summary for HIS class

Alsahaf1

Alsahaf2

Ali Alsahaf

Instructor: Ann Febus

HST 1200

October 15, 2014

French Revolution

Introduction: French Revolution is also referred as Revolution of the year 1789. It was a revolutionary movement which had shook France between the years 1787 and 1799. It reached its initial climax in 1789.

The events that led to the upcoming of the phenomena are as follows. There was international struggle for the hegemon, as well as, empire that outstripped the fiscal resources of the state. For instance, there was feudalism and unfair taxation. The feudal oppression combined with fiscal mismanagement greatly contributed to the French revolution. It caused downward economic spiral during the late 1700s. It was by the fact that King Louis XVI had to bring in several of financial advisors in order to review the weakened French treasury. The entire team of the advisor reached a similar conclusion that France should be submitted to radical change in the manner that taxed the public. The advisors were thrown out. Later on the king realized the need that taxation problem needed to be addressed. From there anew general of finance controller known as Charles de Calonne was appointed in the year 1783.  Calonne had a suggestion that that France needed to begin imposing tax on the previously exempted nobility. The conflict on the fiscal resources of the state also resulted into another event. It caused the economic hardship for instance, the agrarian crisis of the year1788 that generated another popular discontent, as well as, disordered caused by the food shortages (Belloc & Hilaire, page 11 to 134).

Political conflict between the nobility and the Monarchy over the “reform” of the system of taxation leading to the paralysis and bankruptcy was also another factor resulting into French revolution. The present of ineffective rulers such as Louis XVI was also a contributing factor. The social antagonisms that existed between two rising groups of the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie also led to the rise revolution (Carlyle & Thomas, page 43 to 345).

What could have happened differently? The impact that resulted from increasingly prosperous elite of the wealthy manufacturers, commoners, merchants and professionals could have been overcome if the economic growth in country could have been resented and excluded from the political power, as well as, positions of honor.

How the French Revolution would have change? With the French participation in the event such as American Revolution, the citizens could have driven the French government in order to the brink of bankruptcy. They could have enabled revolution to take shape in France at the time when the controller Charles-Alexandre de Calonne, general of finances had arranged for summoning of an assembly, The summon that was propose to provide reforms that are designed in order to eliminate the budget deficit through raising the taxation among the privileged classes. In the light of the summon, French Revolution could have changed if the assembly could not have refused to take their responsibility for reforms, as well as, the suggested call of the Estates-General. A common decision could have been reached through agreement between the presentations from Third Estate known as the commoners, the clergy and the nobility that not had any meeting since the year1614.

With the support of efforts made by the successors of Calonne, French Revolution would have changed through enforcement of fiscal reforms without considering the resistance from the privileged classes. If King Louis XVI could have taken the similar conclusion reached by the entire team of the advisor that France need a subjection to radical change in the manner that taxed the public, the event could have taken a short period. It is because the king had the power to make various changes in the taxation system. Moreover, King Louis XVI could have controlled the downward economic spiral of the country in the late 1700s (Carlyle & Thomas, page 43 to 345).

References

Belloc, Hilaire. The French Revolution. New York: Henry Holt and Co, 2011.

Carlyle, Thomas. The French Revolution: History. New York: Modern library, 2008. Print.