Date sent:        Tue, 30 Apr 1996 14:55:18 -0700








 The French Revolution fits Crane Brinton's theory on revolutions 80 percent.  The only
 parts that do not fit are: failure of force;  moderates gain amnesty ;  and aggressive
 nationalism. Crane Brinton's theory is divided into four different stages: the preliminary;
 first stage; crisis stage; and the recovery stage. In the preliminary stage Brinton states
 that a revolution should have class antagonism,  government, inept ruler, and failure of
 force . The French Revolution fits three of the four; class antagonism, government
 inefficiency, and inept ruler, but it does not fit in with failure of force. It fits in
 class antagonism because the three estates, the clergy,  nobility and the commoners were
 upset with each other.  The commoners were jealous of the nobility or the second state. 
 They were jealous because the nobility had land and were wealthy, but did not work as hard
 as the commoners.  Also, the third estate was the only estate to pay taxes.  They have to
 pay taxes to the king and the first estate or the church.  The second estate was bitterly
 jealous and scornful of the first class.  Inept ruler was another part of a preliminary
 stage that the French Revolution fits.  It fits because the king, Louis XIV, always changed
 his mind at the wrong time in many important decisions.  His wife, brother, and the whole
 court had a big influence in the direction he went in with his decisions.  He also failed
 to understand the character and the motivation of the people he was dealing with.
  In the preliminary stage of Crane Brinton's theory, he says there should be a failure of
  force.The French Revolution showed no signs of failure of force. 											
 Government inefficiency was a part of the French Revolution.  The government had a hard
 time with money.    They introduced new taxes to the clergy and nobles.  Both of these
 estates were outraged of being taxed..  Also, the government didn't do anything when the
 population grew and there wasn't any food. In the first stage of Crane Brinton's theory, he
 states that there should be financial breakdown and dramatic events.  The French Revolution
 fits both of these statements.  The financial crisis hit France in the 1760's and 1770's. 
 Between 1730 and 1785, France fought many foreign wars that cost them millions of livres. 
 Taxes came in slowly, loans were impossible, and war expenses were great.  Prices rose
 rapidly, and wages followed less rapidly.  As prices continued to rise, it threatened
 people with starvation.  There was only one dramatic event that occurred during the French
 Revolution.  On July 14, 1789, the people of France stormed in and captured Bastille. 
 Bastille was a prison where criminals were kept.  The people thought there were hundreds of
 prisoners, but when they got there, there were only seven prisoners in the whole prison. In
 the crisis stage of Brinton's theory, it states that radicals take control, civil war and
 foreign war, and strong man control.  Out of these, the French Revolution fits and radicals
 take control, civil war/foreign war, and strong man control.  The radicals were known as
 the Jacobins.  The leader of the Jacobins was a man named Maximillian Robespierre.  Other
 leaders were George Jacques Danton, and Jean Paul Marat.  These leaders were known as the
 Mountains.  The Mountains wanted to give the lower class economic power.

 During the revolution, France fought in a war with Austria.  In March, 1793, four other
 countries joined the fight against France.  These four countries were Prussia, Great
 Britain, Dutch Netherlands, and Spain. The strong man of the time was Maximilliam
 Robespierre.  He was the leader of the Jacobins.  He became the leader of France.  He ruled
 for one year and it was known as the Reign of Terror.  In the recovery stage of Crane
 Brinton's theory, he says there should be radicals repressed, moderates gain amnesty,
 aggressive nationalism, and return to normalacy. During the time of Robespierre reign, the
 Jacobins created a new army to fight rebellion.  The radicals repressed one year after
 Robespierre became leader of France.  France beheaded Robespierre. France returned to
 normalcy.  During this time, France drew up a constitution in 1791.  After that, things
 began to calm down in France.  In the French Revolution, the moderates did not gain
 amnesty, and there was no sign of aggressive nationalism. These are the reasons why the
 French Revolution fits 80 percent of Crane Brinton's theory on revolutions.



      BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Banfield, Susan. The Rights of Man , The Reign of Terror.  New York: J.B. Lippinott.,      
                                       1989.

Brinton, Crane. A Decade of Revolution  1789-1799.  New York: Harper  Torchbooks,           
                                 1934.
 World History, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1993.











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introduced new taxes to the clergy and nobles.  Both of these estates were outraged of being
taxed..  A