The French Revolution

French Revolution is the most memorable event that happened in the Western world, which changed the world once and for all. It is worth knowing about it. The story starts with the young king Louis XVI coming to throne in France when he was just 19 years old, on the death of his grandfather King Louis XV in 1774. His father had died when he was just 11 years old, and his mother followed him soon to the grave. He was married when he was just 15 years old, to Marie Antoinette, who was 13 years old,[1] the daughter of the formidable Empress Maria-Theresa of Austria. Royal headquarters was at the beautiful Versailles. Four children were born to them; King and the queen were loved by the people but they lived an extravagant life as would fit the monarchs of that age.

Population of France in the late 18^th century was 26,000,000 (26 million or 2.6 crores). 90% of them were formers. They were poor but paid all the taxes to the State, supporting the royalty, nobility and the clergy; these estates paid no tax. So the whole burden was on the poor farmers. It was a feudal system with noble land owners extracting taxes from the tillers. Clergy numbered 100,000, but monasteries were governed by bishops from rich aristocratic families, who did not pay tax but owned on tenth of the land in France. Many lower level priests were poor, but the church as an institution was very strong and powerful. During Enlightenment philosophers and thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau wrote against the privileges of the church and the aristocracy. Since 1781, one could not even get a commission in the army unless four generations of aristocratic birth could be proved. Nobility numbered 400,000 and owned one fifth of the land in the country. A small group of professionals and business people was just getting established.

France was deep in debt as the Royal Treasury was near empty. France participated in American Independence war of 1774, spending about 2000 million livres, which added to the woes. To fill in the treasury new taxes were imposed on everyone, including the aristocracy. It was opposed and vetoed by the privileged classes. To approve new taxation and to reform the society, Estates General (General Estate) was convened, which consisted of the Clergy, Nobles and the Third Estate (the Commons), which had not met since 1614. King Louis XI used force to quell any dissidence, but violence erupted all over France. Nobles and magistrates tried to block the equality of taxes imposed by the King and riots broke out between the Third Estate and the other two orders-clergy and nobility. New elections were held in early 1789 and 1201 representatives were elected, 291 nobles, 300 clergy and 610 from the Third Estate. Though many reforms were proposed, Clergy opposed it all to retain its independence and Nobility to retain their social rank and feudal dues. Commons voted themselves as the National Assembly.

King received the elected members at Versailles on 2 May 1789. After two days there was the procession of all the three Estates with King and the queen following them. As each Estate started their deliberations separately, the National Assembly was refused a hall to hold their meetings. They occupied the indoor tennis court within king’s palace and took an oath on 20^th June 1789 to stay together till an acceptable constitution was established. By the end of the month most of the clergy and 47 of the nobility had joined the National Assembly. Thus the first stage of the Revolution was achieved without bloodshed. Now things started to move fast.

Based on rumors that thousands of troops have been sent to protect aristocracy, common people took precautions to distribute whatever guns they had with them and on 14^th July 1789, 60,000 strong mob armed and unarmed stormed the Bastille in Paris, a huge fortress build in fourteenth century, used as a state prison. It was seen as the symbol of the intolerable regime. After a brief struggle Bastille capitulated. All over the country and villages castles, manor houses, abbeys and tax offices were invaded, and set fire, the event being known as the Great Fear. King agreed to withdraw the troops. This is the second victory for the Common man in the French Revolution.  

Though King yielded to the demands of the Third Estate, situation was so bad in Paris. Though people now accepted the king as belonging to the Third Estate and cheerfully welcomed him, unemployment was high, bread was expensive and in short supply. Harvest was bad in 1788, and food riots erupted. More killing and more destruction happened. Angry crowds marched to town halls demanding bread. Officials were chased and killed and some were hanged on lampposts. Some decided that king’s residence should be in the capital and not in Versailles. On 1^st October 1789 some 6000 women with knives and clubs assembled and some of them marched to Versailles in the rain angrily, shouting that they will wring the neck of the queen and seek her blood. In Versailles the mob broke down the inner doors of the palace and rushed forward. Queen had to be taken to safety hurriedly. They severed the heads of many guards, demanding King and the Queen appear before them. Once that happened they started to shout “The King to Paris!” The royal family was escorted to Paris in the royal carriage, surrounded by shouting women. National Guard led the way with wagon-loads of wheat and flour taken from hoarders and big farmers. National Assembly followed them. Now on royalty’s home will be in Tuileries, Paris. This women’s march was the third phase of the Revolution, with common man and woman tasting blood!

From then on it was a steep slide down along the slippery path of Revolution. On 2^nd November church properties were nationalized. In June 1790 titles of hereditary nobility were abolished. Church was reorganized as constitutional church with bishops elected by the people. New Constitution was written, passed by the National Assembly and approved by the king in September 1790. Many nobles and aristocracy fled the country. Their properties were forfeited to the nation. Neighboring kingdoms of Austria, Prussia, Spain and England declared war against France. In June 1791 King with his family tried to escape to Varnnes, a border town, but were caught and brought back to Paris, as prisoners.

In September 1792 horrible prison massacre takes place. 500 Swiss guards of the palace were slaughtered, in addition to some 1200 prisoners. Men and women wallowed in blood and played with baskets full of human heads. These gangs of citizens were served with food and drank wine now and then to replenish their strength to behead more people. Some even tore of the hearts, squeezed these to drink the ‘aristocrats’ blood.’ Convention abolished monarchy. Now the question was what to do with the king? If he escapes to a neighboring country, from there with the help of the other monarchs he can fight and reclaim his throne. If he stays in the country, he becomes the rallying point for the royalists. After much debate King was executed on 21 January, 1793, by Guillotine, invented by Dr. Joseph Guillotin in October, 1789.    

Girondins, the moderates and educated were ruling the country with lot of restrains. They were overthrown in June 1793 and Jacobins, the real revolutionary ones took up the reigns. Marat, their leader was murdered by a young girl. Feudal rights were abolished without compensation. Revolutionary calendar was adopted in October 1793. Marie Antoinette, the queen was executed on 16^th October, 1793. Many Girondin leaders were guillotined. Many were simply executed by the Committee of Public Safety, in the Reign of Terror, when 17,000 people were beheaded. Until one day, in July 1794, Jacobins feared there won’t be any one left and they executed Robespierre on the most important leader of the Committee, and the one engineering the Revolution, and called for purging of the government and leaders. Revolution, like Saturn, devoured its own children. With his death the fervor of bloodshed subsided. One of the victims famously said, “Oh Liberty, what crimes are committed in your name.”

Peace was signed with countries of Prussia, Holland, Spain and some peace returned to the country. From the ashes of Revolution arose Napoleon Bonaparte, who won miraculous victories in Italy and over Austria and was elevated as the General of the Army. With that a new chapter in French Revolution started! Napoleon consolidated the Revolution ideas into Napoleon Code and wanted to instil that in all Europe. There followed series of wars and amazing victories and finally defeat and exile. But that is another story for another day!   

What a price to pay for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the motto of French revolution! Aristocratic England quickly passed reform acts to get rid of many of the social evils of Industrial Revolution so that their people will not copy the French and launch a bloody Revolution in England. Some credit John Wesley to have kept the working class in England in moderation by preaching Methodism, brining in Revival and not Revolution. Europe had always been a hotbed of wars, bloodshed and tyrannies. It was America that first sounded the beagle of revolution and fought the War of independence in 1774. French followed it. But world changed irrevocably after French Revolution. European countries became republics and democracies; feudalism was completely abolished. Western civilization entered into modernity. The sad part is they are still fighting for freedom and democracy as in Ukraine against Russia.

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[1] That is child-marriage! An arranged marriage that too! But in 18^th century that is how almost all marriages took place, even in Europe.