The Coming of the French Revolution

Published in 1939 as a celebration of its 150 years, Georges Lefebvre's book offers an easy to understand overview of the beginning of the French Revolution: started by the aristocratie, followed up by the bourgeoisie and, crucially and decisively, later on joined by wide popular revolts in general -peasants in particular- the author indeed let it unfolds under our eyes like a domino effect. Such an overview, sharp, reveals itself to be of an enlightening simplicity. The fact Georges Lefebvre solely deals with the year 1789 (until the imprisonment of the king in the Tuileries) without extrapolating upon the events that will follow up just makes this read even more straightforward.

Sure, he is a classic historian of the French show more Revolution. It doesn't mean, though, that he reduces it only to a simple matter of class struggle. Rightly underlining how cautious we have to be with such a concept for such an event (e.g. there was no unity nor class consciousness among the bourgeoisie and the nobility...) he demonstrates in fact through various factors how it's individuals coming from different strata of society that merged months after months to end the French Old Regime, an end those final stop would ultimately be the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen. Class still matters, but not only.

Thus, reading very simply like a play in four acts (the revolution by the aristocrats, the revolution by the bourgeoisie, the revolution by the people, the revolution by the peasants) 'The Coming of the French Revolution' may still oversimplifies things (in its overall Marxist approach) but, nevertheless, it makes for an accessible and clear snapshots of events otherwise highly complex and controversial. An enlightening read. show less

Two revolutions in two different countries. In one, the bloodthirsty inhabitants turned to a Reign of Terror to achieve their objectives. In the other, disenfranchised shopkeepers threw off their overlords to begin a new nation. The differences between the French and American Revolutions have always intrigued me, which is why I picked up this paperback. What the heck caused the Gallic disturbance to be so...disturbing?

This really is an excellent introduction to the reasons for the French Revolution, focusing on each affected group, from king to nobles to middle class to peasants. This is not an overview of the later Reign of Terror or the beginning of the Empire, so the focus is very strong and full of details.

Still, I wonder how the show more future of France would have turned if there had been stronger protagonists. Danton, Robespierre, Marat, Isnard? Or Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin?

Book Season = Winter (Paris is grey) show less

Considered a standard work in its time (I was assigned it as a text when young) though now considered perhaps too pro-revolutionary

History

9.78069E 12

Spännande analys som vacklar mellan historiematerialism och annaleskolan. Ifrågasätter de rationella aktörerna. Läsvärd!

LBB-5