ENGLCOM Extended Definition

Patrisha Louisse Alysson O. Ruzol

April 12, 2016
Final Draft
French Revolution: Assimilation and Ideologies of the French Nationalism
A revolution is the basic change in authority and governance. This happens when there is
an overthrow of a governing body and the replacement of a new system by the ones governed
(Revolution, n.d). A revolution just like the one of the French depicts how collaborative effort by
the people brings about change in a society. The French Revolution of 1789 was an event where
economic crisis during the Old Regime, when the country was divided into 3 estates, led to
discontent and the revolt of the lower and middle class. After the Seven Years War, France was
left with serious debt, so King Louis XVI met with the Estates General at Versailles to address
the pressing fiscal problem (Smitha, 2013). On July 14, 1789, furious Parisians stormed the
Bastille, the governments arsenal, and this marks the start of the revolution (Kishlansky, Geary,
& OBrien, 2002). After a series of insurgency and shifts in authority, Napoleon Bonaparte seizes
the throne and overthrows the Directory in 1799 (French Revolution, 2009). The emergence of
ideologies, a concept of a nation, and a standardized legal code was an effect of the French
Revolution until today. They used the reformist idea of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity as a
guiding principle during the time of oppression (St. Rosemary Educational Institution, 2016).
National consciousness was born due to the unjust treatment of the government to its citizens
(Bickford, 2014). Bonaparte created the Napoleonic Code which covers issues on persons and
possessions as a result of the differing laws on different cultures and traditions (French
Revolution, 2015). The French Revolution triggered the Frenchs sense of nationalism and
freedom due to the oppression they were subjected to.

Personalities such as King Louis XVI, Maximilien Robespierre, and Napoleon Bonaparte
defined the revolution for they greatly influenced the events that transpired during the rebellion.
King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were distinct players during the French
Revolution (Bastille-Day, 2015). King Louis XVI imposed heavy taxes in the third estate while
the clergy and the nobility were exempted resulting to the meeting of the Estates General in May
1789 (Kishlansky, et. al, 2002). The end of the monarchy was signified by the declaration of
France as a republic by the National Convention. King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine for
high treason and crimes against the state while Marie Antoinette was put to death on October 16,
1793 (French Revolution, 2009). Lawyer Maximilien Robespierre was the spokesperson of the
commoners. He championed revolutionary justice and greatly influenced the Committee of
Public Safety to the extent of starting the Reign of Terror whose purpose is to restore order and
eliminate political rivals through mass executions (Aggarwal, 2002). Robespierre was blinded by
his pursuit to establish a stable economy, to organize a mobilized military and to restore justice in
France (Kishlansky, et. al, 2002). During his time, there was widespread dechristianization, the
closing of churches and prohibition of religious practices in France, which led to the formation of
the French Republican Calendar and other anti-church activities (Hunter-Chang, 2012).
Maximilien was guillotined on July 28, 1794 without trial resulting to the end of the Reign of
Terror (Robespierre Overthrown In France, 2010). After the fall of The Directory, Napoleon
Bonapartes political career started and the Consulate was born.

Given his successful

contributions such as the Concordat of 1801 and the Napoleonic Code, Napoleon was voted to
become Consulate for life in 1802 and Emperor of France in 1804. He died on May 5 1821
(Wilde, 2014).
The French Revolution differs from the American Revolution because of the parameters
on reason and class participation. However, it is likewise similar to each other on grounds of

ideologies and the nations situation. Reasoning and the people involved are the primary
difference between the French and American Revolution. The French was centered on
overthrowing an oppressive monarchy while the Americans wanted freedom from colonial rule
(Smith, 2011). In terms of population, Frenchmen from all social classes, whether from the
clergy, the bourgeoisie, or the proletariat, participated in the revolution while only a number of
the population revolted during the American Revolution (Smith, 2011). Given their various
ideologies, The French used human reason as a guiding principle during the rebellion while the
Americans utilized their experiences to fuel the war (Busick, 2013). The two revolutions, on the
other hand, were similar because they both share related experiences, ideologies, and written
documents. Both the French and the Americans were stirred by the same Enlightenment
ideologies of freedom, equality, and economic stability (Holmes, 2014). At one point, both
countries experienced a low situation in their countrys history such as hunger in France and
economic downfall in the US (Smith, 2011). Basing on the documents on rights and constitution,
the French had the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen while the Americans had
the Declaration of Independence whose content both express the rights a person had (Holmes,
2014).
The French Revolution was caused by economic instability rooted from bad governance
which resulted to the dissatisfaction of the people and ultimately the revolt of the classes. After
the decline of the monarchy, France experimented with a democratic republic, a consulate, and
an imperial rule. The democracy promoted equality amongst classes including each ones
workplace (Kishlansky, et. al, 2002). The consulate led by the first consul, Bonaparte, was
successful in restoring peace and order after the Reign of Terror by bringing back Christianity
and provided land security for the people. Napoleon embarked on the Napoleonic Wars to
expand the empire (Kishlansky, et. al, 2002). The French Revolution was ultimately caused by

the monetary crisis that left the country on the brink of bankruptcy due to the losses of France in
wars and the overspending of the monarchy. A minor cause of the revolution was the weak
leadership of Louis XIV up until Louis XVI (Bastille-Day, 2015). The rigid social hierarchy
where the law favored the clergy and nobility infuriated the proletariat (SparkNote on The
French Revolution (17891799), 2005). The period of Enlightenment set forth the revolution
through the works of writers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Baron de
Montesquieu (Cranston, 1989). The Storming of the Bastille, the shift from monarchy to
republic, and the rampant violence during this period were the short term effects of the French
Revolution. In the long run, the French Revolution paved the way for other revolutions to arise
which promoted nationalism (Kumar, 2015). Through the Declaration of the Rights of Man and
Citizen of 1789 and the Napoleonic Code, the revolution brought about a legacy of human rights
and a legal system (Tanabe, 2015). One of the most successful contributions during this period
was the unification of European countries leading to the creation of modern day European Union
(Markham, 2016).
Currently, France is at the center of news around the globe because they were targeted by
the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a terrorist group, and, at present, is handling issues on
refugees. ISIS bombed a football stadium in Paris and Saint-Denis on November 13, 2015 which
took the lives of many people (Almasy, Meilhan, & Bittermann, 2015). Recently, the identities of
the Paris bombers were leaked through cached Islamic State documents which facilitate
operations in order to stop this organization (Rawlinson, 2016). This is similar to the Reign of
Terror which aimed to eliminate political enemies of the government (French Revolution, 2009).
Another pressing issue is the refugee crisis in France which claims to be rooted on the conflict
within the European Union. Last 2015, there were a million people who fled from the Middle
East and North Africa to seek asylum in France. In 2016, there had already been 131,000 people

going into the country (McHugh, 2016). News about the town of Calais in France which houses a
refugee camp called the Jungle has been talked about because it was set on fire last March 1 to
give better living conditions to the refugees, yet the result was the opposite (Taub, 2016). Also, a
conflict between France and the UK came about because the Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom offered to take in refugees if British Exit (Brexit) to the European Union occurred
(Wintour & Asthana, 2016).
Overall, nationalism and freedom were prevalent during the French Revolution due to the
cruel and unjust exercise of authority. The revolution was not confined nor limited to the
promotion of nationalism and freedom but it extended to the fields of law, religion, and
governance whose contributions are significant up until today. Enlightenment theories and
beliefs fueled the sense of national consciousness which in turn started the revolution. Various
forms of government were applied to France as a result of unrest in the social classes. French
laws on ethics, possessions, and religion created a foundation that modern day countries around
the world implement even to this day. Laws on governance that served as groundwork through
the years are bent and revised to be at par with modern day challenges. There are dilemmas on
asylum seekers and non-state actors such as terrorists who pose a threat to a countrys stability
and security. Internal conflicts in organizations materialize due to the various misunderstandings
involving other states which evolve into wars over territories in order to serve a nations interest.
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