History Optional ( French Revolution) by Shivlal Gupta

Model Answer

Question #1. The French Revolution of 1789 was influenced by both fundamental and long-term factors, as well as more immediate occurrences. 10 marks (150 words)

Hints

French Revolution, also called Revolution of 1789, revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789—hence the conventional term “Revolution of 1789,” denoting the end of the ancienrégime in France.

Long-term and structural elements, as well as more immediate events, contributed to the French Revolution of 1789:

• The first of the general causes was the social structure of France. The feudal regime had been weakened step-by-step and had already disappeared in parts of Europe.
• The increasingly numerous and prosperous elite of wealthy commoners—merchants, manufacturers, and professionals, often called the bourgeoisie—aspired to political power in those countries where it did not already possess it.
• The peasants, many of whom owned land, had attained an improved standard of living and education and wanted to get rid of the last vestiges of feudalism so as to acquire the full rights of landowners and to be free to increase their holdings.
• Furthermore, from about 1730, higher standards of living had reduced the mortality rate among adults considerably. This, together with other factors, had led to an increase in the population of Europe unprecedented for several centuries: it doubled between 1715 and 1800. For France, which with 26 million inhabitants in 1789 was the most populated country of Europe, the problem was most acute.
• A larger population created a greater demand for food and consumer goods. The discovery of new gold mines in Brazil had led to a general rise in prices throughout the West from about 1730, indicating a prosperous economic situation. From about 1770, this trend slackened, and economic crises, provoking alarm and even revolt, became frequent. Arguments for social reform began to be advanced.
• The philosophes—intellectuals whose writings inspired these arguments—were certainly influenced by 17th-century theorists such as René Descartes, Benedict de Spinoza and John Locke, but they came to very different conclusions about political, social, and economic matters. A revolution seemed necessary to apply the ideas of Montesquieu, Voltaire, or Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This Enlightenment was spread among the educated classes by the many “societies of thought” that were founded at that time: masonic lodges, agricultural societies, and reading rooms.
• Faced with the heavy expenditure that the wars of the 18th century entailed, the rulers of France sought to raise money by taxing the nobles and clergy, who in the country had hitherto been exempt, To justify this, the rulers likewise invoked the arguments of advanced thinkers by adopting the role of “enlightened despots.” This provoked reaction throughout Europe from the privileged bodies, diets. andestates.Monarchs tried to stop this reaction of the aristocracy, and both rulers and the privileged classes sought allies among the nonprivileged bourgeois and the peasants.
• The bourgeoisie resented its exclusion from political power and positions of honour; the peasants were acutely aware of their situation and were less and less willing to support the anachronistic and burdensome feudal system; the philosophes had been read more widely in France than anywhere else; French participation in the American Revolution had driven the government to the brink of bankruptcy; the French monarchy, no longer seen as divinely ordained, was unable to adapt to the political and societal pressures that were being exerted on it.

Although not indifferent to the crisis and willing to consider reforms, Louis XVI often backed down when faced with opposition from conservative elements within the nobility.As a result, the court became the target of popular anger, particularly Queen Marie-Antoinette, who was viewed as a spendthrift Austrian spy, and blamed for the dismissal of 'progressive' ministers like Jacques Necker. For their opponents, Enlightenment ideas on equality and democracy provided an intellectual framework for dealing with these issues, while the American Revolution was seen as confirmation of their practical application.

Question #2. The material revolution of 1789 was preceded by a revolution in the realm of ideas. Discuss. 15 marks (250 words)

Hints

This intellectual revolt was brought by philosophers of whom the most prominent were:

1. Montesquieu:Ardent advocate of Constitutional Monarchy, exposed the fallacy oftheory of divine rights of Kings and evils of absolute monarchy.
2. Voltaire:Advocated the supremacy of reason and attacked the bigotry and intoleranceof the church and abuses of the state. His attacks undermined the respect for authority and loosened the hold of the Church and State on the minds of the people. But he wasnot a democrat but wanted a government of benevolent despotism.
3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau:Put forward the plan of the social reconstruction accordingto the free will of sovereign people. He gave the doctrine of equality of men andsovereignty of people.
4. Physiocrats:The Economic system of France was strongly criticised by a groundeconomists also known as “Physiocrats? They opposed State interference in trademacommerce, multiple taxation, etc.

Thus, a ground was prepared by the social grievances and by political abuses. The French philosophers sowed the seeds of philosophical speculation and these new ideas changed the outlook of commoners on one hand and on the other, exposed the evils of the old regime, drew public attention upon them, compelled discussion, and aroused the passion of the people by instilling into them new ideas and doctrines. Thus, the French philosophers habituated the people to the destructive criticism of the existing institutions and thereby, prepared their minds for a revolutionary change.