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French Revolution
...the history of the world. The Revolution led to many changes in France, which at the time of the Revolution was the most powerful state in Europe. The Revolution led to the development of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism. The French Revolution also questioned the authority of kings, priests, and nobles by revolting and speaking out against the corrupt government. The text that we have chosen to read in this class by Michael Walzer and the authors of The West focus mainly on three events; the storming of the Bastille and the trial of Louis XVI. The revolution was caused by the different views of the contrasting social classes and their different ideas of reform. There is no single most important event that stands out in the French Revolution. These two events are equally important to the revolution and contributed equally to the liberation of France.
The Revolution also gave new meanings and new ideas to
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the political ideas of the people. To understand the escalation of reform, one must first understand the structure of 17th Century France and the people who lived in this period. At this time in French history, the social classes played an important role in the lives of the people. The social structure of France was divided among three groups: the First Estate, the Second Estate, and the Third Estate.
Each social group had a varied type of people within their structure, which presented the different views of the people. The First Estate was the Church. During the ancient regime, the church was equal in terms of its social, economic, and spiritual power. The First Estate owned nearly 10 percent of all land in France. It paid no taxes but, to support church activities such as school running and caring for the poor, they collected a tax on income.
The Second Estate in French life was the nobility. They enjoyed extensive...
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