Adapted from Crane Brinton’s book, The Anatomy of Revolution Stages of Revolution Adapted from Crane Brinton’s book, The Anatomy of Revolution

REVOLUTION: A VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF A GOVERNMENT

Crane Brinton’s Anatomy of a Revolution He borrowed his terms from pathology. Compares a revolution to a disease.

FEVER MODEL OF REVOLUTION Much like an illness, revolutions can also be studied in stages

What would this stage be like in a revolution? This stage in an illness is when the cause of the sickness first comes into contact with the individual, infecting them, but not yet causing any symptoms to present themselves. What would this stage be like in a revolution? In a revolution, this stage would involve the political, social, intellectual, or economic causes. In some cases, these causes could fester for many years before showing themselves in the form of actual revolutionary action.

What would this stage be like in a revolution? Sickness affects person in observable ways Temp may rise; cough might present ; individual might become weak & queasy. What would this stage be like in a revolution? 1st part to involve direct action resulting from social, political, intellectual, or economic causes of incubation stage. Might involve the publication of works calling for a change, street level riots by common people, or more direct attempts at changing society.

What would this stage be like in a revolution? Critical stage 2 things can happen individual either breaks the fever after a heightened stage of illness OR gets progressively worse & does not recover. What would this stage be like in a revolution? Crisis Stage Make or break part of struggle. May involve conflict where sides for & against revolution compete. (could take the form of debate or full-scale war) Successful revolutions survive this stage- those that don’t are failed rebellions.

Recovery from illness. Individual might be weakened from experience, but he or she will eventually emerge healthy & w/ new knowledge & experience that might prevent illness from occurring again. What would this stage be like in a revolution? Convalescence Recovery from the extreme disruptions of crisis stage. Political, social, intellectual, or economic causes of revolution must be addressed in some way, though not necessarily to satisfaction of all revolutionaries.

Preliminary Stage

PRELIMINARY STAGE Class antagonism Government inefficiency Economic upgrade, which does not reach the people Government inefficiency Inept ruler—Autocrat with absolute power People ask for change (justice) Autocrat attempts to stop early protests with force (terror), which fails Intellectuals transfer their loyalty from government to the people

Initial Stage

INITIAL STAGE Financial breakdown Protests against government increase dramatically Moderates gain power relatively peacefully Revolutionary underground (radicals) foment revolution Mob psychology Ignorant Emotional Now wants revenge

Crisis Stage

CRISIS STAGE Radicals take control Enemies attempt to stop radicals: Remove moderates Enemies attempt to stop radicals: Civil war Foreign war Centralization of power in revolutionary council Council dominated by a “strongman” Use common term of address Try to kill original autocrat Use terror to rule

Recovery

RECOVERY Revolution turns inward Radicals removed Some killed Charismatic autocrat comes to power Aggressive nationalism Slow, uneven return to quieter times People trade freedom for security

Security vs. Freedom Security Freedom

French Revolution

Preliminary Stage

Causes of the French Revolution

Class Antagonism First Estate: 100,000 Catholic clergy Did not pay taxes Second Estate: 400,000 nobles Exempt from many taxes Third Estate: Rest of population Sans-culottes Provided bulk of French tax revenue In 1780s, 50% of revenue went to pay off debts American War for Independence Lavish lifestyle of the monarchy

Government Inefficiency Need for tax reform Louis XVI hoped to raise taxes on ancien régime Aristocracy resisted reforms and pushed Louis to not make changes Forced Louis to call the Estates-General for the first time since 1614

People Ask for Change Cahiers de Doleances

Autocrat’s Failed Attempts to Stop Early Protests National Assembly locked out of meeting place

Intellectuals Transfer Their Loyalty Enlightenment ideals from the philosophes Popular sovereignty & natural rights (Locke) Political & legal equality (Rousseau) Personal freedoms (Voltaire) Global influence of Enlightenment values American War for Independence

Initial Stage (1789-1791)

Financial Breakdown Series of bad harvests 1787 & 1788 High bread prices

Protests against the Government Storming of the Bastille Women’s March on Versailles

Moderate Governments National Assembly 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Legislative Assembly 1789 -1792

Revolutionary Underground Jacobins

Crisis Stage (1792-1794)

Radicals Take Control National Convention 1792 - 1795 Arrest of Louis XVI August 10, 1792 National Convention 1792 - 1795

Enemies of the Revolution Increase Civil war Louis XVI Nobles/Emigres Foreign war Austria England

Revolutionary Council and Strongman Jacobins Sans culottes Committee of Public Safety Robespierre Common term of address Citizen

Kill the Original Autocrat Louis guillotined January, 1793 (38) Marie guillotined October, 1793 (37)

Uses Terror to Rule Reign of Terror Led by Robespierre According to records 16,000+ died under the guillotine Historians estimate could be as high as 40,000 “The first maxim of our politics ought to be to lead the people by means of reason and the enemies of the people by terror.”

British View of Reign of Terror

Recovery Stage (1794-1815)

Revolution Turns Inward Festival of the Supreme Being June 8, 1794 Thermidorean Reaction July, 1794

Charismatic Autocrat Directory 1794-1799 Napoleon 1799

Aggressive Nationalism Napoleonic Wars

Quieter Times Napoleon’s domestic policies Napoleonic Code Schools and universities Revised tax code

Trade Freedom for Security Empire 1804-1815

Adapted from Crane Brinton’s book, The Anatomy of Revolution Stages of Revolution Adapted from Crane Brinton’s book, The Anatomy of Revolution