Term Paper on "Was the French Revolution a Class War?"

Term Paper 7 pages (1824 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

French Revolution

Was it a War of the Classes?

The purpose of this work is to research the French Revolution and answer the question as to whether the revolution was a class war.

The French Revolution began in the year of 1789 and lasted approximately a decade until the year 1799. During that decade the transformation of France took place and the political and social restructuring of the country occurred. It has been suggested that the war was one between the classes in France while there are implications, which lead one to believe that the war was based on religious differences. The French Revolution has been stated to provide the "most influential model of popular insurrection until the Russian Revolution of 1917." (MSN Encarta Encyclopedia, 2005)

The Beginning of the Revolution

The French Revolution began in the summer of 1789 and is said to have, "stirred the imagination of nearly all Europeans." (Hooker, 2005) Further stated is that the causes of the "French Revolution are complicated, so complicated that a debate still rages among historians regarding origins, causes and results." Although this may very well be true a study of the French Revolution reveals that the rigid social structure of the order of French society during what is termed "the ancient regime" is very much part of what fed the fire of the revolt.

Classes Represented in the French Revolution

The classes represented were two main classes composed of "The First Estate" which was the clergy and "The Second Estate" which represented the nobility. These two classes combined totaled around 500,000 while the third class or "The Third Estate" was a population of 25 million and was at the bottom of the hierarchical ladder and was the poorer and lower classes of people in France. Custom and tradition was the basis for class designation. (Hooker, 2005)

The clergy occupied a privileged Estate supported by the French Catholic Church, which is said to have "constituted a state within a state," and had been such for approximately 800 years.

There were classes within the main class of the clergy categorized as the 'lower' and 'upper' clergy. The lower class of clergy were underpaid and worked overtime and were a poor class that generally held the wealthier set of clergy in contempt. The upper clergy was comprised of bishops and abbots. Responsibilities included registering marriages, deaths, births and the collection of the tithe. They also censored the books and reading material as well as policing the moral actions of the congregation and community, operated hospitals and assisted the poor through distribution of relief. Approximately 15% of all the land in France was owned by the Church, which was incidentally held 'tax-free'.

An additional thirty-percent of the land was held by the Second Estate, or the Nobility was also a privileged Estate. The prime positions in the government, Church and army were those held by the Nobility Estate. The nobility class was relatively free from taxation and performed the duty of collecting rent from the peasant class. The Third Estate was composed of the bourgeoisie, or the middle-class, which was inclusive of merchants, manufacturers, bankers, lawyers and intellectuals and were those individuals who held some wealth. In fact great wealth was held by some of the bourgeoisie. This class included the peasant class as well as the artists.

First, Second and Third Estates Grow Dissatisfied with Their Lot

At the time of the French Revolution France was under the rule of an absolute monarchy and was a monarchy that was under the rule or reign of King Louis XIV (1643-1715). Louis XIV encouraged both trade and manufacture and centralized the country during this time period. The individuals represented by all three estates, the First, Second and Third Estate has grown dissatisfied with their lot in life for one reason or another. The main reason for the Nobility's dissatisfaction was the longing to regain the power that the monarchy had stripped from them. The peasant class as well as the bourgeoisie class was extremely unhappy over the system of taxation that operated in France and the Bourgeoisie resented deeply the privileges enjoyed by the Nobility class in France during that time period.

Americas' Influence on the Revolt of the French deep strain was created due to France sending aid to the Americans in terms of troops and supplies particularly since France was already in a vicarious financial position. Further affecting the French were the ideas of Revolution that were brought back from America. Ideas previously not even dreamed became acceptable in principle such as 'the right to take up arms against tyranny, that no taxation without representation should be allowed, that a republic is indeed superior to a monarchy and that liberal freedoms should belong to all men. (Hilton, 2005) "Discontent was becoming more general and vocal" and as well "was no longer confined to one section of society." France was in such an extreme financial predicament that everyone agreed that reform was needed both in the political structure and the financial structure of the country and this soon developed into a movement focused toward overthrowing the King.

While the Revolution was in process the landholdings of the Roman Catholic Church were taken or confiscated and sold to the bourgeoisie. The "First Republic" was established with many individuals being put to death. It was at this time that pamphlets began being published. The nobility wanted to see to it that no reforms were made however, a few reforms might have quelled the revolution. The bourgeoisie wanted the positions in the Church, army and government to be open to all men "of talent and merit." (Hooker, 2005) the bourgeoisie also wanted the power of the king limited through institution of a constitution. Furthermore they held that there should be 'fair trials, religious toleration and vast administrative reforms."

The peasant class dealt with constantly increasing rents with heavy duties, a form of taxation, levied on goods, which the peasants sold at the fairs and in markets. The methods used by the peasants in agriculture were antiquated and the price of bread is stated to have risen more quickly than did the wages. Finally, the year of 1788/89 was one of a particularly poor harvest. (Hooker, 2005) One problem in France at this time was the lack of a unified system of rule, or of law which resulted in each region making determination of laws based on the rulings within its' own Parlement. (Hooker, 2005)

Effects of the Enlightenment in Relation to the French Revolution

There were no philosophies either in whole or in part that actually caused the French Revolution. No philosophy "advocated the violent overthrow of the existing order of things because violence was contrary to human reason. But because of philosophies of the Enlightenment attacked the established order together with authority of any kind, their ideas helped to produce what can only be called a revolutionary mentality." (Hooker, 2005)

Abbe Sieyes (1789) in the work entitled "What is the Third Estates?" wrote:

1 st. What is the third estate? Everything

2 nd. What has it been heretofore in the political order? Nothing.

3 rd. What does it demand? To become something therein.

Beliefs of the Revolutionaries

The revolutionaries in France were of the belief that the future would be one representative of "moral and intellectual improvement." (Hooker, 2005) They believed as well that peace and happiness could be found on earth and not just in heaven. The Revolution broke after the November 4th speech of the Protestant minister; Richard Price stood in the Meeting-House pulpit in London in the Old Jewry and addressed the "Society for the Commemoration of the Revolution in Great Britain." The speech of Price was entitled " a Discourse on the Love of Our Country" stating,

What an awful period this is! I am thankful that I have lived to see it; and I could almost say, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. I have lived to see a diffusion of knowledge which has undermined superstition and error....Tremble all ye oppressors of the world! Take warning all ye supporters of slavish governments...." (Butler ed 1984)

State interference had severely constricted and limited the normal development of capitalism. The method land was parceled out created land parcels that were large enough for only barely scratching out a living. With the many taxes and levies that were charged upon the peasant class there was no hope of this class of people doing more than eking out a subsistence and the growing wealth of the middle class or bourgeoisies disturbed both the peasant class as well as the class of the Nobility. The revolution spread the new ideas to other areas in Europe as well as bringing an end to privileges within the class system as well as the class system itself. Many of the European rulers believed the Revolution to be a threat to the established system.

During the month of October, 1789… READ MORE

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