Today’s Objectives:Today’s Objectives:

1. We will learn about 1. We will learn about the four stages of the four stages of revolution.revolution.

2. We will be able to 2. We will be able to explain how the explain how the French Revolution fits French Revolution fits into those four stages.into those four stages.

Crane Brinton's Stages of Crane Brinton's Stages of RevolutionRevolution

Crane Brinton (1898-1968)Crane Brinton (1898-1968)

Historian Crane Historian Crane Brinton wrote Brinton wrote The The Anatomy of Anatomy of Revolution Revolution in 1938, a in 1938, a book which examined book which examined four revolutions in four revolutions in order to find the order to find the common patterns common patterns between them.between them.

The English Civil War and English The English Civil War and English Republic (1642-1661)Republic (1642-1661)

King Charles IKing Charles I Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell

The American Revolution and the Creation The American Revolution and the Creation of the United States (1774-1783)of the United States (1774-1783)

King George IIIKing George III George WashingtonGeorge Washington

The French Revolution to the Fall of The French Revolution to the Fall of Napoleon (1789-1815)Napoleon (1789-1815)

King Louis XVIKing Louis XVI Maximilien RobespierreMaximilien Robespierre

The Russian Revolution and Creation of The Russian Revolution and Creation of Soviet Union (1917-1922)Soviet Union (1917-1922)

Czar Nicholas IICzar Nicholas II Vladimir LeninVladimir Lenin

Brinton's Definition of “Revolution”Brinton's Definition of “Revolution”

A drastic, sudden substitution of A drastic, sudden substitution of one group in charge of the running one group in charge of the running of a territorial political entity by of a territorial political entity by another.another.

Revolutions as a DiseaseRevolutions as a Disease

Brinton compared a Brinton compared a revolution to a disease revolution to a disease with a high fever.with a high fever.

Just as the human Just as the human body tries to fight off a body tries to fight off a disease and restore disease and restore itself to its original itself to its original state, so too do state, so too do revolutions eventually revolutions eventually fade to a state similar fade to a state similar to the old order they to the old order they replaced.replaced.

Stage 1: Incubation StageStage 1: Incubation Stage

Also like a disease, Also like a disease, symptoms are symptoms are present before the present before the outbreak.outbreak.

Certain common Certain common conditions are found conditions are found in societies which in societies which undergo revolutions.undergo revolutions.

These factors lead to These factors lead to the fall of the old the fall of the old regime.regime.

Economic CrisisEconomic Crisis

Governments are Governments are more vulnerable to more vulnerable to revolution when there revolution when there is some sort of is some sort of massive financial massive financial crisis going on.crisis going on.

Can you think of Can you think of some examples of some examples of this from pre-this from pre-Revolution France?Revolution France?

Sense of Government InjusticeSense of Government Injustice

In all revolutions, In all revolutions, there is a sense of there is a sense of being wronged by the being wronged by the government in some government in some way.way.

Can you think of Can you think of any abuses of any abuses of government power government power in the Old Regime in in the Old Regime in France?France?

Weak Rulers and Half-Hearted Weak Rulers and Half-Hearted “Reform”“Reform”

All of the revolutions Brinton All of the revolutions Brinton studied had weak or studied had weak or incompetent rulers.incompetent rulers.

In addition, all of the In addition, all of the governments tried to placate the governments tried to placate the discontented with attempts at discontented with attempts at reform that either failed or never reform that either failed or never got off the ground to begin with, got off the ground to begin with, further angering people.further angering people.

Can you think of any Can you think of any examples of such conditions examples of such conditions in France before the in France before the Revolution?Revolution?

Intellectual OppositionIntellectual Opposition

Revolutions are also Revolutions are also characterized by a shift characterized by a shift in the alliances of in the alliances of intellectuals from the intellectuals from the government to those government to those calling for reform.calling for reform.

Intellectuals write and Intellectuals write and speak against the speak against the government.government.

Can you think of any Can you think of any examples of this during examples of this during the French Revolution?the French Revolution?

Class Division and AntagonismClass Division and Antagonism

All revolutions seem All revolutions seem to involve deep to involve deep division and division and discontent among the discontent among the various social and various social and economic classes.economic classes.

Can you think of Can you think of any class issues any class issues which existed in which existed in France during the France during the 1818thth century? century?

Military VictoryMilitary Victory

• A necessary A necessary component of revolution component of revolution is the defeat or is the defeat or recruitment of the recruitment of the armed forces of the armed forces of the nation by the nation by the revolutionaries – this is revolutionaries – this is what makes a revolution what makes a revolution a revolution.a revolution.

• Why is this so Why is this so important? What important? What happened in France?happened in France?

Stage 2: Moderate StageStage 2: Moderate Stage Revolutions tend to be Revolutions tend to be

led by moderate leaders led by moderate leaders in their early stages.in their early stages.

Moderates try to enact Moderates try to enact reforms without resorting reforms without resorting to extremism and to extremism and violence.violence.

Moderates advocate for Moderates advocate for compromise and reform – compromise and reform – not dramatic, overnight not dramatic, overnight overhauls of society and overhauls of society and government.government.

Rule of the ModeratesRule of the Moderates• In this stage, protests In this stage, protests

against the government against the government increase.increase.

• Violence may occur, but on Violence may occur, but on a small scale.a small scale.

• Factions (competing interest Factions (competing interest groups) exist, but tend to get groups) exist, but tend to get along at first.along at first.

• Can you think of any Can you think of any examples of this moderate examples of this moderate stage in France in the stage in France in the early years of the early years of the Revolution?Revolution?

Stage 3: Crisis StageStage 3: Crisis Stage

• Radicals gain control of Radicals gain control of government.government.

• The use of violence increases The use of violence increases dramatically.dramatically.

• Regicide (the killing of a Regicide (the killing of a monarch) or other political monarch) or other political assassinations increase.assassinations increase.

• Secret police are used to root Secret police are used to root out “enemies.”out “enemies.”

• There are often moves against There are often moves against religious institutions.religious institutions.

Radical RevolutionRadical Revolution• Radicals form Radicals form

revolutionary councils and revolutionary councils and dispense a harsh brand of dispense a harsh brand of “justice.”“justice.”

• These councils become These councils become dominated by a dominated by a strongman.strongman.

• Civil or foreign war is often Civil or foreign war is often a factor as well.a factor as well.

• Can you think of any Can you think of any examples of this pattern examples of this pattern of events from the of events from the French Revolution?French Revolution?

Totally radical, dude!

Stage 4: Recovery StageStage 4: Recovery Stage

• The reign of terror The reign of terror ends, and violence ends, and violence diminishes.diminishes.

• Radicals are ejected Radicals are ejected from power, and from power, and moderates return.moderates return.

• A government A government resembling the old resembling the old regime returns, though regime returns, though altered by the effects altered by the effects of the revolution.of the revolution.

War or PeaceWar or Peace

• The recovery stage may The recovery stage may be characterized either by be characterized either by peace or war.peace or war.

• Peace may be made with Peace may be made with foreign enemies, or foreign enemies, or aggressive nationalism aggressive nationalism may lead to more war.may lead to more war.

• What are some What are some examples of the examples of the recovery stage from the recovery stage from the French Revolution?French Revolution?