Melissa Leavitt

November 8, 2015
Fa15 HIST-4290
The Matters at Hand
To answer the question of the relevance of the French Revolution today, the definition of
relevance must first be understood. As defined by Merriam-Webster, the word relevance means
having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand.1 So, in order for the French
Revolution to qualify as relevant today, it must considerably contribute to the issues that people
currently deal with regularly. From the late 1700s to modern times, the French Revolution served as a
catalyst and inspiration for many events the world over. The purpose of this paper is to prove that the
French Revolution is relevant for three main reasons that essentially follow their cry of Libert, galit,
and fraternit. The concept of liberty within the revolution provides point of comparison that current
social movements can follow or deviate from, and also shows that when people want true liberty,
impossible change can be made a reality. The cry for galit continues to echo in the public sphere
today, and the history of feminist and racial equality movements within the French Revolution provide
relevant insight to these unanswered questions. Fraternity is relevant as it demonstrates personal citizen
responsibilities and offers a potential solution to the polarized divisions that political parties suffer from
today.
In their hit song Revolution, the Beatles summed up their feelings about citizen uprisings with the
words, You say you want a revolution. Well, you know, we all want to change the world.2 Even though
those lyrics may have been influenced by small amounts of lysergic acid diethylamide, they correctly
stated that what essentially drives a revolution is the need for change. Throughout the 1700s, the French
1 Websters New World College Dictionary. 4th ed. Cleveland: Websters New World, 2001.
2 Dave Lifton 47 Years Ago: The Beatles Release Apples First Record, Revolution, Ultimate Classic Rock.
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/the-beatles-revolution/ (accessed November 8, 2015).

people lived within a system that benefited a marginally small percentage of the population and offered
little room for economic improvement from within the class divisions. So, desiring change for more
economic and social liberty, they rose up against the monarchy, created a new body of government, and
drafted new legislation intended to protect the citizens personal rights. Events and terminology from the
French revolution are often used today in historical examinations of past uprisings. For exampleS during
the 1905 revolution in tsarist Russia, Leon Trotsky compared Lenin to the French revolutionary
Robespierre.3 Understanding the key players in the French Revolution helps historians and students
interpret other movements.
Not only are terms and people from the French Revolution important to use when comparing
movements, but also an understanding of the basic revolutionary structure as well. Even though the
technology and social issues may be different from revolution to revolution, the key element of
liberation remains the same. With the French Revolution, the points of comparison range from extremely
positive (the drafting of the new constitution) to shockingly negative (the Great Terror and the execution
of thousands). Essentially, it shows both the good and bad of social change and clearly draws lines that
should not be crossed. When the French people executed their king and started to unfairly punish anyone
with different opinions is when the free market of ideas and the goal of liberation came crashing down.
These teachings are relevant today as a cautionary tale of what happens when terror is made the order of
the day and when violence is used as a way to implement radical policies. A free market of ideas is
essential to progress and differing opinions should be welcomed, not punished. Countries looking for
social revolutions or even local policy changes would find a study of the French Revolution extremely
relevant as a prime example of power gone both right and wrong.

3 Tony Cliff, 4.Vigourous Assault on Lenin, Marxists.org.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/cliff/works/1989/trotsky1/04-assault.html (accessed November 8, 2015).

A contemporary example of the relevance of the French Revolution as a point of comparison is

the Egyptian Revolution. In 2011 during a chain-reaction of events later referred to as the Arab Spring,4
strikes and social upheaval broke out in Egypt, as civilians protested for democracy. Over 200 years ago,
enlightenment ideologies of freedom permeated French society; in 2011 ideals of true democracy
infiltrated the Egyptian population.5 Violations of human rights and prosperity built on the back of the
working class were signs of discontent of both the French people with King Louis XVI and the
Egyptians with their dictator, Mubarak. The bastille was stormed by the French; Tahrir Square by the
Egyptians.6 After successfully overcoming the country with the help of the military, Egypt continues to
stand on shaky ground today. Multiple revolutions have occurred within the country within the past four
years.7 A power struggle after initial success was also the story of the French Revolution, as they went
from a king to a convention, to a committee, to an imperialistic dictator, and eventually to a
representative government. The French Revolution shows that the road to democracy is a rocky one, and
that revolution is not a one and done social experiment, but rather a process that can be both expedited
and inhibited by the means of policy implementation. These similarities (and the differences) between
the two uprisings are beneficial to examine. As historians look at the commonalities, they are essentially
looking at the elements of revolution that are the same today as they were over 200 years ago and raise
the question if theyre inherent to human existence.
The French Revolution was one of the first, stark examples of the crucial need to understand
civil unrest and to examine the root causes of widespread public discontent. Until this point in history,

4 The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, Egypt Uprising of 2011, Encyclopedia Britannica.

http://www.britannica.com/event/Egypt-Uprising-of-2011 (accessed November 8, 2015).
5George Griffin, Egypts Uprising, PBS Newshour. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/middle_east-janjune11-revsocial_04-19/ (accessed November 8, 2015).
6 Day-to-Day timeline of Egyptian Revolution, Frontline. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/revolutionin-cairo/day-to-day/ (accessed November 8, 2015).
7 Jonathan Adelman, Historically, Egypts revolution is more of the same, Reuters.
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2013/07/08/historically-egypts-revolution-is-more-of-the-same/

opposing a monarch was essentially opposing God, due to the divine right of kings ideology. The rules
of society were thought to be divine inspiration, and were viewed as completely rigid. For this reason
the French Revolution is relevant because it drastically displays the power of public opinion to change
an antiquated system formerly thought to be unchangeable. It is the ultimate underdog story and
shows us that even today, when something needs to be changed, the impossible can be made possible if
enough voices speak out.
Following the thread of changing long-held beliefs leads to the concept of equality. This concept
essentially expands on the liberty, saying that being economically free and without a classist system was
not enough. For the constitution to be upheld, the laws must apply to everyone. A citizen must be treated
with equality, meaning that the laws of the land must be applied without consideration for race, gender,
appearance, heritage, or social status. The fight for equality is exemplified during the revolution in both
the women and racial equality movements.
Before the revolution, French women were considered to be passive citizens, unable to fully
participate in society. Their participation rose drastically during the initial phase of the revolution, with
French women leading protests, participating in social political clubs, and being referred to as citizen
along with the men. Even though the restrictions on womens rights increased during the terror phase of
the revolution, it shows that the need for equal rights was, at least temporarily, on the forefront of
peoples minds. Recently there has been an increase in feminism movements throughout the world, with
advocates like Malala8 raising awareness of mistreatment of women and the need for all children to have
access to an education. There is the HeForShe campaign that encourages a solidarity movement for

8 Malala Yousafzai, Moving Moments from Malalas BBC Diary, BBC News. http://www.bbc.com/news/worldasia-29565738 (accessed November 8, 2015).

gender equality.9 The French Revolution shows us today that womens rights issues have existed for
centuries, and that through political protest change is possible.
Not only does the French Revolution address the equality issue with gender, but also with race. Even
though in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen it stated that all men should have
equal advantage one with another, this initially did not apply to people of color. However, with the
Haitian revolution and other enlightened revolutionaries calling for abolition, France declared all men
to be free. Later, under the Napoleonic rule the question of slavery was again considered, and policies
both reinstating the institution and finally abolishing it went into effect.10 This somewhat mirrors the
struggle of African Americans in the United States. Even though they were freed by the Emancipation
Proclamation11 and by the ending of the Civil War, they were not placed on equal grounds with white
male citizens. Jim Crow laws were instituted to keep them from fully participating in society, and deep
racism and prejudice permeated the country before and after the Civil Rights movements in the 1960s.
Interestingly enough, as Frantz Fanon states, There were no Jim Crow laws in France, [however]
colonized populations were subjected to discriminatory policies, forced labor, and racism.12 With
racially charged questions constantly circulating the country, the relevance of the French Revolution
presents itself as people reflect back on the definition of equal rights, and what happens when a
revolution leaves questions of race unanswered,
Initially the revolution sought to create a strong, impenetrable bond between citizens. They hoped to
inspire political activism among the formerly illiterate populace and this was reflected in the formation
9 Elizabeth Nyamayaro, An Invitation to Men Who Want a Better World ForWomen, TED.
https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_nyamayaro_an_invitation_to_men_who_want_a_better_world_for_women
(accessed November 8, 2015).
10 Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleons Decree Abolishing the Slave Trade, The Napoleon Series.
http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/legislation/c_slavery2.html (accessed November 8, 2015).
11 History.com Staff, Emancipation Proclamation, History. http://www.history.com/topics/american-civilwar/emancipation-proclamation (accessed November 8, 2015).
12 Franoise Vergs, I Am Not the Slave of Slavery, in Frantz Fanon: Critical Perspectives, ed. Anthony C.
Alessandrini (Routledge (February 14, 1999), 265.

of assemblies, political clubs, and political parties. Even though the general population may have
overstepped in a way that led to terror, the relevance of political activism and awareness still rings true
today. The French Revolution teaches that whether a citizen is on the right or left (terms that
coincidentally were introduced during the revolution), true power is acquired when people become
educated about the political issues around them.
Today, with the heavy presence of social media, it may seem easy to become polarized in
opinions and categorize certain ideas as strictly one party or another. Although becoming politically
aware is a crucial step in change, as shown by what the later leaders of the revolution didnt do, it is
essential to allow different opinions to be expressed. Society seems to be moving away from political
progression, as government gridlocks become the norm. Even though the French Revolution later
deviated from their goal of fraternity, their initial insistence of its inclusion is a lesson of where
governmental priorities should lie. The relevance of the goal of fraternity exists today in the sense that
even though political parties may have different platforms and agendas, each individual citizen has the
power to usher in new ages of advancement by sharing the common interest of national progression.
Even though the French Revolution began over 200 years ago, the relevance of the events that
happened can be found in almost every current political and social issue at hand. To follow the thread of
revolution from the 1790s to 2015, one must keep in mind the goals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
The liberation goals of the French Revolution and the patterns for both good and bad government can be
applied on a global or local level today. Understanding that the fight for equality has existed for
hundreds of years adds relevance from the revolution to the equal rights movements that are currently
striving for progress. Finally, the insistence on fraternity, common ground, and political activism need to
be relevant today in order for governments to make forward progress.