"Freedom, Brotherhood, Equality!" - the national motto of the French Republic

The French Republic is one of the first states in Europe that abolished the traditional monarchical form of government and thereby gave impetus to great changes in the public consciousness of people of many countries.

The Economic Prerequisites of the French Revolution

The emergence of the French Republic led the revolution, which lasted from 1789 to 1794 years. The causes of the revolution can be considered a deep social and economic crisis, which struck France at that time. The country was dominated by an absolute monarchy, and it could not solve all problems, defending only the interests of the privileged elite of society. The history of the state of France has always been the history of royal rule, but by 1789 it became clear that it could not continue like this. A large landed aristocracy ruled the country, there was a huge number of peasants who were economically dependent on the feudal lords. Meanwhile, the development of industrial production began, workers were needed for the factories. Freedom, equality, fraternity in French were understood as an opportunity for an ordinary person to work not only in the village, but also in the city.

In addition, the peasants continued to be ruined, while the monarch and his entourage devastated the treasury for their entertainment. This fact caused great dissatisfaction among the people.

Spiritual Prerequisites of the French Revolution

The French Revolution was prepared by the writings of the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century. Such philosophers as Voltaire and La Rochefoucauld acted with the preaching of the outstanding qualities of the human mind. They believed that the main sense of society's transformation is freedom, brotherhood, equality. All people should have equal rights, regardless of what they are and what their financial status is. Avoiding the exploitation of one part of the people by another, the abolition of serfdom - these are the basic principles promoted by the French enlighteners.

The driving forces of the revolution

The French revolution was prepared by three main forces. The first of these can be considered French peasants, who were very difficult to pay the feudal duties, the second is the population of the city - artisans, workers, in general, the working people. The third force can be considered the bourgeoisie, which owned industrial enterprises and engaged in business. All of them united the motto of France: "Freedom, brotherhood, equality."

All these forces were united in the fact that the king must be removed from power and give the people a constitution in which the human and citizen's rights would be indicated. But there were also disagreements. Thus, representatives of the bourgeoisie believed that freedom, brotherhood, equality are good until a certain moment, and then you can begin to concentrate the capital and wealth in one hand.

The course of the revolution. General States

King Louis XVI decided that, in connection with the difficult financial and economic situation in the country, it is necessary to assemble the General States, and instructed the Minister to attend to Necker. May 5, 1789 they were collected, led by Minister Mirabeau. He believed that the slogans of the French Revolution could frighten most of the population, so we must go to the alliance of the king, the clergy and the people. But then it turned out that the king does not want to make concessions and carry out reforms. Moreover, he tried to disperse the General States, which by that time had become the National Assembly. The motto of France "Freedom, equality, brotherhood" was not suitable for everyone.

Since Minister Mirabeau refused to dissolve the meeting, foreign troops were formed in Paris, consisting of German and Swedish mercenaries. Minister Necker was dismissed, and this was the impetus for the beginning of a large-scale popular uprising. "Freedom, brotherhood, equality!" - shouted the Parisians, who wanted to overthrow the all-powerful monarch.

The capture of the Bastille

July 14, 1789 is considered an outstanding date in the history of France. On this day, eight hundred Parisians went to storm the prison, that is the Bastille, with them there were two other Russians.

The Bastille was initially considered a prison for aristocrats, but then, at the time of Louis XVI, a conventional prison was made of it. Its peculiarity was tolerable conditions of detention, here prisoners had the opportunity to work and read. Basically, the Bastille was empty - at the time of its capture it contained only seven prisoners.

The capture of the Bastille was perceived all over the world as a triumph of freedom and justice. Many believed that freedom, brotherhood, equality after the destruction of this prison finally came true.

Triumph of the Republic

At this time, the municipality of Paris was abolished, and the city was ruled by the Commune, which believed that it was subordinate only to the National Assembly. Under the pressure of the popular masses in August, representatives of the clergy and nobles gave up their privileged status. On August 26, the famous Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen appeared. Freedom, brotherhood, equality have become its key concepts. The free will of every person, her right to self-determination, was recognized. Many taxes were abolished, and the peasants sighed freely. They canceled the church tithes and obligatory tax payments to feudal lords.

King Louis XVI became a hostage to the new authorities, and his brother and other representatives of the French nobility emigrated. June 20, 1791 the royal family tried to flee abroad on a carriage, but failed, and it was returned.

The overthrow of the monarchy and the reign of the Republic

In August 1792 there were elections to the National Convention, the situation was restless. On September 20, his first meeting took place, and the first decree abolished the monarchy.

Soon, King Louis was executed, and the war between France and other countries began. "Freedom, equality, brotherhood" - the counter with these inscriptions wanted to see residents of other countries. On February 1, France began a war with Britain. English Minister Pitt William the Younger began the economic blockade of France, and this affected the state of the country. In France, famine and insurrection against military mobilization began. Then the Jacobins and the Girondins, two parties in the Convention, began to quarrel with each other. One of the leading revolutionaries, Danton created the Committee of Public Salvation, which for several years effectively dealt with economic and political issues.

Peasant Reform

In 1792, the Convention initiated a major reform to redistribute land in favor of the peasants. The peasants also received other privileges. They realized that the main motto of the French Republic was the assistance of the city's workers and agricultural workers. All feudal duties were abolished, the estates of the emigre nobility were divided into small plots and sold, so that they could be bought by even not very well-off peasants. This reform firmly linked the peasants with the revolution, and they no longer dreamed of restoring the monarchy.

The land reform proved to be the most stable in French history, and the new administrative division of France remained for a long time, while the central vertical of power was unstable.

Further changes in the power structure of France

In 1794 the country was ruled by Robespierre and the Committee of Public Salvation. Robespierre executed Eber and other revolutionaries. On July 27, Robespierre's regime was liquidated, and he was sent to the guillotine.

The convention was dispersed in 1795, and the royalist royalty began to look for ways to return to their homeland. Freedom, equality, fraternity in French were understood by them as an opportunity to regain some of their former power.

October 28, 1795, a new French republic began its existence. At its head was the Directory. At this time, France waged aggressive wars in Europe, and the Directory tried in every possible way to find the means to continue the war.

At the end of 1795, Count Barras attracted the young general Napoleon Bonaparte to suppress the uprising in Paris. Bonaparte believed that "Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood" is the slogan of the French rabble, which must be silenced. His brother, Lucien Bonaparte, was an intelligent and far-sighted politician who helped Napoleon seize power.

On October 16, Napoleon and his troops came to Paris, and there they felt that they were symbols of the French Revolution. Therefore, he was greeted with delight. Under the rule of Bonaparte, the Directory created around France a series of satellite states that supported the regime reigning in it. The territory of the country has become larger, and at its head a new powerful leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, has appeared.

The meaning of the French Revolution was that it finally overthrew the feudal system and helped the accession of capitalism. It was the strongest shock of the eighteenth century, and with its help, radical changes in the social structure of the country were achieved.