What were the consequences of the French revolution?

The French revolution was not a single event but a series of happenings spread over ten years from,
1789 to 1799. It was a time of great social and political transformation and upheaval in France. The
Ancient Regime was challenged with the majority of the French population wanting change. They
succeeded in over throwing the absolute monarchy which brought about great political and social
change throughout France. However, the peoples fight for liberty, equality and fraternity came at a
great cost in the period of the revolution known as the ‘Terror’. The revolution turned vile in this
period with the influence of extremist groups such as the Jacobins who were backed by the San-
Culottes. Moderate groups such as the Girondins although numerous were suppressed by this
alliance. Robespierre became the leader the Jacobins and led the revolution into tyrannical terror
and suppression. The French revolution broke out in one of the largest and most powerful European
countries, which for many was the very centre of culture and civilization. It was a step towards
replacing traditional aristocratic forms of government with more open elective systems. Despite the
revolution occurring internally in France and only lasting a decade, the everlasting effects were felt
worldwide. The French Revolution may not have been the only or the first of the disturbances that
shook the Old Order of Europe in the late Eighteenth Century but it was the most spectacular,
influential and the most important. It inspired reforms throughout the western world and gave birth
to some of the more important political ideas of the modern world. This is reflected in the notion
that most countries in the world today are democratic nation states, thus in that sense, they are all
heirs to The French Revolutions influence.

A Revolution is a period of rapid, extensive change in political and social structures, including a
change in sovereignty (Anderson, 2001 p3).1 This is precisely what happened during the French
revolution. It was not one event but a series of many coinciding events that took place from 1789 to
1799.2 It was basically a political revolution although social and economic changes followed as a
result.3 The revolution was an uprising of the lower class system against the absolute monarchy. A
feudal land turned its back on aristocratic tradition and charted a violent new course for the future.4
At first only moderate reforms were wanted. Later, as events began to get out of control of any one
group of leaders, more and more extremists began to come to power and much greater changes
occurred (Tames, 1974). France was the most important state in Europe. The other rulers feared that
the revolution might break out in their own countries. Soon this fear led them to intervene in French
affairs and consequently caused war. The war led to new fears and stirred popular feeling in France
to new heights. Therefore the revolution became more extreme. By 1794 it had passed through
several stages and the changes it had bought about had gone far beyond anything anyone had
imagined possible in 1789. After 1794 the pace of change tended to slowed down and eventually
came to a standstill with the execution of revolutionary tyrant Maximilian Robespierre. The French
revolution therefore was not one event but many. It failed to achieve some of the changes that were
desired in 1789, and led to many that were not foreseen (Tames, 1974).5

1
Marine Anderson, challenge change and continuity: modern history preliminary course, (Australia, john Wiley & sons,
2001).
2
Richard tames, the French revolution
3
Bastille book
4
History channel doco
5
Op sit tames
The French revolution really is the most important event in western history (History Channel).6 It
was comprised of many diverse events occurring over a decade which arose from an array of
causes, long term and short term causes of differing in magnitudes. The French revolution was an
extraordinary moment when people began to believe that you could recreate almost everything in a
society, you could not only change the politics, the institutions but you could change human nature
its self through political action.7 In the ancient regime of France people were told what to think and
given information from god through their rulers and priests. There was a class system of hierarchy,
dictated by birth. At the blossoming of the eighteenth century reason and science began to challenge
these age old traditions. Swept up on a current of innovation and new literature France became the
philosophical and intellectual capital of Europe.89 This philosophical movement was known as the
enlightenment.10 Enlightenment philosophers challenged the traditional values of the absolute
monarchy, feudal society and established religion. They stressed the importance of reason over
tradition, freedom of thought, religious tolerance, and the control of one’s own destiny, equality and
liberty.11 Intellectuals and Philosophers gathered in houses of the wealthy across Paris to discuss the
morals and ideas that the enlightenment movement .The passion for this new movement was higher
among the upper class, but as enlightenment ideals took root at all levels in society and the drive for
equality began to threaten the aristocratic way of life. 12

With this newly found defiance and non-conformist ideals of the French people, the monarchy was
under more scrutiny than ever. King Louis XVI had inherited a large national debt from his
predecessors. This debt had accumulated from borrowing money to finance long costly wars that
had ended in defeat and loss of territory for France.13 This dept was worsened when France helped
America fight Brittan for independence in 1775 to1783. Although victorious the expenses of going
to war pushed France to complete bankruptcy. This meant that France had to borrow money and tax
heavily. Almost the whole burdens of tax fell on the third estate (peasants and middle class) while
the first (clergy) and second (nobles) estates payed hardly at all. The country was in turmoil and the
economy in shambles, although Louis knew that reform was needed and that the nobles would have
to pay some share of the taxes, but he did not have the strength of will to force through unpopular
measures and the nobles persuaded the king to call a meeting of estates general, they hoped to use it
to keep their privileges. The estates general was the traditional representative body of the kingdom.
It met at Versailles in May 1789 and it was the first time the representatives had been called
together in over 175 years. It was made up of the three estates .Each estate had equal representation
in the parliament, The population of France in the 1789 was 28 million14 three percent of which was
comprised of the Nobles and Clergy of the first and second estates, the other ninety-seven percent
of the population consisted of the third estate, which was made up of Peasants Proletariats and the
Bourgeoisie.15Despite this the third estate which represented the majority of the population only had
one third of the representation and votes in parliament. At the dismay to the leaders of the third
estate the nobles treated them as inferiors and the king showed no intention that he would accept
change, this dismay turned to anger when the nobility blocked any attempts by the third estate to
introduce reform. On the 20th of June when they found the meeting room door locked in an attempt

6
Op sit Hist channel
7
Ibid hc
8
Big book
9
Op.sit hist channel
10
Nicola barber
11
Ibid baber
12
Op.sit. hist channel
13
Nicola baber
14
Op.sits Nicola baber
15
Op sit hist channel
to suppress the leaders of third estate, they decided not to go away quietly but in an act of defiance
they took an oath on a nearby tennis court that they would not disband until France had a proper
constitution, the called themselves the national assembly. Louis XVI realised that the Assembly had
a great deal of popular support and pretended to accept their ideas. At the same time he surrounded
Paris with troops. Trouble was to be expected as there was an acute crop failure therefore the cost
of bread increased while the peasants and middle class were heavily taxed. Few people could afford
bread which was the main source of food for the French people. Perhaps no cause more motivated
the Paris mob who was the engine of the revolution more than the shortage of bread. The poor
conditions on the countryside had forced rural residents to move into Paris and the city was
overcrowded and filled with the hungry and disaffected. Hunger soon turned to rage and riots broke
out all through France, homes and bakeries were robbed and shopkeepers suspected of stockpiling
were lynched. People surged through the streets to hear radical speakers who blamed the
government for the country’s problems. The soldiers abounded the city hinted that the king was
going to use force. To defend themselves the people formed a new national guard and raided Paris’s
armouries in an act of defence and defiance against the monarchy and its troops. Revolutionary
groups took over the government of Paris by force. Similarly changes took place all over France
that summer, in towns and villages throughout the country, as small organized groups of radicals
used the grievances of the poor to put themselves into positions of power. The rising of the peoples
of France, together with the criticism of those who wished for change, began to turn into a real
revolution.

At the beginning of the French revolution, the events of 1789 were met with great enthusiasm in
both Europe and America. And by autumn of 1789 it might have seemed like the French revolution
had run its cause feudalism had been abolished and a parliamentary monarchy had been established
In France there was great divide between the wealth of the nobility and the clergy and the poverty
of the peasants.16

The population of France in the 1780’s was 28 million17 three percent of which was comprised of
the Nobles and Clergy of the first and second estates, the other ninety-seven percent of the
population consisted of the third estate, which was made up of Peasants Proletariats and the
Bourgeoisie.18

16
Ibid hc
17
Op.sits Nicola baber
18
Op sit hist channel