FRENCH REVOLUTION French Revolution, major transformation of the society and political system of France, lasting from 1789 to 1799. During the course of the Revolution, France was temporarily transformed from an absolute monarchy, where the king monopolized power, to a republic of theoretically free and equal citizens. The effects of the French Revolution were widespread, both inside and outside of France, and the Revolution ranks as one of the most important events in the history of Europe. From the beginning of the 20th century until the 1970s, the French Revolution was most commonly described as the result of the growing economic and social importance of the bourgeoisie, or middle class. The bourgeoisie, it was believed, overthrew the Old Regime because that regime had given power and privilege to other classes—the nobility and the clergy—who prevented the bourgeoisie from advancing socially and politically. Recently this interpretation has been replaced by one that relies less on social and economic factors and more on political ones. Economic recession in the 1770s may have frustrated some bourgeois in their rise to power and wealth, and rising bread prices just before the Revolution certainly increased discontent among workers and peasants. Yet it is now commonly believed that the revolutionary process started with a crisis in the French state. By 1789 many French people had become critical of the monarchy, even though it had been largely successful in militarily defending France and in quelling domestic religious and political violence. They resented the rising and unequal taxes, the persecution of religious minorities, and government interference in their private lives. These resentments, coupled with an inefficient government and an antiquated legal system, made the government seem increasingly illegitimate to the French people. The royal court at Versailles, which had been developed to impress the French people and Europe generally, came to symbolize the waste and corruption of the entire Old Regime. Contributed By: Thomas E. Kaiser Fidel Castro, accustomed to hypocritizing his own single candidate elections, chose not to continue in his dictatorial role, but did appoint his broker without anyone able to oppose his actions, is an ostensible democratic voting system, but actually a one party system that prevent anyone from really changing leadership. Forces of nature but not of democracy were at work in this change, for democracy has always masqueraded in Cuba but only with heavy make up. Democracy was in no way behind this change of leadership. Hopefully forces of democracy will find a way to grow and bloom in the new regime. Musharaff in Pakistan seems to have been moved aside as a result of a democratic election decided on by real voters and thus exerted political action that really can and did change the power of it’s leadership, which defines democracy and is not diminished by the myriad difference ways to practice changing the top leaders ship via votes and representatives many counties utilizes and call democracy. The US democratic practices are different that Pakistan, but the same important results did occur in their recent votes so that by a majority, in some manner, leader ship at the top was and did change. We can and should celebrate this form of live democracy.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:37:22 +0000
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