The French revolution of 1789 was due to the social injustices and inequalities that were present at the time. There was need to pursue justice, equality and privileges for all classes (Doyle, 2001). The revolutionist led by Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to destroy the old society to build a new one. The society was characterized by absolute monarchy and the feudal system. With discontent with the policies, an upheaval arose in opposition to the poor economic conditions perpetuated by the reigning King Louis XVI and his incompetent wife Mary Antoinette. This was a big move to challenge and shape the nation mainly to show that power lies at the hands of the people.
In the revolution, there were important factors which led to the turnaround of the situation. The Tennis Court oath was well received and many people joined the revolution. This was very significant as the people followed the procession gathering impetus necessary for the revolution to take place. It is important to note that even the soldiers escorted the people with a vow not to relent till change was wrought. This solemn oath was taken in 2o, June 1789, in the nation’s presence. This was after the meeting was unable to be held at the usual place thus the tennis court became ideal for them. The self-proclaimed legislature took oath in an indoor tennis court never to surrender or separate until they give France a constitution. Under no circumstance were they to be separated as they worked behind the clock to bring the much anticipated change.
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The royal surrender of power seemed complete after the Necker had resigned. Even the people from Versailles joined crowds in Paris being aware that they no longer would rely on the royalty which was crumbling as they were now withdrawing their solidarity. They joined the National Assembly as Necker withdrew his resignation. Now, Paris was under rebel hands and there were many troops to subdue the rebel but the commander advised the king that they would not obey his orders thus withdrawing. The tennis court oath was pivotal in sparking the French revolution ( Bossenga, 2007).
The rise of the Third Estate was also another important factor that sparked the French Revolution. There were many demands for them which even the nobles endorsed. They were later imposed into law such as abolishing the venality of offices which were offices that were expensive in that those who bought them gained a lot of money. It was an avenue for one to raise a noble status. It had many profits and privileges which were only for the middle and top class. It had now became an entry point into nobility. The rise of the Third Estate also demanded that the privileges of the nobility be withdrawn (Lucas, 2002).
After the king was executed, the French revolution entered into a violent phase known as the Great Terror. The great terror was another obvious reason of the revolution. There were many crimes that none felt safe. Many people were killed for their revolutionary activities. Terror was to mainly incite suspicion and fear among the people but the entire country was behind change. Robespierre was blamed due to this terror and he was arrested. He tried to kill himself before arrest but was guillotined in July 29. The reign of terror brought an end to many lives and this was the most violent ever. It was impossible to stop and those who opposed it were killed.
How the French government differed with other monarchies
After the French revolution, the new government led by Napoleon Bonaparte returned land to private owners. This is different with other European monarchies which held land as dearly as a national entity. In France, the land was leased to farmers who now possessed it. The monarchy lost a lot of land which later had consequences on the economy (Maza, 2003). The government differed with others in land possession as the land was returned to the peasants.
The French revolution had a notable change in the monarchial powers. It changed from absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. Then, there was now a change in the leadership paradigm as all powers were vested in the constitution. The power of the new government was also limited and reduced. It was no longer absolute.
Under the new French government with the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, the middle class emerged. This is under the fairer treatment under the Napoleonic code of act. Education access was made available, class privileges abolished and freedom of people restored and people allowed to own property under the new system. This was not the same case as in other European monarchies which had not experienced a revolution. The French revolution transformed the French government and remodeled a fairer society under the new leadership of Napoleon.
The Bourbon House
The Bourbon royal house has been recorded in the thirteenth century ( Pinna, 2001). In 1256, Robert of Clermont was born as the sixth born of Louis IX of France. He married into what has been known as the Bourbon dynasty. Their son known as Louis I was born in 1729. Antoine Bourbon born in 1518 and later his son became king in Fran as the Huguenot Henry IV who was assassinated in 1610. The family continued to rule till 1729 when King Louis XVI was executed during the French Revolution. King Louis XVIII ruled from 1610 to 1643. Louis XIV laid the ground for the French revolution by building Versailles. He is mentioned as the greatest Bourbon. He reigned from 1643 to 1715. Louis VV also reigned from 1715 to 1774 and was later succeeded by King Louis XVI who married Mary Antoinette and suffered the French Revolution as his reign was cut short through execution ion the guillotine. His wife died the same way. His son Louis XVII would have been the next king but at this time France was a republic.
It was during this time that Napoleon reigned. But still Louis XVI’s brothers existed. It was Louis XVIII who reigned from 1814 to 1824. Another bourbon family member known as Charles X ruled from 1824 to 1830 in the “Bourbon restoration”. The last Bourbon king to reign was Louis Philippe from1830 to 1848. This marked the end of the Bourbon dynasty.
The House of Hohenzollern
This royalty house rose in Swabia in the eleventh century and adopted the name Hohenzollern. Their first ancestors can be traced back to 1061. The House had noble positions and was an important monarch in Europe. As time went by, power shifted to North East Germany and was the Duke of Prussia which was powerful by then constituting Poland and Germany.
The royalty made economic reforms and reduced the nobility’s power. It also built cities and a big army was formed and is notable as in 1871, William I of Prussia was made governor. In 1871 William I of Prussia became German emperor. Both Prussian and German sovereignties were lost in 1918, at the end of World War I. The royalty came to an end in 1918 during the First World War after German was defeated and this sparked the German revolution. The family was overthrown and a republic known as Weimar was established.
References
Bossenga, G. (2007). Origins of the French Revolution. History Compass , 5 (4), 1294-1337.
Doyle, W. (2001). The French Revolution: a very short introduction (Vol. 54). Oxford Paperbacks.
Lucas, C. (2002). Nobles, bourgeois, and the origins of the French Revolution. In The French Revolution (pp. 56-80). New York: Routledge
Maza, S. (2003): The myth of the French bourgeoisie: an essay on social imaginary, 1750-1850. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Pinna, G. (2001). Introduction to historic house museums. Museum International , 53 (2), 4-9.
