The French Revolution and its Effects (Essay Sample)

The French Revolution and its Effects
The French Revolution was a momentous time that encompassed political and social upheaval in France and its colonies. The unrest happened between 1789 and 1799 (Horn, 2017). The revolution sought to overthrow the monarchy and establish an independent republic. Violent periods of political turmoil, which culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon, were also witnessed. The revolution was mainly fueled by international influence, political conflicts, economic hardship, social enlightenment, and the inefficiency of Louis XVI (Horn, 2017). Social antagonism between the aristocrats and the bourgeois also catalyzed the unrest. The movement generated ideas of equality, fraternity, and liberty that influenced other European nations. Although the French Revolution had many effects, the most outstanding ones included the abolition of feudalism and improvements in economic infrastructure.
The French Revolution bridged the gap between the non-privileged and privileged classes. After the revolutionary war of the Americans, the French government remained in debt. It adopted retrogressive mechanisms of restoring economic status. Unpopular tax schemes were applied to maintain the nobles, kings, and kings (Horn, 2017). These classes were regarded as burdens by the commoners because of the resources allocated to finance their lives. The Napoleon-led movement resulted in the decreased influence of the clergy on the people. Equity was finally restored and all society members could enjoy fairness.