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French Revolution: Violence
The Guillotine is the ultimate expression of law…it is not neutral, nor does it allow us to remain neutral. He who sees it shudders with an inexplicable dismay. All social questions achieve their finality around that blade.
The “French Revolution” can be regarded as one of the bloodiest revolutions in history. It was responsible for many deaths and massacres, which have since been chanted endlessly throughout history’s revelations. This essay will analyse the origins of violence in the ‘French Revolution’. Although the cause of French revolutionary violence can be lost in a complex web of opinions among Historians, cause and timing of revolutionary violence do not necessarily compliment each other.
In order to understand the cause of the violence, an explanation of the historical circumstances leading to the revolution are necessary. These are elaborated under three subheadings;
• Longstanding Causes
• Midway to Initial Causes
• Initial Causes
Each of these played a role to the lead up to the ‘French Revolution’. However, this essay will briefly outline the first two, and attempt to explain the start of violence by associating it with the ‘initial causes’ of the ‘French Revolution’. Aya’s study on ‘Theories of Revolution’ suggests that “[o]ften enough… such violent outbreaks can be understood only if attention is paid to long-term shifts of power balances in the society concerned which, to be sure, take place in small steps over a long time”.
Longstanding Causes.
These can be associated with problematic features of the ‘ancien regime.’ “It is clear that ever since the death of Louis XIV the idea of absolute monarchy had blocked all efforts at revamping the political system” , especially if the monarch were to be weak (as Louis XVI was). Other major problematic features can be seen within the division of population between three estates. The first and second estates were made up of the aristocracy and considered privileged and the ‘third estate,’ holding the majority, were under privileged. Longstanding problems also consisted of economic difficulties that led to financial problems, and discontentment from peasants.
Midway to Initial Causes.
These consist of the failure to initiate tax reform, in which the aristocrats were exempt from paying, and military expenses associated with a ‘revenge’ war against the British in America at a time when the national economy was in a strong decline. As Guerin stated, “they shifted the heavy burden of military expenditure on to the shoulders of the people”.
Initial Causes.
The initial lead up to the causes of violence in the ‘French Revolution’ can be seen in the year 1788. France suffered serious financial problems and a conflict within its division of classes. De Tocqueville noted that:
[T]he cleavages between the various classes… weakened the whole fabric of society, and particularly on the hostility of the nobles towards the royal administration.
All estates seemed unsatisfied with the ‘ancien regime’, and Louis XVI neither had the initiative, nor the will to win the support of his people, especially within the third [next page]