Middle Age and French Revolution

 Middle Age and French Revolution
The history of France is a dramatic part of the entire world civilization and the French
Revolution is, probably, the most important of the events that make it significant and special.
The causes, course and outcomes of the French Revolution can be traced studied today in detail
and with the experience that has been accumulated over the centuries that passed after it. The
subject is still in the focus of contemporary historians who look into the many controversies of
the revolution that changed the history not only of France but also of Europe and had a strong
impact on the history of the Western civilization.
At the time before the Revolution, France was not a unified country that had been
developing as a single land over a certain historical period of time. Instead, it was made up of
areas and lands that were collected over the previous centuries. This fact resulted in
discrepancies between different laws that were used across the country. These features were
inherited by the country from the previous stages of its history that were characterized by wars
and invasions. The Viking invasions and disputes with England that went on for centuries led to
frequent changes of power between the latter and France. The Carolingian dynasty established by
Charlemagne was one of the most prominent states of the medieval period. It included a large
section of central Europe, as well as parts of Italy. The system of government divided the entire
territory of the dynasty into regions governed by local rulers (Medieval History of France, 2000).
The system that was used by the country during the period of feudalism became outdated by the
eighteenth century and was an impediment for the social progress that was associated with a
new, capitalist system. The word “feudalism” had a strong negative connotation because it “was
often identified with an ancient regime and the privileges of the French aristocracy, which
aroused the wrath of the French bourgeoisie” (Cantor, 1994, p. 195).
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Sample: History - Middle Age and French Revolution
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 This was one of the major causes that brought about the French Revolution. France
remained mostly a feudal nation, with the majority of its population made up by peasants. New
classes that developed rapidly, which were the middle and the working class were opposed to the
absolute monarchy that conserved and preserved the existing system (France. History – Causes
of the French Revolution, 2014). The administrative system was based on concentrating the
political, social and economic power in the hands of the monarchy, clergy, and the aristocracy
(The Political Crisis, 2014). The nation was divided into 36 administrative areas that had the
name of “generalities”. The three estates reflected the hieratical construction of the society. The
first was represented by the Roman Catholic clergy; the second was nobility headed by the King
and the third estate comprised the rest of the population and was the largest in number. It
demanded more rights for the common people and the abolition of the Ancient Regime system
(The Political Crisis, 2014).
 The outdated social and political system strongly affected the economy of the country.
Agriculture was characterized by low productivity, with many little farms divided between
different owners of feudal families. As a result, the periodic poor harvests were causing famine,
high prices of food products and riots. The latter were caused by crop failures of the 1780s that
resulted in shortages of bread and brought about high prices of it. This was a particularly serious
cause for urban citizens and perhaps nothing “motivated the Paris mob that was the engine of the
revolution more than the shortage of bread” (France. History – Causes of the French Revolution,
2014).
 All these causes of the French Revolution, as it is often the case with revolutions, are
described in their totality as the revolutionary situation. It is recognized by historians that the
revolutionary situation in France included the mismanagement of the economic and social life by
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the absolute monarchy. It included the expenses on the Seven Years’ War and the funds directed
to the American War of Independence that the country could hardly afford. These expenses
resulted in the huge national debt. Meanwhile, the king and his family, notwithstanding the
economic crisis, continued to have huge personal spending. In the court of Versailles, “over
15,000 people benefited from the country’s wealth and gave little in return” (French Revolution
Cause: an Economic Crisis, 2014). In addition to these problems, the country had an unfair tax
system that made only the poor pay taxes.
 The French Revolution is generally defined as a period between 1789 and 1802 when
radical changes were made in the government, administrativ