French Revolution: Debunking 3 Myths

About the French Revolution.

Myth 1: The revolution provided “equality for all.”

Even after the Revolution, only wealthy men over the age of 25 could vote for deputies in the National Assembly.

Myth 2: There’s one way to view the Revolution.

For some, the French Revolution was a BOURGEOIS revolution because it favored the upper classes linked to commerce and the real estate market.

Myth 3: The revolution was led by peasants — the poor and hungry masses.

In May, 1789 King Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates-General. It comprised three groups: the clergy, the nobility, and the common people (the Third Estate). But this “third estate” was upper-middle class people who worked in professions like law and medicine.

When the Third Estate disagreed with the King’s plans to raise taxes and splintered off to form the National Assembly … the French Revolution was born.

So did you fact-check your knowledge …

LEARN LIBERTY:

[nataliecoffey]

Amazingly, my high school French teacher taught us this, not the history teacher.

[Paul-A]

So it was like every revolution in history.

[noahjohnson]

see it wasnt that simple. Yes, the Bourgeoisie spearheaded much of it but the common people did play a significant role too. It was the women of Paris who overwhelmed the Versailles guard and dragged Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to Paris. It was the commoner who stormed the Bastile. Most importantly, while the Bourgeoisie won out with their crappy laws, things like Universal Sufferage and Women's Rights were debated and even implemented in a limited amount. The Bourgeoisie favoring laws became implemented under the Directory and then Napoleon

[luisfilipe]

Myth 4 the revolution was a good thing. It actually worsened the lives of the peasantry at least until Napoleon arrived

[nbayounboi]

Fun fact: during real estate general meetings, only educated people were allowed from third estate and more than 6, 000 demands in form letters from peasants, artists were sent to present during meeting.

[Someone-dtns]

"the king's plan to raise taxes" *shows Biden*

[PlatinumMage]

The bourgeois was the middle/upper class and only comprised 10-20% of the third estate, vs 90-80% of the third estates being in poverty. Stop confusing people.

[tastycheesebooger]

You could argue that the peasants played a crucial role in influencing how the national assembly should lead the revolution. For example, when peasant rebellions broke out across France following the storming of the bastille, the national assembly issued the August decrees and abolished feudalism in the hopes of stopping the peasant rebellions.

[dorukcider]

This is wrong, the king proposed to raise taxes on the first and second estates. However with that failing he had only choice go with the third or the complete collapse of French economy. Funnily the head assemblies was always the nobles.

[bramobin]

All these 3 myths debunking are a bit misleading. They're all pointing to the early stages of the revolution where liberal nobles like Lafayette and moderates were in power. In later years every man could vote, the common man had a huge impact thanks to the Paris Commune's inserructions and non-rich people could be elected. But obviously not being able to read and having received no education doesn't help.

[ASYT]

Bro when the jacobins came they gave the right to vote to everyone above 21+ yrs even if they were in the very less prosperous section of the society even in the 3rd estate

[romeshkumar]

Third estate raise because they demanded each estate men have one vote instead of each estate one vote

[MarAwanaDISPOCO.]

That's what happens when you have people who Watch n c. Bureaucracy unfolds on itself😅

[asylumlover]

IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, I THINK I AM GOING TO LOSE MY HEAD OVER

[Unbiasedagent]

It's a very Manichean vision. It's not that simple.
Yes, it was a censal system. On the other hand, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens. Decree that men are born free and equal in law.

It is true that most of the great revolutionaries came from bourgeois backgrounds. But it is worth pointing out that the revolution had a popular side. Without the support of the Parisian masses, in particular the "sans culottes" and the workers' sections, nothing would have been possible. It is important to look at the different political currents within the revolution itself. From 1789-1793 we can describe the government as intellectual bourgeois liberals. But from 1793 to 1796 the government was much more focused on the people.

[jamesBFC]

Myth 1: You say only "wealthy men" over 25 could vote. This is not an accurate assessment. To vote, it was required that a man's taxes be equivalent to or greater than the common price of 3 days' labour which, iirc, roughly ~60% of men over 25 qualified for.

Myth 2: Yep, pretty accurate.

Myth 3: Ok, a few things to unpack here. So you are correct that the Third Estate members who started the French Revolution were upper class bourgeoisie. However, most of the key developments up until 1793 were brought about by peasants and mob action. For example, the August Decrees were a result of feudal riots and the Storming of the Bastille. The National Guard and Paris Commune were responses to armed mobs rising in Paris in response to the supposed 'royalist conspiracy' to overthrow the NA. Then, later down the line, it was the working-class sans-culottes who brought about the collapse of the constitutional monarchy experiment and made France a republic, by besieging King Louis in the Tuileries in June 1792, and then successfully in August 1792.

Then in 1793, it was the sans culottes who enabled Robespierres dominance and subsequent reign of terror by bringing about the expulsion of the Girondins from the Convention.

So, in summary, the upper classes started the revolution, but it was the working classes who drove the key developments and shaped it into what it became.

Also, in regard to how it started, the Third Estate WANTED new taxes, or at least a fairer tax system. Louis was actually mostly on the side of the reformists. The estates-general had been brought about by Louis' failed attempts to force reforms through parliament, and the subsequent breakdown of government that required immediate change. The Third Estates' decision to break away was mostly because the First and Second Estate were making it impossible for reforms to be achieved, and Louis was not really present at the EG to fight for the Third Estate because he was too busy caring for his dying son.

[d.a.]

The French revolution gave the blueprint to the bolsheviks 😢

[pierren___]

First is false. Robespierre did implement direct democracy

[yoton]

i do not see the problem in the first one, brain is fully developed when you are 25 and only men fought in wars so they were the only one that could vote

[pinedhuitre]

Le problème c'est pas le régime mais les gens qui sont dans le régime