France during the revolution and Russia during communism were quite similar, but have some key differences. Not only were the nations themselves similar, but the circumstances that lead to their major revolutions and political shifts are also alike. However, the key difference in the two is that Russia became a communist country, while France had widely differing political leadership and philosophy throughout its revolution. Major shifts in power and political philosophy often are the result of civil unrest and economic turmoil within the nation; France and Russia were no exception. In addition, the French revolution directly influenced the subsequent Russian revolution.
The Russian revolution began in 1917 with the Bolsheviks and Lenin. The
…show more content…
The fight for communism began “in the early evening of October 24, [the Military Revolutionary Committee] used small bands of troops loyal to their cause or the Red Guards… to take control of the railway station, telephone exchange, electricity plants, post offices, the state bank, and key bridges” (Gellately 37). Although there were a small amount of revolutionaries, the Russian government was without proper defense and they quickly took control of key areas in the state (Gellately 37). Lenin had to convince his Bolshevik constituents that a quick revolution was the proper course of action, he was met with much resistance at first, but his persistence convinced his comrades. Through his leadership a small revolutionary army was able to secure the majority of Russia. Subsequent to the revolution, an election was held in which Lenin and his Bolshevik party “managed only 24 percent of the vote” while the social revolutionaries won the election with “40 percent of the ballots” (Gellately 39). However, Lenin had expected an electoral defeat and “had no intention of letting the Constituent Assembly meet”(Gellately 39). Despite his previous promises, Lenin believed that he was the one who would lead Russia to prosperity through Marxism and “In December 1917, Lenin made the case for forcing through a vanguard dictatorship, in full defiance of the
There are parallels between the French Revolution to the Russian Revolution in the 20th century. The Russian Revolution began due to peasants revolting against the leader due to tax burdens. Similar, to how the French Revolution started due to the heavy tax burden placed on the Third Estate. Both revolutions eventually got more radical and violent, the French Revolution with the Reign of Terror where citizens were guillotined, while the Russian Revolution had Bloody Sunday, where citizens were killed. Radical leaders eventually got control over the government, such as Robespierre with the Committee of Public Safety and they issued their own policies Then, the Russian Revolution eventually ended with the Soviet Union taking control of Russia, similar to how Napoleon took control of France in the French Revolution. Both the French and Russian Revolution share similar characteristics between each
A revolution, by definition, is the overthrow of one government followed by replacement with another. The American Revolution against the British during 1775 to 1783 and the French Revolution pitting the French people against their own government during 1789 to 1799 were both very important political and social turnovers. This movement towards the establishment of a constitutional government influenced political thought throughout the world. By closely examining three of the main causes of these revolutions, it is clear that although the two revolutions have their differences, the basis of cause for the revolutions have, overall, much stronger similarities.
The American and French revolutions both compare and contrast in their origins and outcomes; both revolutions began due to the common peoples need to obtain independence and liberty from an oppressive government. The American Revolution was triggered by the American colonists need for financial independence from the overpowering nation of Great Britain, while the French revolution was a struggle to gain social equality among the masses. Although the American and French Revolutions were fought over the same ideas, the American Revolution is considered more “conservative” than the French. The intent of the American revolutionaries was not to initiate a revolution, but rather to gain their
The American and the French revolutions had many similarities and differences. One similarity being is that they both wanted to escape the rule of their King. Second, they both started by an uprising of people against unfair taxation by the monarchy. The French peasants were not represented by the Parliament. It was mainly composed of middle and upper class people. Now, the American colonists were not represented in England because of their lack of presence. Both wanted to set up a Republic, which provided liberty and justice to all classes of citizens. Just like France, the American colonists were composed up mainly middle and lower class citizens. The American Revolution started out by not wanting bloodshed and violence. France started
During the 1900’s the Russian Government made it extremely hard for the Bolsheviks to progress which made them revolt against the government making this a prime matter for the start of the Revolution. The Czarist government was ostracized by the common people of Russia so Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown by the Provisional Government, whom later on were overthrown by Lenin and shortly after the Bolsheviks took control over Russia. Russia was hard to develop because of the major leaders who had control; Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky. Almost overnight an entire society was destroyed and replaced with one of the most radical social experiments ever seen. Poverty, crime, privileged and class-divisions were to be eliminated, a new era of socialism
Despite the fact that French and Russian revolutions occurred over a century apart, both revolutions had two major similarities: poor economy and bad leadership. Poor economic conditions affected most strongly regular people who simply wanted justice and equality. As a result, both revolutions were sparked by the people’s desire to replace their autocracy governments. Although both revolutions had a lot in common, they had differences as well. The French revolution was deeply rooted in the ideals of Enlightenment and involved the overthrow of the monarchy. Russian revolution, on the other hand, had communist values and occurred due to collapse of government from the top.
July 4th, 1776. America issues the DickDeclaration of Independence, declaring its freedom from England Britain. Our founding fathers, like Thomas Jefferson, state in The Declaration of Independence it that people have “certain, unalienable rights” and that they have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. August 26th, 1789. The National Assembly of France create the Declaration of the Rights of Man, state that they have the right to “natural, unalienable and sacred rights of man” and continue to list grievances that they have. Both of these revolutions were based off of similar morals: that man has the right to freedom. Although the French and American Revolutions were both caused due to unfair taxation and lack of say in
The French Revolution began less than two decades after the American Revolution. In many ways, the American experience was an inspiration for the citizens of France. But the people of the two countries had different situations and had different concerns, which influenced the way each revolution began, progressed, and ended. In this assignment you will write an essay that compares and contrasts the two revolutions.
A revolution is when a country is unhappy with how it is being run, so the people overthrow the government. This is what happened in Mexico and Russia. There are many similarities and differences in the Mexican Revolution to the Russian Revolution. The end results of the two revolutions are much different from each other. The people and events that occurred during the revolutions caused the final outcome. Overall I believe the Russian Revolution was more revolutionary than the Mexican Revolution and here is why.
The French and American revolutions are both very significant in the world’s history. The American Revolution happened first, around the last half of the 18th century where the Thirteen Colonies became the United States of America, and gained independence from the British Empire. The French revolution on the other hand, was from 1789 until the turn of the century 1799. For the French people this was a period of political and social turmoil. The idea of Enlightenment stuck a large population of the French people and led to many changes in society. These two individual revolutions have many comparisons and although they are not identical they become intertwined with separate philosophies on politics and economic expansion.
With knowledge and some experience under his belt, Lenin was ready to take on the Russian government. He would return to Russia and continue to plan his revolutionary movements against the government. History.com writes that after the outbreak between both revolutionary parties, Lenin headed back to Russia. The revolution in Russia ended when Nicholas II promised reforms, which included the adoption of a constitution and the creation of an elected legislature. However, once order was restored, the Czar declined most of the reforms. Because it was at the same time as World War I, the economy of Russia was disrupted by the costly war effort. In March of 1917, riots and strikes broke out between the proletariats over the scarcity of food. Dispirited army troops ganged with the strikers, and on March 15 Nicholas II was forced to relinquish. This ended centuries of
to get all the power of France. It should also be said that not all the nobles
The Russian Revolution is a widely studied and seemingly well understood time in modern, European history, boasting a vast wealth of texts and information from those of the likes of Robert Service, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Allan Bullock, Robert Conquest and Jonathan Reed, to name a few, but none is so widely sourced and so heavily relied upon than that of the account of Leon Trotsky, his book “History of the Russian Revolution” a somewhat firsthand account of the events leading up to the formation of the Soviet Union. There is no doubt that Trotsky’s book, among others, has played a pivotal role in shaping our understanding of the events of The Revolution; but have his personal predilections altered how he portrayed such paramount
The French Revolution was a period of time from 1789 to 1799 in France where there was political instability. It officially began on the 14th of July, 1789, when the Bastille, which was a symbol of the King’s harsh policies, was stormed. The King, Louis XVI, the Queen, Marie-Antoinette and about 40,000 people were all brutally murdered. But there was also a positive side, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was formally adopted on August 1789 and feudalism was abolished. This essay will address the issues of the three estates system, food shortages and the fiscal crisis. It will also be argued that the most significant cause of the French Revolution was the social inequality that stemmed from the three estates system.
The French Revolution (1789-1814) was a period that affected the outcome of world history tremendously. This is considered a major turning point in European history which has led to dramatic changes in France and other regions of the world. Various social and political issues led to the start of the revolution. Politically, France suffered under the rule of Louis XVI, who ruled by absolute monarchy. Many people had their natural rights renounced and weren’t able to have a political voice. Socially, France had divided its population within 3 estates (classes). French citizens took it upon themselves to remodel their country 's’ political structure. The French Revolution had encountered both positive and negative effects. However, many Europeans viewed the Revolution as much more than just a bloody massacre. The French Revolution was used to demonstrate new ideology that would emphasize the principles of liberty and equality throughout Europe.