Revolution literally means a turnaround or a complete somersault. It is used to describe periods or events that bring about dramatic change in politics, economics or society. A political revolution happens when a group of people rebel against the existing government and attempt to overthrow it. It is usually associated with violence, like the French Revolution, and sometimes leads to civil war. There are however political revolutions that are bloodless, in other words, where the existing government is replaced without any violence. An economic revolution takes place when the economy of a country is changed dramatically, like with the invention of new production methods that rapidly speeds up manufacturing and expands production.
Some revolutions bring about sudden change, like the English Revolution that led to the constitutional monarchy that England still has today. Others take much longer to affect the existing order, like the European Industrial Revolution that took time to spread from England to the rest of Europe. Certain revolutions and the changes they bring also last longer than others. For example, the French Revolution lasted 10 years, after which France resumed some of the despotism the people fought against in the first place. It took more revolutions in France to set the country on the road to democracy. The effects of other revolutions have been irreversible. For example, once industrialisation had begun in Britain and Europe, there was to be no turning back to the way things were before the Industrial Revolution.
In general, therefore, a revolution refers to something that begins a process of fundamental change to a political, social or economic system.
The revolution that had the most profound effect on the political development of Europe and the modern world is the French Revolution, which began in 1789. Some theorists see this revolution as the paradigm (model) or the example of a revolution. According to this model, political revolutions are not caused by one event only. Various factors, evolving over time, can contribute to a revolutionary situation. Usually there is an event that sparks off the revolution, but the actual beginnings and endings of political revolutions are difficult to pinpoint in time.
The philosophy behind a revolution is usually directed by and educated elite group who wish to write a Constitution for the country and to institute liberal reforms. The process, however, is often taken over by radicals. Radicals demand more sweeping and extreme changes. Violence and anarchy often erupt. Human rights are suspended, and tyranny and terrors are sometimes features of revolution.
Conditions in France in 1798
The way France (and most European countries) was governed in the eighteenth century was very different from democracy. We refer to France before the revolution as the “Old Order” or the “Ancien Regime.” It was a rigid system and only to a certain class of people were privileged. This created grim economic situation that caused a revolutionary situation. Grievances in France was widespread amongst the peasants, the middle class and poorer people as poor harvests led to people not having enough food. Many unemployed people moved to the towns especially Paris in search of work but the pressure was already building up. The king Louis XVI was weak and incompetent and did not see how serious the situation was.
French Society
French Society was divided into three estates. Each estate had its own place in society. A person’s position in society mattered a great deal. The first and second estates had privileges which gave them advantages over the members of the estate. It was difficult for a person to move from one estate to another.
The third estate consisted of all the people who were not nobles or members of the clergy or monarchy. These people had no privileges and were all regarded as members of the third estate, regardless of their education or wealth. In reality, this group made up 97% of the French population and it was comprised of middle class people (known as the bourgeoisie), peasant farmers and other workers.
The 22 million peasants (farmers) in France made up 85% of the population. Together with the town workers (8% of the population), they paid the heaviest taxes in the country. There were some peasants who were reasonably successful but the vast majority was desperately poor. They had a hard life, being forced to fight whenever France went to war, sometimes paying three-quarters of their income in tax and having to do forced labour on roads and for the local landowners.
The bourgeoisie made up 4% of the population and were people such as bankers, lawyers, merchants and doctors. Many were highly educated and some of them were quite wealthy, but they were very rarely appointed to top positions and had no chance of gaining power. They also had to pay taxes.
