of this essay the French Revolution will be defined as the insurrection in France that began in 1789 and ended in 1815 with the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. The actual dates of the revolution are widely contested but for the purposes of this essay, these dates will be used as a framework. Modern international will be assumed to mean the period of history from the Napoleonic Wars. No single...

Words: 1808 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Defining “Modern History”: the Impact of the French Revolution

...Defining “Modern History”: The Impact of the French Revolution The French Revolution of 1789 was major turning point in European history because it redefined the image of nation in a way never seen before as the people gained political control over their own nation. Therefore the aspects of this revolution have been debated as the beginning concept of “modern history.” This concept is derived from how the French Revolution demonstrated the will of the citizens as a political entity that could dictate governmental change by showing how the people, not the monarchy, could reform a nation. Through the establishment of a new government by the people, new institutions and policies were developed that the world we live as modern; such innovations included a system of power based on wealth and status instead of birth, and a new state bureaucracy. The ideas that drove the revolution came from the innovative thinkers of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, and inspired the people of France to question those who reigned over them. While the events of the French Revolution transformed France, the reign of Napoleon turned the revolution into a European event by sparking revolution in countries that had not already. Napoleon’s conquests helped spread the mind set created in the French Revolution around Europe. The French Revolution marked the beginning of “modern history,” because the revolutionary ideas that it created sparked the creation of citizen-governed nations across Europe...

Words: 1824 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Summary Of The French And Indian War By Borneman

...retells the history of the events that decided the fate of North America. In his book, The French and Indian War: Deciding the Fate of North America, Borneman does recognize that this topic has been discussed and greatly studied by Fred Anderson’s Crucible of War. Borneman explains the military side of the French and Indian War, and the major battles that caused large turning points in the war. His main argument focuses on how the aftermath of the war affected the outcome of the American Revolution. Borneman does a remarkable job writing for the everyday reader which is something students constantly look for in a book and he delivers that impeccably....

Words: 621 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

American Revolution

...The American Revolution was a major turning point in American history that represented an evolutionary change in ideals and principles. Several political, economic, and ideological aspects had contributed to this revolution including, England’s Salutary Neglect, mercantilism, and the influences of the Enlightenment. The political aspect of the American Revolution starts with Salutary Neglect. For over 150 years (from 1609 up until 1763), the British had an unofficial, undocumented policy that would keep the colonists loyal to the mother country by allowing them to govern themselves as they please. It was mainly used not to enforce any trading laws on the colonists. The British allowed the colonists to form colonial assemblies; these were meetings between the colonists to discuss any issues that were concerning them as well as any ideas that they had in mind. The assembly had an appointed governor and helped political growth throughout the colonies. This unofficial policy came to an end in 1763 when the British nearly lost the French and Indian War. They immediately imposed new tax policies on the colonists to make up for the damage caused during the nine years of war. An economic factor that had a role in the revolution/evolution was Mercantilism. 120 years prior to the American Revolution, the British imposed a policy that was known as “Mercantilism”. It was an economic theory that in order for a certain to have economic growth, that nation must export more...

Words: 409 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

God Is Dead

...Kevin Curtis July 1, 2014 Table of Contents Introduction/Thesis Statement 1 The French Revolution 2 Immanuel Kant Albrecht Ritschl Friedrich Nietzsce 3 Bultman Bonhoeffer Van Buren Hamilton Altizer Conclusion 4 Bibliography 5 Introduction/Thesis Statement One of the most difficult questions today posed to Christian believers is to prove the existence of God. It by all appearances seems that the Christian belief, far more than any other is under attack by groups who are opposing not just belief in God but also a direct attack on religious freedom. By religious freedom the author here does not focus on the right to choose your religion, but to practice it openly without fear of legal retaliation or of retaliation of any kind. The God-Is-Dead Theology is not a new belief but has existed since the late nineteenth century with its roots founded in statements made by Friedrich Nietzsche who lived from 1844 and died in 1900. The sole purpose of this paper is to show the historical workings of those “theologians” who created the God-Is-Dead theology, how it got its possible rise stemming from the events of the French Revolution, and how their work has influenced modern atheism today. The first section will begin with an analysis of the historical events of the French Revolution. French Revolution For several centuries many European nations in conjunction with the Catholic...

Words: 2461 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

How Did the Industrial Revolution Change the Urban Environment in Industrializing Countries?

...The Industrial Revolution was a period of time from the 18th until 19th century when significant changes transpired, and these changes contributed to the economic, social, political, and environmental conditions of that time. A major turning point occurred in the history due to the Industrial Revolution, which positively changed lifestyle in various ways. Opposing that, these changes damaged the environment in industrializing countries, leading to major issues. This purpose of this essay is to describe the several environmental changes that occurred in industrializing countries during the Industrial Revolution. Urbanization occurred, starting in the UK, and then spread to America and different parts of Europe. The majority of citizens from the countryside migrated to town and cities, where they could find jobs in factories to support themselves and their families. According to Bulliet et al. (2009), London's population grew from 500,000 to 959,000 in a century, and then to 2,363,000 in the next 50 years. Similarly, New York City's population increased sixfold in 35 years, reaching 600,000. According to Merriman, an increase of 506,000 people occurred in Paris between 1801 and 1851 (p.577). Smaller towns united, creating megalopolises, including "the English Midlands, central Belgium, and the Ruhr district of Germany" (p.560). This rapid increase had consequences: firstly, cities and towns became overpopulated, which worsened the pollution. In urban cities, a number of families...

Words: 586 - Pages: 3