Was the French Revolution a Failure?
My friend Nate Provost asked, “I’ve heard many time the French Revolution was a failure. Do you guys think it is? explain. personally in the long run i don’t think it was but it did cause many deaths and france is in turmoil today.” To his question, I responded as follows:
“Well, it depends by what your views are on the aims of the Revolution to say whether it was a failure or not. It depends on whose/which faction’s/your own vision. The Girondins/Brissotins of ’91 were the most successful for creating a stron…g constitutional state maintained by the bourgeoisie, whose vision was secured and perfected by Napoléon and restored again by Napoléon III and certainly cemented currently in the 5th Republic. If you mean did it secure the personal destinies set by say Napoléon’s desire for a dynasty, then of course no, at least it has been a failure in that sense since 1870. Did it succeed in liberating all the people of Europe? No, because neither the Revolutionaries nor Napoléon forced their reforms on the major nations of Europe, although they did liberate the majority of Europe as well as start the process in Latin America and Africa. Did it achieve the desires of the Hébertistes/Enragés? No, in that sense the Convention of the Robespierristes of ’94 killed that, although Napoléon brought some popular protections, which resurfaced again permanently since the socialist policies instated under Napoléon III. I would say, judge it by what the good effects were compared to the negative. In that sense, I feel the Revolution was a great success, although my favored faction and the ideal platform lost out. Nevertheless, great progress was made, and as stated, Europe and its people were shaken out of their lethargy.”
