Effects of the French Revolution

The French revolution was one of the major revolutions in the history of revolutions, having a drastic effect not only on France, but on other countries as well. There were various institutional changes that arose as a result of this revolution and it led to the introduction of equality before the law by removing all the economic and legal barriers which protected the oligarchies and nobility.

There was a huge decline in monarchies as they had been replaced by liberal democracies and republics, thus altering the course of modern history. The French revolution had some major impacts.

Bourbon Rule

The revolution caused the Bourbon Rule to end in France. For 400 years, the House of Bourbon had been ruling in France, however, its rule came to an end with the monarchy being abolished and replaced by the Republican form of Government.

Change in Land Ownership

The abolishment of taxes on agricultural produce and earnings for many peasants who relied on their land and landlords with manorialism being an important part of Feudalism. Rural France became a land, occupied by various small farms as the large estates broke up.

Catholic Church losses its power

The primary religion in France was Catholicism with the Catholic Church having an important and powerful place for the French, but after the French revolution the church lost a lot of its powers. During the revolution, the abolishment of taxes effected the church drastically as it was the recipient of tithes.

Ideologies

The different beliefs about the most appropriate political and social organisations are called ideologies. The word ideology was born during the French Revolution. People were living with the recurring forms of government (monarchy mostly) without having conflicts about it before the revolution. However, afterwards they starting having differing beliefs, different ideologies were formed and people discarded every government to be lawful without justification.

Modern Nationalisation

There was a spread of an ideology of nationalism which prioritised loyalty and devotion to the nation over any other interests. The French revolution played an important role in the expansion of this nationalist movement all across Europe.

Liberalism

The revolution led to the origination of philosophies of equality and liberty through the removal of class differences making France the first state that granted universal male suffrage (where all men can vote not just the upper class) in history. This was caused by the abolishment of feudalism and the declaration of the Rights of Man.

Communism

The revolution created such a political and social environment that it provided a platform for ideologies such as socialism and communism. This caused the abolishment of private property and its communal ownership.

An End to Oligarchies

The destruction of various territories such as Belgium, Germany and Netherlands caused the removal of all economic and legal barriers which shielded the nobility, clergy and oligarchies.

Age of Revolutions

The French revolution left such an impact that other citizens were inspired and started revolts and fights for their own rights, leading to a number of other revolutions in Europe and America. This period is known in history as the Age of Revolutions.