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- Date sent: Tue, 30 Apr 1996 14:55:18 -0700
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- BIBLIOGRAPHY
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- Banfield, Susan. The Rights of Man , The Reign of Terror. New York: J.B. Lippinott.,
- 1989.
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- Brinton, Crane. A Decade of Revolution 1789-1799. New York: Harper Torchbooks,
- 1934.
- World History, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1993.
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- its because the king, Louis XIV, always changed his mind Ç
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- introduced new taxes to the clergy and nobles. Both of these estates were outraged of being
- taxed.. A
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