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

REVOLUTION: A VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF A GOVERNMENT

Preliminary Stage

PRELIMINARY STAGE Class antagonism 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 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

SecurityFreedom Security vs. 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 ( )

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

Revolutionary Underground Jacobins

Crisis Stage ( )

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

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 “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.” Reign of Terror Led by Robespierre According to records 16,000+ died under the guillotine Historians estimate could be as high as 40,000

British View of Reign of Terror

Recovery Stage ( )

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

Charismatic Autocrat Directory 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

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