Short Note on the French Revolution

French Revolution is one of the most important events not only in the history of France but at the same time it’s also important in world history. According to Lord Acton, it proved more powerful than guns of Napoleon. It democratized the minds of world people.

* The causes of the Revolution:

1. The upper-class clergy and the nobles of France formed a privileged class. They paid a few direct taxes and monopolized all the higher offices of the churches and the state; on the other hand, the lower classes groaned under heavy taxation, were shut out from all political privileges and were subjected to oppressive feudal obligation, such as forced labor, etc. which produced widespread discontent.

2. To these grievances were added the evils of absolute government and corrupt administration. The government was politically carried on by a greedy class who looked only to their own interests neglecting common people.

3. The writing of Voltaire who advocated the supremacy of the reason shook men’s beliefs in the established order of things.

4. Rousseau preached the political gospel of the rights of men, and of liberty, equality, and fraternity which grew people restless.

5. The successful revolt of the American colonies stirred the people of France with enthusiasm and they wanted to be free like the Americans.

* Course of the Revolution:

Financial crisis compelled the French king Louis XVI to summon an assembly, states-General, in 1789 to consult about the affairs of the nation. In that assembly, the representative of the people got the upper hand and the States-General was converted into a National Assembly by which the old the government was overthrown.

National Assembly set up a new constitution establishing a limited monarchy in France and giving all the people equal rights. The new constitution didn’t work well, and in the meantime, the Paris mob became more very powerful. So, they stormed the State Prison called the Bastille, setting all prisoners free and committed all sorts of atrocities. As a result, the new constitution all together broke down in 1793 and the chief power passed into the hands of revolutionary leaders, called the Jacobins.

Committing massacre against the suspected enemies of the Revolution, the Jacobins produced a Reign of Terror and France was declared a republic and revolutionary ideas were propagated all over Europe. Since Austria and Prussia wanted to help the king, the revolutionary party got into a rage in such extend that they killed both king XVI and his queen. The revolutionists ruled France until 1795.

*French Revolution and Pitt’s administration:

At first, Pitt sympathized with the Revolution, but the excess of it led him to change his opinion. The fear that the English people might imitate the example of the French considerably modified his former policy. Consequently, he gave up his liberal view and adopted repressive measures to prevent the spread of revolutionary ideas in England. First, he suspended the Habeas Corpus Act and passed the Alien Act authorizing the government to remove suspected foreigners and by the Seditious Meetings Act, he forbade political meetings. Then, Pitt passed a law that made uttering words against the king and government punishable.

Thus, the effect of the French Revolution was to arrest the progress of political reform in England for about a generation.