The French Revolution was a period of significant social and political changes in French history which had major impact on the political, social and cultural developments not only in France and Western Europe. Many historians studied the French Revolution and while they often disagreed over the relative significance of specific changes or developments, they agreed that the French Revolution is a very important event in modern history, and more radical than either the English or American Revolutions. .
This essay will argue that the French Revolution is the "dawn of the modern era" and that it inaugurated a new, modern period in Western history in France, Europe and other Westernized countries worldwide. Specific examples will be cited to demonstrate how the Western civilization was influenced and changed by the French Revolution.
Civil Disorder and the Right to Protest.
The storming of the Bastille in 1789 was the spark that ignited the French Revolution. Civil disorder actions against the ruling groups became an everyday scene in France. Thousands of men and women gained firsthand experience in the political arena: they talked, read, and listened to political matters; they voted; they joined new organizations; and they protested and marched for their political goals. Bastille set the example in political protest from France and other countries to follow.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man .
This declaration was adopted by the National Assembly and stated that democratic principles would be the basis for French government. Its main ideas centered on the democratic slogan of "Liberty Equality, Fraternity." The aim was to shift the authority of issuing basic human rights from the Church to the state government. The French Revolution eliminated privileges given to aristocracy and replaced them with rights and the principle of equality for all people. The big change was that governments should serve the people and not the other way around.