& SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. What were the ideas of Montesquieu?
2. How did the writings of Voltaire inspire the French Revolution?
3. How did Rousseau inspire the French Revolution?
- Financial bankruptcy was the main cause of the French Revolution. Discuss.
5. How did the American war of Independence and events of Ireland contribute to the
French Revolution?
Answers
Explanation:
1) Montesquieu wrote that the main purpose of government is to maintain law and order, political liberty, and the property of the individual. Montesquieu opposed the absolute monarchy of his home country and favored the English system as the best model of government.
2)The Influence of Voltaire's Philosophical Works on the French Revolution The philosophical works of Voltaire, such as Candide, influenced the beginning of the French Revolution, promoting new ideas and concepts. Voltaire used both wit and sarcasm to prove his points against injustice and cruelty.
3)There is significant disagreement among historians of the French Revolution as to its causes. Usually, they acknowledge the presence of several interlinked factors, but vary in the weight they attribute to each one. These factors include cultural change, normally associated with the Enlightenment; social change and financial and economic difficulties; and the political actions of the involved parties.
Beyond these relatively established facts regarding the social conditions surrounding the French Revolution, there is significant dissent among historians. Marxist historians, such as Lefebvre and Soboul, see the social tensions described here as the main cause of the Revolution, as the Estates-General allowed them to manifest into tangible political action; the bourgeoisie and the lower classes were grouped into the Third Estate, allowing them to jointly oppose the establishment. Others see the social issues as important, but less so than the Enlightenment or the financial crisis; François Furet is a prominent proponent of the former, Simon Schama of the latter.
4)It provided reformers with a working example of a successful and moderately peaceful revolution. It also facilitated the spread of revolutionary ideas in France. Ironically, France's King Louis XVI and his government had supported the American Revolution with financial aid and military support
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