Compare and Contrast the French and Russian revolutions of 1789 and 1917 Revolutions are very instrumental in the process of advancing change in society. Most governments have been formed or even modified through the process of revolution. Recent world history has recorded three major revolutions namely the French Revolution of 1789, the American Revolution which sought independence in 1776, and the Russian revolution of 1917. The French Republic went for one decade after Bonaparte took over power by force towards the close of the 18th century (1799). By 1825, his revolt movement had grounded to a halt. On the other hand, 1989 marked the end of the Russian Revolution which was responsible for the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). This paper gives an incisive analysis of the similarities and differences between the French and Russian Revolutions.
A myriad of factors was responsible for the French Revolution. For instance, the high rate of unemployment, crop failure as well as the struggle among different classes has been cited as some of the causes of the revolt (Doyle 19). Crop failure and caste system were however not among the causes of the Russian Revolution.
Nonetheless, the dramatic mix of the philosophy derived from church elites and the political class came at the right time and convinced the masses who were mainly peasants and hard hit by poverty. There was growing discontent mainly due to the caste system which saw rampant discrimination between the have and have-nots. Moreover, the government was accused of doing very little in controlling the price of essential products like bread which were skyrocketing by the day. As a result, the peasants were more than ready for a transition. Although King Louis XVI attempted to effect certain changes in government so that the peasants could receive fair treatment, it was too little too late; the level of discontent and anger among the peasants was already overboard and could not be reversed easily (Doyle 26). This level of dissatisfaction was similar to the one encountered by Vladimir Lenin of Russia when he plundered public resources after taking over the Russian regime.
The infuriated peasants eventually launched massive attacks on the buildings and property of their masters and caretakers. Consequently, the French government thought that it could be wise for it to engage in military action as a way of cooling down the uprising. This was referred to as “The Great Scare”. Although the attack by the mobs was not as serious as alleged by the government, the entire scenario ended up in a bloodshed revolt which later witnessed the “Reign of Terror”. Guillotine use became prominent when Maximilien Robespierre took over.
There was no authority for Napoleon Bonaparte to assert even as the first France Revolution disintegrated (Lefebvre 56). He however managed to steer the peasants and other commons into victory four years later. His ambitions did not let him rest even after acquiring France. His desire to take over the whole of Europe changed so many things. The dictatorial rule by Napoleon indeed replaced the corrupt governments that hitherto existed in France. Other European nations were not pleased with all by the new French nation owing to the fact they were against the policy of the Catholic practices.
Initially, the French succeeded considerably in suppressing the resistance from some nations in Europe. However, the Battle of Waterloo which was fought in 1815 led to the defeat of Bonaparte (Lefebvre 67). This marked the end of the road for the French Revolution.
Similar to the French Revolution, discontent among the working class was the major cause of the Russian Revolution. This was not the first revolution to be faced by Russia; it had encountered similar unrests but managed to nip them in the bud before spilling over (Smith 84). Although the weakest targeted point during the French Revolution was public furry and dissatisfaction, the architects of the Russian Revolution took advantage of weakened Europe by the events of the First World War. On the other hand, peasants who were also very poor were used in the French Revolution unlike in the Russian Revolution where the working class was instrumental in pushing for change.
The Russian Revolution started as a workers’ strike in early 1917 (Smith 43). The city of Petrograd hosted the first venue for worker’s unrest and it spilled over to grip the entire city. Contrary to the French Revolution which was mainly driven by a single dictatorial force from Napoleon, the Russian Revolution was more of a group event and a collective effort of discontented workers. The imperial monarchy was eventually thrown out of power and replaced with an acting government. This is yet another difference; the unrest which led to the outer of the original government took a very short time and recorded much success, unlike the French Revolution which lasted for a considerable length of time amid difficulties.
The provisional government lasted for a very short time. The initial support it received was lost after a short while when people started becoming dissatisfied with its policies (Smith 76). Both the French and Russian Revolutions came to a halt owing to the unpopular leadership styles of those who took overpower. For instance, Napoleon was dictatorial while Vladimir Lenin of Russia mastered the art of propaganda. Although the latter came from the minority tribe, he gathered so much power under him he became so much influential. The establishment of the USSR was done swiftly by Lenin before the end of that year. He assumed full control of the new regime. Similar to Bonaparte, Lenin amassed so many land resources. Unlike after the French Revolution, Europe by this time was still weak following the aftermath of World War I and as a result, Russian’s expansion could not be halted. Another difference emerges from the fact that the USSR regime went for a long time than the Bonaparte’s government. However, a similar event is that both of them went down towards the end of the 80s. Additionally, both Revolutions led to massive loss of life and the establishment of unpopular governments.
Works Cited
Doyle, William. “The French Revolution: a very short introduction”, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Lefebvre, Georges. “The French Revolution: from its origins to 1793”, Columbia: Columbia University Press, 2001.
Smith, Anthony Stephen. “The Russian Revolution: a very short introduction”, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.