Political revolutions paper

Student’s Name:
Professor’s Name:
Course Number:
Date:
The French Revolution
The French Revolution is the revolutionary movement that took place in France, beginning in 1789 and ending in the late 1790s with the ascension of Napoleon Bonaparte to power. The revolution denoted the end of the “ancient regime,” earning the name the Revolution of 1789. The French Catholic church was also referred to as the Gallican Church. During the time, its was the official religion in the country. In other words, almost the entire population of the country was Catholic. Thus full state membership was denied to Jewish and Protestant minorities. Nevertheless, The churches and religious places in the country were closed later on hence suppressing the religious worship. Therefore, the discussion here is how the French Revolution affected religion and minorities and how the French Revolution lived up to its principles in the aftermath of the revolution over the span of 18th and 19th centuries.
Before the French Revolution, Catholic was the official church in France, recognizing the Pope as the ultimate head of the Church. Betros begins by saying that most of the French population was Catholic and therefore, the church had a lot of influence (Taylor, 01). For that reason, the lower class people in France were suppressed as they paid more in taxes than the priests. However, the revolution changes all that as most of the people who previously worshiped Catholicism deserted the religion. In other words, the revolution was undoubtedly one of the Catholic religion’s darkest period in history.

The government mainly on the principles of enlightenment advocated for liberty (freedom from oppression), equality (regarding taxation) and fraternity (brotherhood). According to Betros (01), the revolution played a relevant role in shaping modern France and the world as a whole.
Taylor (01) argues that by introducing the revolution, the government did not only reduce the power of the Catholic church but also ensure that there was religious freedom. The philosophers criticized the role of monks and nuns, claiming that the lifelong decision binding them to religious life was taken too early in life thus having implications on their personal liberty. The also enlightened the people on every aspect of the government and society to ensure that the Catholic religion did not suppress them any longer (Taylor, 01). The government also used this enlightenment to encourage reason as the foundation of lawfulness and progress. Nevertheless, the government called for the abolition of tithe and limiting of church property, backed by Parish priests who were an exclusion from the wealth held by the higher clergymen. These changes were also supported by the French, as they distrusted the church even when it was the church of the majority.
The revolution subjected the Catholic officials to being state employees and required them to take an oath of loyalty to France (Taylor, 01). The leaders of the Revolution made use of the Revolutionary Tribunal to eliminate their enemies internally and externally. In other words, the oppressors became the oppressed. Through these steps, they hoped to reverse the problems of the French Minority and the third Estate so that they would not be oppressed anymore. Despite the fact that the French Revolution caused so much destruction and hated in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a highly successful cause. Through it, the basic human rights and some laws were established (Betros, 01). It also led to the signing of the “Concordat of 1801”, with representatives from the French government and the Catholic Church inclusive of the Pope Pius VII.
It is worth noting that “The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens” started by the government as a consequence of the Revolution did not acknowledge the superior position of the Catholic religion. Betros (01) also claims that with all the powers allocated to the nation, the church became vulnerable to further reforms. In November 1789, the Constituent’s Assembly, France’s new national assembly, decreed that church property was at the disposal of the nation. Even some of the Clergy begun to support the country, stating that church property was for the nation and returning it will be giving back to the society. Just before the nationalization of church property, the constituent assembly made a proposal to stop taking of solemn vows (Bernstein, 01). This development further associated the clergy with corruption and scheming and caused closure of monasteries thus redrawing church and state boundaries. This was an accomplishment on the side of enlightenment, and this created a level ground for the minority group.
Counterargument
Bernstein (01), in his New York Times article, does not believe that the revolution only created a Coupe en Deux in the country. He adds that it gave the history of France the taste of struggle, irrationality, and antagonism. He also states evidently that violence broke out during “The Reign of Terror” of September 1793, the number of French in the Church dropped drastically. The revolutionary government also used inhuman means that leaves us wondering how well the revolution changed the issues of lack of liberty, equality, and fraternity towards the minority. For instance, it decided to take action against anybody that they saw as an adversary to them including hoarders, priests, and nobles. This chain of events led to many executions in Paris. The means to achieve it could have been unjustifiable, but the end is justifiable, and that is what matters. The effect of the French Revolution can be felt positively even centuries after it happened. The problems of the French came from great injustice among their own. Furthermore, if the French revolution was to be studied from a philosophical point of view, then its justifiable through consequentialism. The end of the revolution, which was the achievement of its goal to free the nation from religious mistreatment was achieved.
The rebuttal is evident in Betros (01) statement that the philosophers still appreciated how the church was promoting moral and social order. It contradicts his statement that they were discontent with this prosperity and pushed forward for reforms in the church. Also, In the New York Article says that the revolution brought hope and confidence to the minority. Evidently, it also led to bloodshed. Bernstein (01) argues that the American Revolution inspired the French Revolution and yet the Americans did not use any forceful means to get their way, unlike the French who used violence and committed atrocities. The nature of the problems of the Americans was different from those of the French monarchy.
Conclusion
During the French Revolution, religion was significantly affected, and the oppression of the minority by the clergy came to an end. The clergy during that period occupied a higher rank which emerged to be a concern on governance and laws of the land. However, the Revolution brought about an end to this, through inspiration from the American Revolution and emancipation of the masses by philosophers. The ultimate act leading to change was the French “Reign of Terror,” during which supporters of the Catholic Clergy were killed. After the revolution, there was the signing of the “Concordat of 1801” and the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens” which shifted the power from the Catholic Church while restoring equality and liberty to the French. The Revolution was a justifiable war for what is right and was crucial in the history of France and the world as a whole as it provided the base against which most international laws are made today.
Work Cited
Berstein, Richard. “THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: RIGHT OR WRONG?”. Nytimes.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.
This is a primary material, i.e. a New York Times Magazine article; that explains the rights and wrongs of the French revolution. Despite the fact that most of the ideas in the article support the revolution, there are counterarguments and contradicting statement within the text.
Betros, Gemma. “The French Revolution And The Catholic Church | History Today.” Historytoday.com. N.p., 2010. Web. 4 Dec. 2016.
This is a secondary material, i.e. a website, that discusses the problems that the revolution brought to the religion and vice versa. The author clearly presents some of the events that took place shortly before the revolution, how the revolution progressed and the events after the revolution.
Taylor, Tristan. “The Influence of the Catholicism Before, During, And After the French Revolution | Washington State University.” History105.libraries.wsu.edu. N.p., 2014. Web. 4 Dec. 2016.
This is a secondary material, i.e. a website, that discusses the impact that the Catholic religion had on the French before, during and after the revolution. It is evident from the source that it was the dominant religion before the revolution, and during the revolution, the government stripped it off its powers. After the revolution, reforms were made, and treaties signed to ensure that it never gained that kind of authority again.