Stages of Revolution Adapted from Crane Brinton s book, The Anatomy of Revolution
REVOLUTION: A VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF A GOVERNMENT
Crane Brinton s Anatomy of a Revolution He borrowed his terms from pathology. Compares a revolution to a disease.
FEVER MODEL OF REVOLUTION Symptomatic Stage Crisis Stage Convalescence Incubation Stage Much like an illness, revolutions can also be studied in stages
This stage in an illness is when the cause of the sickness first comes into contact with the individual, infecting them, but not yet causing any symptoms to present themselves. What would this stage be like in a revolution? Symptomatic Stage Crisis Stage Incubation Stage Convalescence In a revolution, this stage would involve the political, social, intellectual, or economic causes. In some cases, these causes could fester for many years before showing themselves in the form of actual revolutionary action.
Sickness affects person in observable ways Temp may rise; cough might present ; individual might become weak & queasy. What would this stage be like in a revolution? Symptomatic Stage Crisis Stage Convalescence Incubation Stage 1 st part to involve direct action resulting from social, political, intellectual, or economic causes of incubation stage. Might involve the publication of works calling for a change, street level riots by common people, or more direct attempts at changing society.
Critical stage 2 things can happen individual either breaks the fever after a heightened stage of illness OR gets progressively worse & does not recover. What would this stage be like in a revolution? Crisis Stage Symptomatic Stage Incubation Stage Convalescence Make or break part of struggle. May involve conflict where sides for & against revolution compete. (could take the form of debate or full-scale war) Successful revolutions survive this stage- those that don t are failed rebellions.
Recovery from illness. Individual might be weakened from experience, but he or she will eventually emerge healthy & w/ new knowledge & experience that might prevent illness from occurring again. What would this stage be like in a revolution? Symptomatic Stage Crisis Stage Convalescence Incubation Stage Recovery from the extreme disruptions of crisis stage. Political, social, intellectual, or economic causes of revolution must be addressed in some way, though not necessarily to satisfaction of all revolutionaries.
Preliminary Stage
PRELIMINARY STAGE Class antagonism Economic upgrade, which does not reach the people Government inefficiency Inept ruler Autocrat with absolute power People ask for change (justice) Autocrat attempts to stop early protests with force (terror), which fails Intellectuals transfer their loyalty from government to the people
Initial Stage
INITIAL STAGE Financial breakdown Protests against government increase dramatically Moderates gain power relatively peacefully Revolutionary underground (radicals) foment revolution Mob psychology Ignorant Emotional Now wants revenge
Crisis Stage
CRISIS STAGE Radicals take control Remove moderates Enemies attempt to stop radicals: Civil war Foreign war Centralization of power in revolutionary council Council dominated by a strongman Use common term of address Try to kill original autocrat Use terror to rule
Recovery
RECOVERY Revolution turns inward Radicals removed Some killed Charismatic autocrat comes to power Aggressive nationalism Slow, uneven return to quieter times People trade freedom for security
Security vs. Freedom Security Freedom
French Revolution
Preliminary Stage
Causes of the French Revolution
Class Antagonism First Estate: 100,000 Catholic clergy Did not pay taxes Second Estate: 400,000 nobles Exempt from many taxes Third Estate: Rest of population Sans-culottes Provided bulk of French tax revenue In 1780s, 50% of revenue went to pay off debts American War for Independence Lavish lifestyle of the monarchy
Government Inefficiency Need for tax reform Louis XVI hoped to raise taxes on ancien régime Aristocracy resisted reforms and pushed Louis to not make changes Forced Louis to call the Estates- General for the first time since 1614
People Ask for Change Cahiers de Doleances
Autocrat s Failed Attempts to Stop Early Protests National Assembly locked out of meeting place
Intellectuals Transfer Their Loyalty Enlightenment ideals from the philosophes Popular sovereignty & natural rights (Locke) Political & legal equality (Rousseau) Personal freedoms (Voltaire) Global influence of Enlightenment values American War for Independence
Initial Stage (1789-1791)
Financial Breakdown Series of bad harvests 1787 & 1788 High bread prices
Protests against the Government Storming of the Bastille Women s March on Versailles
Moderate Governments National Assembly 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Legislative Assembly 1789-1792
Revolutionary Underground Jacobins
Crisis Stage (1792-1794)
Radicals Take Control Arrest of Louis XVI National Convention 1792 August - 179510, 1792
Enemies of the Revolution Civil war Louis XVI Nobles/Emigres Increase Foreign war Austria England
Jacobins Revolutionary Council and Strongman Sans culottes Committee of Public Safety Robespierre Common term of address Citizen
Kill the Original Autocrat Louis guillotined January, 1793 (38) Marie guillotined October, 1793 (37)
Uses Terror to Rule Reign of Terror Led by Robespierre According to records 16,000+ died under the guillotine Historians estimate could be as high as 40,000 The first maxim of our politics ought to be to lead the people by means of reason and the enemies of the people by terror.
British View of Reign of Terror
Recovery Stage (1794-1815)
Revolution Turns Inward Festival of the Supreme Being June 8, 1794 Thermidorean Reaction July, 1794
Charismatic Autocrat Directory 1794-1799 Napoleon 1799
Aggressive Nationalism Napoleonic Wars
Quieter Times Napoleon s domestic policies Napoleonic Code Schools and universities Revised tax code
Trade Freedom for Security Empire 1804-1815
Stages of Revolution Adapted from Crane Brinton s book, The Anatomy of Revolution