Review of “The French Revolution 1788-1799” by Peter McPhee

Many historians view the French Revolution as one of the most significant turning moments in French history

The French Revolution 1788-1799 by Peter McPhee offers a succinct yet current perspective on the trials of the French Revolution and their effects. First, by providing background information on the causes and characteristics of the French Revolution, his works offer an accessible and trustworthy analysis. A large and developed nation like France had never before attempted to reorganize its society around sovereignty. Secondly, the author examines the significance of the revolutionary period in changing and accelerating the Ancient regime and society. The book seeks to answer the question: How ‘revolutionary’ was the French Rebellion? Was the state significantly changed as an effect of the war? In particular, this review entails the implications of the Revolution to both the ancient French Society and even the ancient world. Therefore, the review seeks to reiterate the author’s thesis on the background of the French Revolt, causes, reconstruction and implications of the uprising.

Table: Chapter analysis

Chapter

Title

Content - Nature, Importance or Cause

Chapter 1

France in the 1780s

This chapter covers the background of the French social, economic and political set up before the revolution.

Chapter 2

The crisis of the old Regime

This section elaborates the deep-seated problems faced by the monarch.

Chapter 3

The revolution of 1789

The onset of the French Uprising is discussed in this section.

Chapter 4

The reconstruction of France, 1789-1791

It entails the reforms introduced after the Bastilles day.

Chapter 5

A second revolution, 1792

This segment covers the internal revolution by peasants and the demanded beheading of King Louis XVI.

Chapter 6

Revolution in the balance

Chapter 7

The terror: Revolutionary Defense or Paranoia?

Chapter 8

Ending the Revolution, 1795-1799

McPhee focuses on “Directory of France” between the years 1795 to 1799.

Chapter Analysis and Implications

1: France in the 1780s

In the first chapter, the author elaborates important features of the 18th century French Society. Some of the notable factors considered in this chapter include the social, economic and political set up of the traditional French Society (McPhee 2). McPhee narrates that ten times as many people inhabited the French Villages and farms as compared to the modern French Society. The population of France was over 28 million in the 1700s. The urban community only consisted of 2,000 people and therefore, only 2 of 10 persons lived in the city.

The two most important characters of the 18th century French people was that they were the King’s subjects and 97 percent were Catholics. The rural community were majorly peasants and their source of livelihood was agrarian-based. The poly-cultural system ensured that all sectors of the economy were sufficiently covered. The peasantry made up of the Third Estate. Larger villages comprised of minority people such as artisans, lawyers and priest, groups that were not considered peasants (Mcphee 13). The influential in the society monopolized land while small-time workers lingered in poverty and therefore, they had to work in the big farms.

Cities such as Paris and Lille hosted large scale manufacturing. Paris for instance, had an occupational structure dominated by skilled artisans and professionals from across the board. Populations and buildings were vertically segregated. For instance, the wealthy bourgeois and nobles occupied the upper floors in shops and other working places while servants inhabited the garrets. Paris was largely comprised of small retail shops and medieval centers of no more than two or three rooms. 18th century France featured multiplicity of links between small towns and countryside. As such, the most important link was supply of foodstuff. The church was an important institution in the French Society and it drew its wealth from compulsory tithe imposed on farm produce. Catholicism was the strongest form of religion and the elite in the church were members of the second state (McPhee 14). The King’s residence at Versailles was the most imposing physical structure and it housed ministries of Finance, Justice, Foreign Affairs, War and Navy. He governed the country using customary laws.

Chapter 2: The crisis of the old Regime

Chapter 2 begins with discussion on whether the 18th century bourgeois were class conscious or the new bourgeois class were integrated into the ruling elites. McPhee is concerned by whether the uprising was a deep-seated long term crisis or was it short term and relatively unimportant. Bourgeoisie come from French term “Bourg” which means “market town.” Basically, it denoted the inhabitants of the Bourg (McPhee 110). Craftsmen and artisans violently revolted against the absolute monarchy headed by King Louis XVI. The chapter penetrates into the reasons of the revolution. The old regime comprised of the 1st estate, 2nd estate and 3rd estate. The first estate forced payment of exploitative taxes from the third estate. Moreover, the prices of housing and food was rising. Unfortunately for peasants, the King and Queen were sinking the economy due to the deep debt crisis and overspending on jewelry and gifts (McPhee 24).

By 1780s, a series of changes in the French society and deep-seated financial difficulties led to the abrupt political crisis. Tension and problems due starvation, suppressive leadership and weakened military encouraged the rise of the French Revolution. Intolerance and cruelty of the judicial system did not help the situation and thus became one of the many reasons for the French Uprising. Principally, McPhee notes that enlightenment was the main cause of the revolution (McPhee 31). New bourgeois started becoming popular and the ruling class became weaker. The second Estate disapproved the spending of the King and consequently, the first act of revolution was initiated.

Chapter 3: The revolution of 1789

In the third chapter, the Storming of Bastille was the biggest incident. In July 1789, an irate mob attacked the most treasured symbol of the King’s dictatorial rule: The Bastilles, a fortress in Eastern Paris. Being an important symbol of the French Monarchy, it was a defining moment because once the structure was destroyed, it would weaken the ruling regime. When the custodial was invaded, it only had 7 captives. The purpose of forcing their entry was to access weapons and ammunition that were reserved inside. They ultimately entered the premises and consequently, the monarchy was overthrown. The idea behind this chapter was to elaborate how the revolt intensified (McPhee 123). Essentially, the French peasants were fed up with dictatorship and they therefore demanded equality and liberty. McPhee writes that most of the people who stormed the Basilles were store owners and craftsmen. These third estate members were worried that the King was preparing the French army to revolt against them. The aftermath of the event saw successive uprisings across France. The nobles were in deep trouble because most of the peasants attacked their premises.

Chapter 4: The reconstruction of France, 1789-1791

This section covers the reforms introduced between 1789 and 1791. There were a number of institutional and administrative reorganization that took place. The critical turning points elaborated by McPhee were three and they include: Civil Constitution of the Clergy, outbreak of the Civil War in 1791 and the King’s attempt to flee (1791). Fundamentally, the chapter entails the ultimate failure if the monarchy. In the few months leading to 1790, revolutionaries aspired to change the Catholic Church. They did not want to disestablish the church but rather, they wanted to get rid of the many clergies that were allied to the regime. In August of 1789, the reformists denied the church its income by abolishing the traditional tithe offerings. In November, the Congress authorized sequestration of church lands. The church’s program was also reformed in order to inspire humanitarianism and rationalism (McPhee 167). By February 1790, monastic orders were abolished and consequently, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was initiated.

A factor that marked reconstruction phase was the royal flight to Varennes. In June 1791, the royals escaped in the middle of the night using the ingenious plan organized by Axel Fersen. The escape though minor, was a sign of the death of the bourgeois dreams of a future constitutional monarchy. King Louis’ XVI attempt to flee his people created mistrust and thus it cemented creation of a new constitution in 1791. The constitution initiated the reconstruction process.

Chapter 5: A second revolution, 1792

1792 was the period where the King was ultimately overthrown and it brought an end to three uneasy years of constitutional monarchy. The motivation for the second revolt was attributed to Legislative assembly’s indecisiveness regarding the fate of the King. During the months preceding this period, Parisian masses and Louis XVI’s loyalists had been in conflict. The revolution comprised of two elections conducted under the rules of universal adult male suffrage. The elections were conducted in September and the results were a resounding confirmation of democracy to the people of Paris and France at large. 750 deputies were elected and they vowed to fight for a new republic (McPhee 170). However, this did not last because the new regime was hungry for power and dictatorship. The revolutionary impulse surged and eventually, a new democratic revolution was initiated by Paine.

In December of 1792, King Louis’s trial was scheduled. The assembly believed that as long as the King was alive, there would be a figure of royalists that would be rebelling against the current regime. Although majority of the bourgeois did not want a death penalty that did not deter the masses from calling for the King’s head. King Louis XVI was later beheaded and his wife Marie Antoinette was also executed. During this time, Robespierre earned a place in the revolutionary tendency of the revolt. Robespierre opposed slavery and death penalty while the Dantons were gregarious. Also, under the extraordinary conditions of the revolution, the rights of man turned to become the rights of women. Parisian peasant women such as cooks and seamstresses signed a petition for formation of a legislative assembly that composed of a women’s National Guard.

Chapter 6: The revolution in the balance, 1793

McPhee notes that authoritarian regimes were balanced by the rule of law and religious acceptance. The code of equality was maintained and it eliminated the rationale of social hierarchy. However, there was popular displeasure because of the insubordination of the Catholic Church (McPhee 190). Moreover, widespread conscription formed the basis of revolutionary imbalance. Although most of the members of the assembly worked diligently, the faced opposition from sects of the clergy who were loyal to the monarch. Comte de Provence, the youngest brother of Louis XVI made a declaration that he would take over the throne. However, this did not end well because he was in prison and he later died in 1795. By the end of 1793, two key factions had emerged. The Herbetists called for intensification of terror while Dantonists demanded moderation and Clemency. The balance was restored by the committee of public safety. Herbetists were tried before revolutionary tribunals while Dantonists were executed in April of the following year.

Chapter 7: The terror: Revolutionary Defense or Paranoia?

This intriguing chapter captures the chaos in all over France, especially with shifting allegiance of the military department. The Civil War was getting closer and therefore, impositions of the new constitution were heavy. There was paranoia everywhere because people did not know who submit to. France was in paranoia because there numerous factions that claimed to be in power (McPhee 199). Jacobeans took over management for a span of 10 months. The period was bloody and as a result, heads of the individuals leading the revolt separated into two. They were then overthrown by Robespierre.

Later on, the Jacobeans merged with Robespierre, Mirabeau and Marantz while Georges, Jacque, Danton and Camille Desmoulins merged together, with both sides voicing different opinions about their ambitions. Robespierre was a bourgeois and therefore he identified with most urban workers. He acted a spokesman and it is for this reason that he dominated the era termed as “the terror.” From the beginning, he was a democrat and he vastly defended the ‘rights of man’. This stance won him recognition during the early years of the revolution. On the other hand, Danton’s were extremists and advocated for war. The most tragic of scenes occurred in this chapter because both sides of the ruling were killed. Danton and his followers were first murdered by the counter group. However, Robespierre did not last long because the Civil War also counted as the end of the Jacobeans.

Chapter 8: Ending the Revolution, 1795-1799

In the Penultimate Chapter, the author focuses on the “Directory of France” between the years 1795 to 1799. August 1795 ushered in a period of government reform and restructuring. The directory was a group made up of 5 directors who held immense power over the states. After the establishment of the executive directory, it was split into two namely: the First and Second Directory. One sect was known as the Council-of-Anciens and it consisted of two hundred and fifty delegates (McPhee 210). The second faction was the Council-of Five-Hundred. The 2/3rd decree was established due to fear of influence by one house over the other. France’s new constitution stipulated that the established executive body would be made of a group of five officers who would be referred to as the Directory. The role of this newly created group would be to appoint to fill government positions.

The directory had a daunting task of getting rid of Jacobin influence ad preventing loyalists from reclaiming the throne. Later on, the Coup of 18 Frudictir divided them. As a result, state government became hard to deal with. It is during this period that Napoleon Bonaparte came into power after gaining fame from a series of brilliant victories (McPhee 211). The French Army grew massively after preventing the Prussian ad Austrians from taking over West France. Eventually, Napoleon took advantage of his military alliance and ended the regime. He thus became the first president of France.

Conclusion

To sum up, the 8 chapters provide a background analysis of the pre-Revolution era, followed by the actual rebellion and finally the reconstruction period. McPhee argues that enlightenment process was the biggest effect of the French Revolution. When French Citizens realized that they were exploited by the aristocrats, they decided to take matters in their own hands. The eventuality was the signing of the rights of man. Despite the positive consequences of the rebellion, the whole journey leading to shift from monarchy to democracy was characterized by bloody and dark times. For a community that was already in pain and poverty for several decades, it can be concluded that the war changed their lives for the better.

Work Cited

Mcphee, Peter. (2002). The French Revolution 1788-1799. Oxford University Press