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describe the social condition in France on the eve of the French Revolution how was the revolution of 1789 influenced by this condition

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Answered by mahesh4668gmailcom35
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Condition of Europe in General

With the outbreak of the French Revolution, “European, history merges into the history of one nation, one event and one man; the nation is France, the event is the French Revolution and the man is Napoleon.”

However, before we deal with the French Revolution itself, it is desirable to refer to the condition of Europe on the eve of that great event in European history.

Generally speaking, Europe was organised aristocratically. This was true not only in the case of monarchies but also in the case of Republics.



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The Republic of Venice was governed by an oligarchy and the same was the case with Switzerland. Even in England where Parliament was strong, the power rested not with the people but with the landed aristocracy. Parliament itself was controlled by big landlords.

The man in the street still did not count. If this was true of England, the same was the case in other European countries like Austria-Hungary, Prussia, Russia, France, Spain, Poland, etc. In most of the European countries, the rulers were despots although during the 18th century they were called enlightened despots. The people had no hand in the administration of the country. They did not enjoy any personal liberty and everything depended upon the whims of the rulers. Serfdom prevailed almost everywhere in Europe.

European rulers at that time were dishonest and unprincipled. International morality reached its lowest ebb during the 18th century. A man like Frederick, the Great, did not hesitate to annex Silesia in spite of his promises to Charles VI, the father of Maria Theresa. Russia, Prussia, and Austria conspired among themselves to put an end to the very existence of Poland.

There was a general craze for territorial expansion at the expense of the weaker neighbours. “No consideration was paid to race limits or national boundaries.” In the words of Prof Holland Rose, “That respect of dynastic rights and treaty obligations which generally held sway when Christendom was more than a name, now gave place to a state policy which avowedly aimed at little else but gain of territory or markets.” Prof Hazen says, “The old regime in Europe was disloyal to the very principles on which it rested” and those principles were respect for the established order and regard for regality and engagements.

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