French Revolution Essay
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What were the Causes and consequences of the period of the terror in the French Revolution?
The period of terror within the French Revolution was initiated by the resentment of a powerful bourgeoisie towards the ways of an unequal and discriminate social hierarchy. For too long, the majority of the French population was underfed, underpaid and overtaxed. This, in combination with a united drive to extinguish the outlandish privileges of a stubborn aristocracy, were the foundations of the French Revolution, a nationwide movement that would, in effect, be felt around the globe.(Rude, 1988; 32) ( Doyle, 1989; 8) The aim of this essay is to outline the main causes of the French Revolution and how they led to the stage known as the period of terror, and what were its implications in French society.
The financial crisis that plagued France in the eighteenth century was a major factor contributing to the revolution. In short, the misappropriation and mismanagement of funds at the hands of the French government allowed the nation to reach considerable financial debt. ( www.angelfire.com/va/frenchrev/) ( Cobb, 1998; 60-77) (Bosher, 1986; 30 ) This was ignited by a fervent participation by King Louis XIV in wars during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, which hampered the economy. ( Hibbert, 1980; 35 ) The aristocracy was keen to rid Britain of world dominance. Furthermore, the revolt of American colonists against Britain served as a pathway for French intrusion. However, the economic and military support given to the colonists in America, was a considerable backlash on the financial well-being of the nation. ( Forrest et al , 1991; 67 ) These costs greatly increased the national debt, which was, at the time, already to high. Moreover, agriculture, the economies backbone, was suffering due to poor harvest and trade laws which reflected the times of the middle ages and disadvantaged income flow. Because of this outpour of aid to America and Europe, the aristocracy needed new sources of revenue to pay for that war effort. ( Forrest et al, 1991; 56 ). After neglecting an original plan, introduced by Robert Turgot, which proposed tax reforms on all levels of French society, the aristocracy further enhanced Third estate grievances by laying the tax burden on them. However, the First Estate ( Clergy ) and the Second Estate (Nobility ) were paying comparatively little. ( Koeller, 1998) Continual pressure to make the nobility a vital part of the tax agenda, were rejected by the courts who were made up primarily of nobles themselves. Because of a continual descent of government wealth, Louis XIV called for a meeting of the Estates General in 1789. This meeting amounted to nothing except disagreements between all levels of social class. With a dire financial crisis looming, the inability of the peoples to come to an agreement, further swayed the nation towards hostile conflict.
The unequal distribution of power and the reluctance for the French nation to reform, fuelled the Estates divisions and caused revolution. The Third Estate comprised the vast majority of the nation. It was made up of peasants, urban workers and the bourgeoisie. ( Cobb; 56 ) This group of commoners felt the wrath of economic problems the most and sought liberation and reform on a large scale. This was the group with the most grievances. They paid most of the tax, owned the least land and were under oppressive conditions at the hands of greedy nobles. In contrast, the clergy, collected a church tax ( tithe ), paid no taxes despite owning one-fifth of the land, and could not be tried in civil law courts. ( Best; 23 ) Likewise, the Second Estate, the nobility, monopolized appointments in state and military service, owned one-fifth of the land but still avoided tax. And to add to this, collected a feudal due from the middle class and peasantry. ( Best ; 25 ) When the three estates met, at the request of King Louis, the Estates General of 1789 was born. This meeting, unfortunately, reiterated that the leading estates were unwilling to give up their rights and privileges for the good of the nations economic health, however, the suggestion of a limited constitutional monarchy, triggered some thoughts of change. ( Koeller, 1998 ) When the deputies met from each estate, the condition was that each estate had an equal vote. This allowed the First and Second Estates to vote against the sweeping reforms of the Third estate. As a consequence, the Third estate left the Estates General and formed the National assembly. ( www.angelfire.com ) This exemplified a growing...
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