Amongst turmoil, desperation and unfairness, the ones who fought gained power and replaced those who had lost. A revolution, they said, had occurred. A new structure had been reformed, a change was brought to the society.
The French Revolution
The French Revolution lasted ten years from 1789 to 1799 in France. When Louis XVI ruled France, the revolution eventually broke out as a result to many unfair treatments in the society and serious issues of the government.
Before the Revolution
France was an absolute monarchy with three class divisions: The First Estate (the Clergy), the Second Estate (the Nobility) and the Third Estate (Workers & Peasants). The nobles were the only ones who had political rights. The bourgeois, who were well educated and wealthy, had no political rights to speak for themselves as well as the Third Estate. There was also extremely heavy taxation for the Third Estate due to the financial crisis by war and king's extravagant life. [King, G., & Leung, K., 2010]
After the Revolution
After the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte became the First Consul of France who had absolute power. Unlike many other successful revolutions such as the American Revolution, the French revolution failed in attempt to bring democracy and escape the rule of absolute monarchy. It did not become a constitutional monarchy, nor a republic. However, the revolution changed the structure of how France is run.
Feudalism was fully destroyed after the revolution, the class system and slavery were abolished, lands owned by the nobles and the Christian Church were confiscated. [ANUSHRI, 2011] The original political and constitutional systems of nobles were replaced by representatives and electives from the people (mainly the bourgeois). According to the Napoleonic Code, citizens were allowed individual rights, freedom of religion and job. [King, G., & Leung, K., 2010]
Feudalism was fully destroyed after the revolution, the class system and slavery were abolished, lands owned by the nobles and the Christian Church were confiscated. [ANUSHRI, 2011] The original political and constitutional systems of nobles were replaced by representatives and electives from the people (mainly the bourgeois). According to the Napoleonic Code, citizens were allowed individual rights, freedom of religion and job. [King, G., & Leung, K., 2010]