Comparison of the Jasmine Revolution and the French Revolution

The French Revolution took place in the 16th century, while the Jasmine Revolution took place in the 21st century, two distinctly different eras of global history. Despite this enormous gap in time, there are some obvious parallels between the Jasmine and the French revolutions, especially in terms of their root causes. This essay will analyze the economic, political, and social factors that led to both revolutions in order to draw comparisons and contrasts between them. Notably, the Jasmine Revolution was much less successful than the French Revolution. Through comparison and contrast, this paper may identify precisely why one revolution was more successful than the other. Basically, the similarities between the causes of the French Revolution and the Jasmine Revolution are significant despite the time period difference.

Overview

The Jasmine Revolution

The Jasmine revolution is commonly referred to as the Tunisian Revolution. It refers to a widely renowned uprising that took place in Tunisia, mainly in protest against political repression, poverty, and corruption. Basically, the Jasmine Revolution was an extensive campaign of public resistance that encompassed a range of street demonstrations and resulted in the forceful ejection of President Zine El Adidine Ben Ali. Following the Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia finally became democratized and the citizens acquired the right to partake in free and fair elections. There were several causes of the Jasmine Revolution as will be portrayed further in this paper. Briefly, the include: poor living conditions, lack of freedom of speech and other political freedoms, corruption, food inflation, and high unemployment rate. Notably, the political and social upheavals that transpired during the Jasmine Revolution were unlike any that had even been witnessed in Tunisia in thirty years. There were several injuries and deaths, mainly due to security and police violence against protestors. Ultimately, the Jasmine Revolution prompted a subsequent wave of related insurgences across North Africa and the Middle East, which was popularly referred to as the Arab Spring.

The French Revolution

The French Revolution denotes a time of widespread political and social unrest in France that occurred from 1789 to 1799. It was partly propelled by Napoleon while he expanded the French Empire. The French Revolution ousted the monarchy and created a republic. Subsequently, there were extensive seasons of violence and political chaos, which concluded with a dictatorial government, presided over by Napoleon. It is notable that the doctrines of napoleon’s rule were swiftly spread across the rest of the world, and especially Western Europe. The French Revolution sprang from radical and liberal ideologies. It had a significant implication on contemporary history and triggered the worldwide deterioration of complete monarchical rules. Essentially, these absolute monarchies were substituted with liberal democracies and republics. The French Revolution unveiled an upsurge of worldwide contentions that protected to the Middle East and the Caribbean. In the modern world, the French Revolution is perceived to be one of the most imperative incidents in human history. To date, historians still debate over the events that led to the French Revolution.

Comparison of Causes of the Jasmine Revolution and French Revolution

Economic Causes

One common cause in both the French Revolution and the Jasmine Revolution is economic disintegration. Essentially, in the periods leading up to the revolutions the economic conditions in both France and Tunisia were extremely unfavorable, especially for the poor citizens who comprised majority of the population. More specifically, the issue of unemployment emerged, which resulted in widespread lack of income and a subsequent inability to afford basic needs like food. “Tunisia has recently suffered from high unemployment, particularly among university graduates where there has been a 20% unemployment rate” (Becheur 7). In Tunisia, the immediate causative factor of the Jasmine Revolution was the frustrated and desperate self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi (Müller and Hübner 19). He was the breadwinner of his family and earned a living as a street vendor. When a policewoman confiscated his items and the local government refused to help resolve his situation, he set himself on fire in public as a form of protest to the mistreatment he had suffered. This sparked an immediate reaction across the country and an unprecedented chain of action ensued and culminated in the Jasmine Revolution.

In France, the issue of increased unemployment and poverty was at its peak between 1787 and 1789 when the revolution erupted (Caiani 34). The people who were not considered to be nobles or lacked any substantial influence in the country were unable to access suitable employment. The extensive rate of poverty in the country due to poor income created a situation whereby many people were unable to afford basic needs like food, which enhanced their resentment for those who had a relatively luxurious life. For example, the grain market was de-regularized, which led to a boost in the price of bread. During such a time when the harvests were poor, food became scarce and the starving people resorted to riots (Caiani 56).

In both revolutions, as the majority of the country became increasingly poor, their frustrations escalated. The economic gap between them and the elites in the society became progressively explicit. Prior to the revolutions, in both countries the citizens and various groups made attempts at minor protests and riots to demand that the authorities feed them. In France, particularly, the economic downtown that gripped the country in 1778 created immense revolutionary tension (Wahnich 78). The reluctance of the elites or the authorities to enforce reforms that would help the poor citizens of the country was attributed to the fear that this would result in their loss of privileges (Wahnich 90). In Tunisia, the self-immolation of Bouazizi resulted in angry protests and riots against the government of President Ben Ali.

Basically, the demand for reforms in the country was sparked by economic imbalances. Essentially, it became apparent to the people that their standards of living were relatively wretched and unnecessarily so since there were people in the same society whose living standards were beyond luxurious. The frustration of unemployment, lack of sufficient income, inability to afford basic needs such as food, and the governments’ reluctance to implement effective economic reforms that would help improve the lives of the citizens were major causative agents of the French Revolution in France and the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia.

Political Causes

Political factors were arguably the most significant causes of both the French Revolution and the Jasmine Revolution. Firstly, both revolutions were direct results of inequality in relation to power distribution in the country. In France, the monarchy had absolute power and despotism was the ultimate concept of rule in the country. The dictatorship of this rule was oppressive to the people as they were denied several rights. The people virtually lacked any power concerning their government. Therefore, one of the reasons why they resorted to riots and demonstrations was to advocate for a better ruling system where they would not be oppressed (McPhee 109). Similarly, in Tunisia the people were also deprived of their basic human right and freedoms such as the freedom of speech. The power distribution in the country was vastly imbalanced with Ben Ali and his family being the ultimate authorities in the country. The lack of various political freedoms was one of the primary reasons for the revolution. President Ben Ali had been in power since 1987 and his unfair rule included practices such as incarcerating and exiling human rights activists and political opponents (Young 3). Following the Jasmine Revolution the people in Tunisia acquired their right to partake in free and fair elections.

A lack of fair representation in the government or rule of the country was another reason that sparked both revolutions. In France, two-thirds of the legislature comprised only about two percent of the general population and mostly constituted nobles and the clergy. The rest of the population (98 percent) only held about one-third of legislative representation (McPhee 189). Consequently, their grievances were rarely addressed as they lacked formidable legislative powers. In Tunisia, “The Jasmine Revolution has ended one of the most oppressive and authoritarian regimes” (Becheur 11).

Additionally, in France the bourgeoisie were major proponents of the French Revolution. They represented the middle class who were characteristically materialistic and sought to earn wealth. These people were educated commoners wanted a change that would enable them enhance their own wealth and economic positions (Acemoglu 3300). In Tunisia, there were several groups that emerged to lead the revolution against the government. Apart from the general public, trade unions, student unions, doctors, and lawyers emerged in the thousands to join the insurgence against the government (Huisman 6).

From a political viewpoint, the Jasmine Revolution and the French Revolution were instigated by frustrations and resentments against the ruling powers. The autocratic system in France was oppressive under the rule of King Louis XVI (Acemoglu 3298). Similarly, President Ben Ali was negligent towards the needs of his people and considered as a tyrant in the country. Both systems of government often tend to deny people their basic rights and freedom, advocate for absolute or unequal distribution of power, be incapable of functioning cohesively as a government, and deny people their freedoms of speech by punishing any opponents. Ultimately, this drove the people in both France and Tunisia to revolt against their rulers and usher in positive change.

Social Causes

From a social viewpoint, the major cause of the Jasmine Revolution and the French Revolution was extreme social stratification. In France, the distinction between the ruling class in the society as well as the nobles and the clergy and the commoners was extensive. Whereas the commoners were poor, unemployed, and basically dejected, the former led luxurious lives (Caiani 187). For instance, the king and queen amassed tremendous wealth for themselves by exploiting the people. Privilege was a predominant social concept in France in the events leading up to the French Revolution. The people who had the privileges of nobility or officers had certain rights whereas the commoners were denied their basic human rights. Fundamentally, in France about 98 percent of the population was commoners and only 2 percent were privileged to have access the wealth and resources of the country (Caiani 195). In Tunisia, the issue of social stratification, especially on the basis of class, was widespread. The president’s family allegedly owned sixty percent of the assets in the entire economy. “For a country which is considered to be relatively poor, the fancy cars and residences owned by the president’s family made the Tunisians more frustrated and desperate about their poor economic and social conditions” (Becheur 11).

As a result of social stratification, the Tunisians and the French rioted as a way of expressing their frustrations. The people wanted change and lacked any other way of demanding for it since they were denied fair representation in the governments (Syed 66). They had been forced to live in societies whereby they were viewed and treated as lesser human beings.

In Tunisia, however, one of the major causes of the Jasmine Revolution was the fight against corruption. Issues like nepotism were rampant in the country. Ben Ali was known to cater for his family’s needs above everyone else’s. It was widely believed that Ben Ali and his family were pillaging the country and robbing the people of their resources and wealth. Corruption in Tunisia was fatal to the government rule in the country.

Discussion

Following the French Revolution, a republic was established. This represented the potential of an equal society whereby everyone would be treated as humanly as possible. The most important legacy of the French Revolution was its contribution to the spread of democracy worldwide. For a while, it created a society that had the potential of equality and fairness for all. Notably, the French Revolution did not lead to a permanent democracy in France since this changed to despotism during Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule (Caiani 209).

The Jasmine Revolution led to the establishment of an effective democracy in Tunisia. Essentially, a commendable level of balance was restored to the country’s system of rule as people acquired their rights to vote for their leaders in free and fair elections. President Ben Ali and his family fled into exile whereas some of his remaining family members were punished for their crimes against the country. Moreover, the jasmine Revolution led to the Arab Springs, which is a range of revolts in the Middle East and North Africa (Syed 69). More importantly, it established the ideology that the dictatorial rule that is rampant in the Arab World can be thwarted if the people unite and fight against such oppression.

Annotated Bibliography

Syed, Maria. “Exploring the causes of revolution in Tunisia and Egypt.” Ortadogu Etutleri 5:2 (2014): 55-79. Web 7 Dec. 2017.

The journal article explores the causes of the revolutions that took place in both Tunisia and Egypt. It makes a comparison between the external and internal factors that instigated both revolutions. For the purpose of this paper, the data of focus was on the Tunisian revolution. The article is creditable as it addresses how the factors interconnected to result to culminate in the revolution.

Acemoglu, Daron., Cantoni, Davide., Johnson, Simon., & Robinson, James. “The Consequences radical reform: The French Revolution.” American Economic Review 101 (2011): 3286-3307.

The article focuses on the French revolution and how it connects with radical reform. Essentially, authors address how the aftermath of the French revolution impacted reforms on other European countries, and especially Germany. It is detailed and provides extensive evidence.

Becheur, Mohamed, "The Jasmine Revolution and the Tourism Industry in Tunisia" (2011). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 1141.

The article is based on the Jasmine revolution and its implication on the tourism sector. The background section is the most imperative aspect of the paper in relation to the causes of the Tunisian revolution. The author provides the reasons that instigated the Tunisian revolution.

Huisman, Tallina G. "How did the Tunisian e-diaspora contribute to the events of the Jasmine Revolution? A study on diapsora influence" back home" in the 21st century." (2014).

The paper addresses the implication of the e-diaspora on the Tunisian revolution. The people in diaspora played a role in the Jasmine revolution despite the geographical distance. For instance, they mostly advocated for the revolution and disseminated the happenings in Tunisia via social media and other media sources.

Young, Mary Alice. "Transnational organised crime monthly briefing, July 2015: Attack on tourists in Port El Kantaoui highlights threat of terrorism and organised crime in Tunisia." Open Briefing (2015).

The article adopts a new perspective to the Jasmine revolution. Essentially, it dwells on the outcome of the Jasmine revolution and how it has impacted the spread of terrorism and organized crime in the country.

Müller, Marion G., and Celina Hübner. "How Facebook facilitated the Jasmine Revolution. Conceptualizing the functions of online social network communication." Journal of Social Media Studies 1.1 (2014): 17-33.

The Jasmine Revolution was widely publicized due to the fact that it occurred in a digitized world. The role of Facebook in the Jasmine Revolution is so significant that it is occasionally referred to as the Facebook revolution. The article addresses how Facebook was used to spread information.

Conclusion

Conclusively, the French Revolution of 1789 and the Jasmine Revolution of 2011 have numerous similarities. Mainly, both revolutions were the result of the frustration and dejection of the common citizens. In both contexts, the governments were unjust, inequitable, and corrupt. The people in the government or those with connections to the government led luxurious lives whereas the commoners struggled to make ends meet in circumstances of abject poverty, underemployment, and underrepresentation in the government. The primary difference between the two revolutions, however, is that the Jasmine revolution was considerably less catastrophic. About one hundred lives were lost during this revolution, which is such an insignificant number in comparison with the French revolution. Regardless, despite the fact that the French revolution did not have long-lasting impacts in France, its wider implications of spreading democratic rule to the rest of the world make it one of the most significant revolutions in the history of mankind. Through the French Revolution, the rest of the world was able to comprehend that democratic rule is optimal to aristocracy; it marked the beginning of the end of absolute monarchical rule.

Work cited

Acemoglu, Daron., Cantoni, Davide., Johnson, Simon., & Robinson, James. “The Consequences radical reform: The French Revolution.” American Economic Review 101 (2011): 3286-3307.

Becheur, Mohamed, "The Jasmine Revolution and the Tourism Industry in Tunisia" (2011). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 1141.

Caiani, Ambrogio A. Louis Xvi and the French Revolution, 1789-1792. , 2016. Print.

Huisman, Tallina G. "How did the Tunisian e-diaspora contribute to the events of the Jasmine Revolution? A study on diapsora influence" back home" in the 21st century." (2014).

McPhee, Peter. A Companion to the French Revolution. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, 2015. Print.

Müller, Marion G., and Celina Hübner. "How Facebook facilitated the Jasmine Revolution. Conceptualizing the functions of online social network communication." Journal of Social Media Studies 1.1 (2014): 17-33.

Syed, Maria. “Exploring the causes of revolution in Tunisia and Egypt.” Ortadogu Etutleri 5:2 (2014): 55-79. Web 7 Dec. 2017.

Wahnich, Sophie. In Defence of the Terror: Liberty or Death in the French Revolution. London: Verso, 2012. Print.

Young, Mary Alice. "Transnational organised crime monthly briefing, July 2015: Attack on tourists in Port El Kantaoui highlights threat of terrorism and organised crime in Tunisia." Open Briefing (2015).