The History Channel: Pint Size History - French Revolution

Our pub historian explores the French Revolution, when it happened, what took place and what it acheived.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• history
• channel
• french
• revolution
• bishops
• tax
• Louis
• enlightenment
• france
• Marie-Antoinette
• bastille
• Robespierre

[StarQualityWins]

The French "Revolution" was truly a revolt lead by mere men that betrayed France: Robespierre, Marat, Lafayette, Napoleon. They used the people to take France over. The work toward Consitutional Monarchy was already under way at the hand of the Sovereign. The Renegades incited all riots with tabloid lies and drawn out speeches preaching lack of hope. These renegades called themselves "Revolutionaries" and stole the Constitution from Louis XVI and all of his work resulting from America's victory.

[StarQualityWins]

Louis XVI never declared war on Austria! Marie was expecting Austria to follow suit in embracing Democracy. Robespierre and a 20-year-old yet fiercely ambitious Napoleon, brainwashed the poor into believing that it was they who would make Constitutional changes akin to America, when in fact it was Louis and Marie who were doing so. Without utilizing the poor like an army in riots, swaying their beliefs whole-heartedly, Austria would have aided France, Making Napoleon's internal seige impossible.

[alanheath]

@Perversus666 Therefore getting involved with the revolt in the American colonies was an error. Of course France wanted revenge for the loss of the Seven Years War. Better not to get involved in overseas adventures and instead do something about the people at home to relieve their poverty.

[alanheath]

@StarQualityWins I think you are judging this too much by modern standards. The idea that a constitutional monarchy could come about by a revolution was unthought of in 1789 - in my opinion.

There are so many similarities between the French and Russian revolutions - how the revolutions were usurped by dictators. Robespierre - Stalin, Murat - Lenin, Trostsky - Danton.

[olivierjaquet]

@StarQualityWins Napoleon betrayed France ?? NO

[pritzi101]

Roussaeu was swiss, just saying.

[StarQualityWins]

@Perversus666 The Third Estate General Assembly was scheduled to occur. It was traditionally held as a "town hall" meeting with the people themselves present to voice their concerns and hear future plans and news. It was meant to help the decision making process. Robespierre and co. were about 12 people, not 500, and they elected themselves "National Assembly" stating that they would speak for the people. This means that they, and not the people, were the Third Estate, thus blocking the public.

[Perversus666]

@StarQualityWins Okay, so if the king really intended to make a constitutionnal monarchy, why didn't listen to the deputies he convoked in 1789 ??? He locked them outside the parliament, so they couldn't express their doleances. That's why they ran to the "jeu de paume" (kind of tennis court) and swore to build a constitution for France.The King had nothing to do with it's writing and accepted it only not to see full-armed peasants running through Versailles (like it happened later...).

[cultofmao]

Well spoken Citizen.

[StarQualityWins]

@Perversus666 You're wrong. Constitutional Monarchy was the obvious direction after 12 years of working closely w/America. France went broke helping the Americans and wouldn't have risked this merely to piss off Britian! France owned the Louisiana Territories which were mapped as part of America, for France was going to abide by Constitutional Law sans slavery, in America. After the Battle of Yorktown, Jefferson proclaimed that Americans had 2 countries: USA and France.

[Perversus666]

@StarQualityWins You must be joking. There never was any plan for a constitutional monarchy before the riots started. The only aim of the french help in America was to counterbalance the loss of Canada and to weaken Great Britain. The concessions made by the monarchy during the Revolution were felt like an insult by the royal family. Louis XVI declared war on Austria in order to bring back absolutism. He hoped his own army would be crushed. THIS is betrayal.